Chords for John 5 on Van Halen's Debut, 40 Years Later - Gear Factor

What's up?
This is Squiggy with the Music Experience and Loudwire's Gear Factor.
We're about to go hang out with John 5. _
_ _ [B] [G#] What's up?
This is Squiggy with the Music Experience and Loudwire's Gear Factor
hanging out with the man, the myth, the legend, [C#m] the almighty Mr.
John 5.
_ [N] _ _ [E] _ _ _ [N]
So man, you know, we're going to talk about Mr.
Eddie Van Halen,
40th year anniversary of their first record.
Where were you when you [Em] first [C#] heard Van Halen?
You know, it's funny.
My guitar teacher came over [F] and brought me [F#] and played me the first Van Halen [D] record.
And it just came out.
And it was like, you [F#] know, what?
What was that?
77?
78?
78.
78.
[N] So I was already playing guitar for a year and [C#m] I was like, and I loved Kiss.
[G#] And I remember it [C#m] said Gene [G#m] Simmons on the back of the record.
And I [E] was like, oh my God.
But when I heard it, I was blown away.
I couldn't believe it.
I really [C#] couldn't believe it.
And [N] it changed my life forever.
I'm telling you for real.
Really?
Yeah.
How impactful was [G#] Eddie's playing on you as a guitar kid back then?
How did that [F#]
transform you?
How did that impact you into the player [E] that you are today?
Well, I was really into, again, like I was really into Hendrix and [E] Kiss.
And I loved Hee Haw and I loved, you know, [G#] Roy Clark and Buck Owens and all that stuff.
[C#m] Jerry Reid.
And [E] then when I heard like the, like, you know, [E] I _ _ _ [D]
was blown [E] away.
You know, I was blown away.
[A] _ _ _ _
[Am] _ _ _ [B] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Bm] _ _ _ _ [B] I was [E]
just like, oh my God, that's so incredible.
I was just like, [C#] it just moved [F] me and it was totally an epiphany [Em] for me for sure.
And it just, you know, just like I was saying, just [G#] changed my life forever.
And, you know, [Em] I still am that same kid when I [G#] was, [E] you know, eight years old.
I still listen to it all the time and I still rock it.
And I remember saying [A#] as a kid, oh man, I just want to be, you know, [B] Eddie Van Halen
and be married to [D#] Valerie Bertinelli and, [E] you know, and hang out with Dave.
And, you know, [N] the last one happened. Yeah.
How would you describe Eruption for somebody who's never heard it?
Well, I think Eruption just was a game changer.
It was totally like, oh my God, you know, just there was all that flash and all that [C#m] craziness.
But then, you know, we had the total like cool, [E] like that cool little melody that,
_ _ _ [C#m] you know, that was like just such [E] a hook.
It was a game changer.
It was just like something [F] that no one has done before.
[E] And it was like, [D] you know, that [E] whole record, the sound, even like the drums and the vocals
and the bass and of course the guitar, it was just something that changed music forever.
We can thank Mr.
Eddie Van Halen for [D#] giving us the most popular [F#] song riff to ever be played
in every music store in the world.
Guy picks up a [F] guitar in the music store and they just go right to Eruption.
But there's also so many great [B] other, you know, [E] guitar riffs on that line.
_ [G] _ [C] _ _
[E] _ _ _ [C] _ _ _ _ [E] _
_ _ [C] You know, so many great ones.
[Am] _ _
_ _ Just like it's endless.
Every song on that [Em] record to me is just [C#] unbelievable.
Oh, and let's not forget about_
[E] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [F]
I [E] mean, just like everyone is like, geez.
[A] Had you ever heard a guitar sound like [G#] that before?
No, actually, I've never.
I don't think any of us have ever heard a guitar sound like that before.
[C#m] And, you know, [Em] I really do believe everyone's like trying to get this sound and trying to
get the right amp and the right pedal and the right chord and the right pick and the right strings.
And I really do [F] believe it's just all in his hands because I've heard him play through
a little practice amp and it sounds just like, you know, Eddie Van [G] Halen because that's who it is.
So [A] I really think it's just it's all in his hands.
What was [E] the impact of Eddie's guitar?
[Em] There was never a guitar that looked like it before.
And it was a very DIY _ sound.
Well, here's what I think.
Not only was Eddie just like [D#] unbelievable musician, songwriter, but [F] now think about this.
What an inventor he was.
Absolutely.
Because look at the design he came up with the striped guitar.
It's like, oh, my God, that's [E] like unbelievable.
Dude, it's unbelievable.
That is one of the most iconic like symbols.
You'll see that and go, oh, Van Halen.
You know, it's just known for Van Halen, [C#] the black and white and then the [G#] black and yellow
and then the red, white and black one.
It's just totally iconic.
And not only would a great guitar player, songwriter, but [G] also an inventor of so many [E] amazing things.
[D] Yeah.
I mean, and [E] obviously down the road, he gave the greatest [B] gift of all to metal, which was the 5150. Yeah.
I mean, when that amp came out, [D#] I mean, it's [E] responsible for a lot of records.
Of course it is.
It is responsible.
And [Em] let's not forget about the song.
[D] _ _ _
[E] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ _ [F] I can't believe I remember these songs, but they're that good.
You know, you just don't forget them.
Yeah, the 5150, the 5150.
I mean, there's so many different versions of it.
And, you know, I've used it multiple times on records. Absolutely. _ _
But the cabinet has to go with the head.
Without a doubt.
Because it's designed [D] that way.
And [F] it's great.
You know, I played through his rig and oh my God, you know, he is like the, [A#] you know,
[F] the Benjamin Franklin.
He just knows where everything goes [D] and, you know, it just sounds just [F] unbelievable.
[E] Another, you know, an inventor, an inventor on top of an amazing guitar [G] player and an amazing songwriter.
It's [E] like, you know, you better freeze [D#] that brain or something, you know, because [E] it's
a it's an important brain.
Yeah.
And I'm just so [C#m] lucky to be living at the time because he's going to [D] go on for hundreds of years.
[Em] He'll be immortal.
Eddie, thank you.
[G] This is Squiggy with the Music [E] Experience and Loudwire's Gear Factor hanging out with
the one and the only Mr.
John Five.
By the way, I'm just about to go on because I don't walk around like [D] this.
[B] Oh, no.
Oh, I [C#] thought this was a.
Let's get that [E] _ straight, Eddie.
I don't walk around like this.
I'm about to go on stage.
[C#] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _
[A#] _ [A] _ _ [C] _ _ _ [D#m] _ _