VAN HALEN Singer Explains 'Tattoo' Lyrics (Video)

VAN HALEN singer David Lee Roth's videotaped explanation of the lyrics for "Tattoo", the first single off the band's forthcoming album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", can be seen below.

As previously reported, unofficial VAN HALEN web site VHLinks.com has posted Roth's handwritten lyrics and graphics for "Tattoo". You can view the image below.

According to Billboard.com, "Tattoo" blasted onto the Rock Songs chart at No. 16. The song arrived with 4.6 million first-week audience impressions on 78 stations, according to Nielsen BDS.

The Live Nation store is taking pre-orders for vinyl tour collector's edition of "A Different Kind Of Truth". The double gatefold vinyl album includes all 13 songs on two LPs plus custom artwork. This edition also comes with the Deluxe MP3 Edition of the album which will be delivered on the release date for pre-order customers. The deluxe MP3 also includes "The Downtown Sessions", four acoustic video performances on Quicktime .mov files — "Panama", "You And Your Blues (intro)", "You And Your Blues" and "Beautiful Girls".

The exclusive vinyl album is only available in the U.S. and Canada and will ship on or around February 24, depending on the manufacturing schedule.

VAN HALEN released "Tattoo" on January 10. The song itself said to be is a rewrite of a very old VAN HALEN track "Down In Flames", which the band used to play in its late Seventies club days but never recorded for any of its albums. The new version has a slightly different arrangement and fresh lyrics from singer David Lee Roth.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, at least two other songs on the new record, "She's The Woman" and "Bullethead", date back to the band's early days as well. "She's The Woman" appeared on a 1976 VAN HALEN demo produced by KISS bassist Gene Simmons, and was performed by the group earlier in the month during its show at the tiny Cafe Wha? in New York City.

Guitarist Eddie Van Halen has said in numerous interviews over the years that he has "10 albums" worth of unreleased material in his archives from throughout the band's career.

Ironically, it was former singer Sammy Hagar who hinted that VAN HALEN might be digging into the vaults on the new album. Hagar recently told Rolling Stone, "I heard this record is old outtakes from the old days. I mean, stuff from before I even joined the band . . . Because from what I heard, they aren't working with new material. Ed and Dave didn't actually write new songs."

VAN HALEN will kick off a North American tour on February 18 in Louisville, Kentucky. KOOL AND THE GANG will open for VAN HALEN on selected tour stops.

"A Different Kind Of Truth", will arrive on February 7 via Interscope.