"Runnin' with the Devil" is a song by the American

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a heavier subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and Distortion (music), distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the Garage rock, garage, Psychedelic rock, psychedelic and blues ...

band

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1973. Credited with restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene, Van Halen was known for their energetic live performances and the virtuosity of their guit ...

, released as the second single from their eponymous debut album on May 6, 1978. The lyrics were inspired by

Ohio Players Ohio Players are an American funk band, most popular in the 1970s. They are best known for their songs "Fire" and " Love Rollercoaster", and for their erotic album covers that featured nude or nearly nude women. Many of the women were models f ...

1974 song "Runnin' from the Devil". In 2009, "Runnin' with the Devil" was named the 9th greatest hard rock song of all time by

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

. Chuck Klosterman of ''Vulture'' ranked it the eighth-best Van Halen song, praising the staccato bass playing as well as

David Lee Roth David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1954) is an American rock singer. Known for his wild and energetic stage persona, he was the lead vocalist of the hard rock band Van Halen for three stints: from 1974 to 1985, during 1996, and from 2006 to when ...

's vocal performance. "Runnin' with the Devil" remains a staple track of classic rock radio and Van Halen's discography. Alex Van Halen has stated that this song best epitomizes why Eddie Van Halen was such a genius.

Composition

The song begins with a collection of car horns sounding. The horns were taken from the band's own cars and mounted in a box and powered by two car batteries, with a foot switch. Producer

Ted Templeman Edward John "Ted" Templeman (born October 24, 1942) is an American musician and record producer. Among the acts with whom he has had a long relationship are the rock bands Van Halen and Doobie Brothers and the singer Van Morrison; he produced ...

slowed the horns down before adding them to the track. This same idea was first used during the band's club sets and appeared on the

Gene Simmons Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; ; born August 25, 1949) also known by his stage persona "The Demon", is an Israeli-born American musician. He was the bassist and co-lead singer of the hard rock band Kiss (band), Kiss, which he co-founded wit ...

-recorded demo of the song, as well as the song "House of Pain" which preceded it on the demo. A four-measure guitar solo is played after the second and third chorus. Initial pressings of the Van Halen compilation ''Best Of, Vol.1'' contained an alternate edit of "Runnin' with the Devil" where the verses, chorus and solos were arranged in a different order than that of the original album version. It was reported that this was accidental and subsequent pressings have replaced this version with the one found on ''Van Halen''.

Background

The song's lyrics have often been misinterpreted as being satanic, yet the band members have never revealed the full meaning of the song. It is usually interpreted as being about the life of a touring young band. The song's verses deal with an individual's experience, including learning that a "simple" lifestyle is not as simple as it appears. The lyrics "Runnin' with the devil" are usually interpreted as being a reference to freedom. In the song freedom is portrayed as a lack of social ties and living in the present. The song's meaning has also been interpreted as being an attempt to convince a person that the theme of a simple life is not wrong as it appears. Therefore, the lyrics of "Runnin' with the Devil" would not be serious.

Reception

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said it has "driving guitar work, tough jaunty beat and excellent lead and backing vocals." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' said that "The production is extremely hot, with a 'live' quality to it, and sets off the screaming guitars quite well." In March 2023, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' ranked the song at number 68 on their "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time" list.

Personnel

Van Halen

– vocals *

Eddie Van Halen Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he founded with his brother Alex V ...

– guitar, backing vocals * Michael Anthony – bass, backing vocals *

Alex Van Halen Alexander Arthur Van Halen ( , ; born May 8, 1953) is an American musician who was the drummer and a co-founder of the rock band Van Halen, which was formed in 1972 by Van Halen and his younger brother Eddie Van Halen, Eddie under the name "Ma ...

– drums

Composition

Background

Reception

Personnel

Van Halen

Charts

References

Further reading