'Women And Children First' is the album recorded and released in 1980 by the formidable band Van Halen, fresh off the success of their first two albums. The recordings on the album's tracks evoke pleasure just by hearing the notes, maintaining a level of significant greatness like the previous album 'Van Halen II,' being only slightly inferior to masterpieces like 'Van Halen I,' 'Fair Warning,' and '1984.' Despite being largely of American origin and thus with broad auditory vistas, and especially with great commercial horizons, it must be said that this Hardrock, essentially performed in the "old-fashioned way" and without pretenses doesn't step out of line for even a second.

Just listen to And the Cradle Will Rock... and the cradle will rock. It opens this majestic rock-tinted track, whose solo is the offspring of the King of tapping. Everybody Wants Some is a song whose appreciation will come late but fiercely from listeners, and proof of this lies in the stellar Hendrixian interlude and the stunning Ian Gillan-style vocalizations sung by our legendary Diamond Dave. A needlessly lengthy introduction leads us to Fools, which fortunately literally explodes, like in a second Eruption, then breaks into the ingenious rather rhythmic riff, accompanied by the usual unmistakable Van Halen-like choruses in the sung parts.

Romeo Delight doesn't feature a very well-conceived melodic line, in which the voice and the guitar don't interact properly, and indeed the track turns out not to be one of the best on the album. Tora! Tora! is the usual amusing little mess, but it serves as an intro to Loss Of Control: an incredible and fast piece of pure guitar energy, where Dave Lee Roth lets his vocal cords run wild. Overwhelming. Take Your Whiskey Home is bluesy, as long as the acoustic guitar dominates the intro. But then when Eddie's electric guitar takes the reins through its strings, it's pure Hardblues. Could This Be Magic? is an acoustic ballad and a true enjoyment, with the slide guitar giving it that typically American twist. The finale is entrusted to In A Simple Rhyme, where the arpeggio passage in the interludes and the beautiful choral part in the choruses particularly stand out.

Van Halen is synonymous with pure fun, a desire to live, to play, to love, or simply to pick up a woman you met while drunk at the bar. Van Halen is the celebration of "good times" and of that turbulent beautiful season that is youth: values and disvalues of which this beautiful album is the embodiment.

Tracklist Lyrics and Videos

01   And the Cradle Will Rock... (03:33)

Ow!
Oh yeah, get up!
Ow!
Ow! Ow!

Well, they say it's kinda frightenin'
How this younger generation swings
You know it's more than just some new sensation
Well, the kid is into losin' sleep
And he don't come home for half the week
You know it's more than just an aggravation

And the cradle will rock
Yes the cradle, cradle will rock
And I say rock on, ooh!
Rock on

And when some local kid gets down
They try an' drum him outta town
They say "Ya coulda least faked it, boy", fake it, boy (Ooh, stranger, boy)
At an early age he hits the street
And winds up tired with who he meets
An' he's unemployed
(Unemployed?) Oww!

And the cradle will rock, ow!
And the cradle, the cradle will rock
An' I say rock on
Oh! Say, rock on

Have you seen Junior's grades?
Ooh!
Ow!

And when some local kid gets down
They try an' drum him outta town
They say "Ya could've least faked it, boy, faked it, boy"
And so an early age he hits the street
'N winds up tired with who he meets
An' he's unemployed
His folks are overjoyed

And the cradle will rock
Yes the cradle, the cradle will rock
I say rock on
Hey! Rock on

(Rock on) Rock on
(Rock on) This ain't never been new, babe, child. Ow!
(Rock on) Wow! I said... Rock on
(Rock on) Rock on. Ooh!
(Rock on)
(Rock on)
(Rock on)
(Rock on)
(Rock on)

02   Everybody Wants Some!! (05:08)

Ow!
(Adlib jungle sounds)

Oww!
Ooh yeah!
Oh yeah-ah!

You can't get romantic on a subway line, ow!
Conductor don't like it, says "You're wastin' your time"

But everybody wants some
I want some too
Everybody wants some
Baby, how 'bout you?
Ohh oh yeah!

I took a mobile light, lookin' for a moonbeam, whoa!
Yeah, ya stand in line, ya got lost in a jet stream

But everybody wants some
I want some too, whoa yeah-ah!
Everybody wants some
How about you?
Ohh yeah
Ooh yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah

Everybody wants some
I want some too, whoa!
Everybody wants some, hey hey!
How 'bout you?

Yeah!
(Adlib jungle sounds)

Woo! Where'd you get that shit?
Oh, yeah.
I like... I like the little way the line runs up the back of the stockings.
I've always liked those kind of high heels, too, ya know I...
No, no, no, no don't take 'em off. Don't take... leave 'em on.
Yeah, that's it... a little more to the right.
Ow ow!
Hey, hey, hey!

