I’m The One is the fifth track on Van Halen.
A prime example of Californian exuberance, featuring a high-tempo, galloping, bass and drum rush that is interrupted towards the end by a barbershop-style vocal breakdown. More notably it is driven by hot-rodded, beboped-style guitar playing that swings insanely and maintains a rhythmic drive of its own that is unmatchable for feel and intensity: no other guitarist in rock, jazz or pop played in this style—which is to say, like a trumpet or saxophone player. The isolated guitar track that can be heard with the 2009 released Guitar Hero: Van Halen, makes clear that this, like many other examples of Eddie’s playing, exhibits the kind of phrasing, fluidity and abandon that is simply just more bebop than anything else. That’s not to say, this is jazz. It is not jazz. But, as I say, in spirit and execution, it seems to be something akin to bebop. What is remarkable is that the stand alone guitar part—a single take, no less—matches the dynamics of an ensemble, as if Eddie were two or three players, cutting loose and working off each other.
This track used to be called “Show Your Love” when the band performed it during their club days and when it was included on their Warner Brothers Demo. Eddie was known to play the solo differently with each performance of the song.
From Guitar World:
At its core “I’m The One” is a hot-rodded blues boogie tune that provided a springboard for Eddie to show off his impressive shredding chops, with a jazz scat vocal harmony interlude thrown in for comic relief. The true inspiration for Joe Satriani’s “Satch Boogie” starts here, as Satriani copped everything, from Alex is thundering double-kick shuffle to Eddie’s ascending triplet runs. Numerous shredders followed suit, but none were able to swing quite like Ed did here.
Guitar Track:
Lyrics:
We came here to entertain you
Leaving here we aggravate you
Don’t you know it means the same to me, honey
I’m the one the one you love
Come on baby, show your love
Hey, give it to me
I see a glow that fills this room
I see it rolling out of you
Feed her your message from above
I’m tellin’ you, ow
Show, come on and show your love, ah, yeah
(Show your love)
Ow, woo, oh, show (show) show your love babe, ah, yeah
(Show your…) Show it, ow
Look at all these little kids
Takin’ care of the music biz
Don’t their bus’ness take good care of me, honey
I’m the one the one you love
Come on baby, show your love
Hey, give it to me
I see a glow that fills this room
I see it rolling out of you
Feed her your message from above
I’m telling you, ow
Show, show your love babe, ah, yeah
(Show your love)
Ow, whoo, woo, show (show) show your love babe, ah, yeah
(Show your…) Show me
Whoo, Bop bada, shoobe doo wah, bop bada, shoobe doo wah, (ba da whum)
Bop bada, shoobe doo wah (bop bada, shoobe doobe doobe doo whum)
Bop bada, shoobe doobe doobe doo wah
Bop bada, shoobe doo wah (bop bada, shoobe doobe doobe doo whum)
Bop bada, shoobe doobe doobe doo wah
Bop bada, shoobe doo wah (bop bada, shoobe doobe doobe doo whum)
Bop bada, shoobe doo wah, whoo
Ow (Show your love)
Ow, ow, come on and show me
(Show your love)
Better show, better show your love, now, uh
(Show your love)
Ah, yeah, wow
(Show your…) Ow