Released May 1980 Genre Hard rock | Format 7" Length 3:31 | |
B-side Everybody Wants Some!!
"Loss of Control" Recorded December 1979-February 1980 | ||
"And the Cradle Will Rock..." is a song written and performed by Van Halen. It appears on their 1980 album Women and Children First. It was one of two singles from the album; the other is the B-side "Everybody Wants Some!!". It is also the first song released by the band that featured the keyboard playing of Eddie Van Halen.
Composition
The song begins with what sounds like a guitar, but is, in fact, a flanger-effected Wurlitzer electric piano played through Eddie Van Halen's 1960s model 100-watt Marshall Plexi amplifier. During live performances on the 1980 tour, Michael Anthony would play the keyboards. For some of the shows on the 2007-2008 Van Halen tour David Lee Roth said, "Have you seen Wolfie's grades?" instead of the recording's "Have you seen junior's grades?" line; "Wolfie" referring to Wolfgang Van Halen, Eddie's son and bassist for the band since 2006.
Eric Carr of Kiss played "And the Cradle Will Rock..." along with Van Halen's cover of "You Really Got Me" as part of his audition tape, which successfully led to his becoming the new drummer for Kiss.