Where Have All The Good Times Gone? by Van Halen

Album: Diver Down (1982)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

This was written by Ray Davies and first recorded by his band, The Kinks, in 1965. Van Halen did a lot of Kinks material in their early years; David Lee Roth had a Kinks compilation album, so they learned a bunch of their songs and played them at club shows and soundchecks when they were just starting out. The first Van Halen single was a Kinks cover: "You Really Got Me" in 1978.
In a 1982 interview with Creem, David Lee Roth explained why they chose this song to cover. "The message implied there, whether it might be superficial to some people or not, exists these days more than ever because, what with so many businessmen on stage playing business music. Where have all the good times gone? I'm serious. It happened to punk rock a lot, it happened to new wave, it happened to reggae and heavy metal and on and on – a lot of business people just want to make a buck, and they're becoming craftsmen more than songwriters."
This is one of five cover songs on the Diver Down album. Van Halen released an album every year between 1978-1982, and by this time, they needed a creative break. Recording covers meant they did not have to write as many songs.
The tour to support this album was called the "Hide Your Sheep Tour."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

I WishSkee-Lo

"I Wish" by Skee-Lo was the first hit song to use the word "baller" in the chorus ("I wish I was a baller..."). That term pervaded pop music over the next several year.

A Little Less ConversationElvis Presley

Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" was just a minor hit when it was released in 1968, but a 2002 remix made the song a global smash, taking it to #1 in a number of countries, including Australia and the UK.

Black Hole SunSoundgarden

It has long been speculated that the Soundgarden song "Black Hole Sun" came from the name of a sculpture in Seattle, but according to their frontman Chris Cornell the title came from a phrase he misheard on the news. The band's name did come from a sculpture.

Old ManNeil Young

Neil Young's song "Old Man" was inspired by the caretaker of the ranch he bought in 1970. Neil was the young man at the time, just 25.

Country Grammar (Hot S--t)Nelly

Nelly's "Country Grammar" is a celebration of his hometown of St. Louis, which some folks from the coasts consider "country" because it's in the Midwest.

I Just Called To Say I Love YouStevie Wonder

"I Just Called To Say I Love You" is Stevie Wonder's best-selling single worldwide. It topped the Hot 100, AC, R&B and UK charts all in the same week.