Everybody wants some
I want some too, whoa!
Everybody wants some
Baby, how 'bout you? Yeah!

Everybody wants some
Everybody needs some
Everybody wants some
Everybody needs some

Ahh yeah!
Ahhhh yeah!

Look, I'll pay ya for it, what the fuck?

03   Fools (05:56)

Hah, yeah
Oh-uh-oh
Ha
Ha-oh, ah-ah-ah
Try one together, one time a sec
Ha-oh, ah-uh-oh

Oooh!

Yeah!

Well, I ain't about to go to school
Ooo, an' I'm sick an' tired of Golden Rules, ah!

Oh! They say I'm crazy, from the wrong side of the tracks
I never see them, but they're always so far back, oh

Yeah, baby. How to say...Well lemme tell ya about this one time
How ya gonna tell me
Lemme put it to music, yeah, I say...

Well, I'm sick an' tired of cleanin' room. Oh!
An' it's the final bell for pushing broom. Oh-oh!

Damned if I do an' then I'm damned if I don't
Won't someone tell me what it is they all want?

It makes me blue
Fools, I live with fools
Blue, (Wow!) it makes me blue
Fools, I live with fools

Whoa! Bbbbbbb
I just can't take it

Ah, my teachers all gave up on me
No matter what they say, I, ha, disagree
An' when I need somp'in to soothe my soul
I listen to too much rock n' roll

Don't want no class reunion, the circus just left town
Why behave in public if you're living on a playground?

It makes me blue
Fools, I live with fools
Blue, it makes me blue
Fools, I live with fools. Wow!

(Guitar Solo)

Woo!
Oh, yeah
Oh! Woo!

Blue, it makes me blue. Makes me blue
Fools, (Oh!) I live with fools. Live with fools
(Wow!) Blue, (Hey hey!) it makes me blue. Makes her blue
Fools, (Oh oh) I live with fools. Whoa! Yeah

Ah, ha ha! Uh, uh!
All right, I said
Mmm, here they goin', my way. Woo! (Woo!)
Oh yeah! Oh yeah!

(Vocal ad lib until fade)

04   Romeo Delight (04:19)

Ooh!

I told her "Never in hell, no special reason"
Must've lied 'cause I ain't leavin'
We're in for a very long night
Heard a vicious rumor from your mama's tongue
You a desperate woman, need a man with a gun
High crime zone, in the city o' lights

Baby please, can't take it anymore
Ah, baby please, can't take it anymore

I'm takin' whiskey to the party tonight
And I'm lookin' for somebody to squeeze, uh! Uh!
I hear you're lookin' for somebody to fight
Baby, don't get uptight
Baby, please

Wanna see my ID? Try to clip my wings
Don't have to show you proof o' anything
I know the law, friend
At the 'leventh hour I'm goin' back outside
Mmm, give it a try, I'm your last loose end

Baby please, I can't take it anymore
Oh, baby please, I can't take it anymore

I'm takin' whiskey to the party tonight
An' I'm lookin' for somebody to squeeze, uh! Uh! Uh!
Hear you're lookin' for somebody to fight
Baby, don't get uptight
Baby, please , yeah!

Oww!

Oooh, baby
Oooh, baby
Oooh, baby

Uh feel my heartbeat
Feel my heartbeat
Feel my heartbeat
Oh, yeah

Feel my heartbeat
Feel my heartbeat, ah
Feel my heartbeat
Feel my heartbeat
Feel my heartbeat

Baby please, I can't take it anymore, oww!
Yeah baby, please, ah-ha, I can't uh take it anymore, wow!
Baby please, aah yeah, can't take it anymore
Whoa baby, please, yeah, I can't take it anymore, whoa!

I'm takin' whiskey to the party tonight
An' I'm lookin' for somebody to squeeze, uh! Uh! Ow!
Hear you're lookin' for somebody to fight
Baby, don't get uptight
Baby, please, yeah!
Baby, please

05   Tora! Tora! (00:56)

instrumental

06   Loss of Control (02:39)

Hey!
(Adlib walkie-talkie banter)

Ooh, baby I'm checkin' out, I think you oughta know
I'm only wastin' time I think I better go
You ain't too civilized, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Loss of control
Loss of control
Loss of control

Loss of control
Loss of control
Loss of control

Loss of control
Loss of control
Loss of control

Loss of control
Loss of control
Loss of control

Loss of control
Loss of control
Loss of control

Baby I'm checkin' out, I think you oughta know, yeah
I'm only wastin' time, I think I better go
You ain't too civilized, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Loss of control
Loss of control
Loss of control

(Guitar solo)

Ah, ha!
Aw, ha!

