Lighten Up

Album: Chickenfoot III (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The genesis of this Chickenfoot III track was a 15-second recording of vocalist Sammy Hagar in an intense mood angrily playing three chords. Guitarist Joe Satriani told MusicRadar.com: "There wasn't a lot to go on, a song written around A, G and E, but there was something about his attitude that was very unique. Basically, I wrote the song around that."
  • The recording went well but when Satriani went to lay down overdubs, he found it hard to tell where the key signature was in the verses. He recalled to MusicRadar.com: "It was very strange. I had a hard time finding my footing. I was like, 'I'm not into this.'" The next day, (co-producer) Mike Fraser must have been reading my mind that it was bugging me, because he suggested we try again. We ended up replacing the live guitar all the way through. Then I did overdubs, and everything just clicked - it sounded fantastic."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Benny Mardones

Benny MardonesSongwriter Interviews

His song "Into The Night" is one of the most-played of all time. For Benny, it took him to hell and back.

Bob Daisley

Bob DaisleySongwriter Interviews

Bob was the bass player and lyricist for the first two Ozzy Osbourne albums. Here's how he wrote songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" with Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.

Peter Lord

Peter LordSongwriter Interviews

You may not recognize his name, but you will certainly recognize Peter Lord's songs. He wrote the bevy of hits from Paula Abdul's second album, Spellbound.

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song Titles

Spot The Real Red Hot Chili Peppers Song TitlesMusic Quiz

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have some rather unusual song titles - see if you can spot the real ones.

Hardy

HardySongwriter Interviews

The country hitmaker talks about his debut album, A Rock, and how a nursery rhyme inspired his hit single "One Beer."