Loss of control
Loss of control
Loss of control

Loss of control
Loss of control
Loss of control

Loss of control
Loss of control
Loss of control

Loss of control
Loss of control
Loss of control

Baby I'm checkin' out, I think you oughta know, yeah
I'm only wastin' time, I think I better go
You ain't too civilized, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Loss of control
Loss of control
Loss of control

(Guitar solo)

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Hhhh!

07   Take Your Whiskey Home (03:11)

(Words by Van Halen)

Uh-uh
Uh-uh-uh-uh-ah!
Well, my baby, she don't want me around
She said she's tired of watchin' me fall down (He-he-he-yuh!)
She wants a good life, ah! An' all the best
But I like that bottle better than the rest

Chorus:
And she said, "I think that you're headed for a whole lot of trouble, ah!
Well, I think that you're headed for a whole lot of trouble
Well, I think that you're headed for a whole lot of trouble
If you take your whiskey (home)"

Ow!

Well, that liquor in the night time leaves strange memories
Seems a lifetime, ooh, since yesterday
Come the daybreak, and come tomorrow
That woman's waited up all night for me again

(Chorus)

(Guitar Solo)

Some goes to women, ooh, some goes to Jesus
That I'm absolutely certain both's all right
Yeah, but it takes me at least halfway to the label
'Fore I can even make it through the night

(Chorus)

(Guitar Solo)

Oh! Ooh baby, take your whiskey home, yeah!
Ooh, a la la la la la la yeah

08   Could This Be Magic? (03:09)

You ready? (Yeah)
One, two, one, two, three, four

Out upon the islands on a cool summer night
Buddy, you don't got to hurry, take your time
What you need is on the menu and you get it tonight
Buddy, you got womens on your mind

Could this be magic? Or could this be love?
Could this turn tragic? You know that magic often does

And I see lonely ships upon the water
Better save the women and children first
Sail away with someone's daughter
Better save the women and children first

I hear music on the landin' an' there's laughter in the air
Just could be your boat is comin' in
Yeah you're leanin' back an' yeah, a-foot tappin'
Ain't got your head right
There's a full moon out tonight
Baby, let's begin

And she said "Could this be magic? Or could this be love?", uh oh
An' I said "Could this turn tragic? You know that magic often does"

And I see lonely ships upon the water
Better save the women and children first
Sail away with someone's daughter
Better save the women and children first

Edward?
Thank you

And she said "Could this be magic? Or, could this be love?"
And I said "Could this turn tragic? You know that magic often does"

An' I see lonely ships upon the water
Better save the women and children first
Sail away with someone's daughter
Better save the women and children first, yes, ah

09   In a Simple Rhyme (04:40)

Well, back in the past when I was, treated so coldly
My love life was a darn disgrace
Needed someone to love n' hold me
That's one of the reasons that I was outta place
So, this is love? Well she finally kissed me
Had me all worked up inside
I wanted love but cupid missed me
She up and left and I almost died

But I was young and I was far from lonely
I been that way for a long, long year
Needed a girl to call my one and only
Is that you?

Ya think ya got the interest?
Come on an' take the time
'Cause you know, I wanna be
Yours in a simple rhyme

Wow!
Hey! Hey! Hey!

Well, ain't life grand when ya finally hit it?
I'm always a sucker for a real good time
Woke up in life, found I almost missed it
Ain't I glad that love is blind?

But I was young an' I was, far too crazy
Been that way for a long, long time
Needed a girl but I was just too lazy
Now that I've found you

Ya think ya got the interest?
Come on an' take the time
I'm gonna be, yours in a simple...

Rhyme. Rhyme
N' she made the mountains sing
Birds against an icy sky
And I heard bells ringin'
I think I heard an angel sigh

And she said, "There'll be times. There will be times."

(Ah ah) You're gonna hear the angels singin'
(Ah ah) You're gonna hear the angels sing, they'll say
(Ah ah. Ah ah. Ah ah ah)
Ow!

(Guitar Solo)

Oh!
Oh, yeah!
Ha! Ah! Yeah

Ya think ya got the interest
Come on an' take the time
I'm gonna be yours in a simple...

Rhyme. Rhyme. Rhyme

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Other reviews

By claudio carpentieri

 The album brilliantly recovers the stylistic vigor of the debut in a perfect cocktail where the desire to experiment and to surprise manage to whet the listener’s appetite.

 The unimaginable rhythmic and solo acrobatics of the super-fast Eddie blend ad hoc with the wide-ranging vocal prowess of David Lee Roth.