Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar has released a deeply personal new track titled “Encore, Thank You, Goodnight.” through Big Machine Rock, and it’s already stirring up both emotions and controversy.
Crafted alongside guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, the song emerged from an incredibly vivid dream Hagar had about his late friend and VAN HALEN bandmate, Eddie Van Halen. The resulting single blends introspective lyrics with soaring guitar solos and thunderous rhythm, available now across all major streaming platforms, along with an official lyric video on YouTube.
“This song is my final bow to that part of my life,” says Hagar. “It’s not meant to be anything more than a ‘thank you’ — with love, with respect, and with one hell of a guitar solo.”
The lineup for this rock anthem includes Hagar on vocals, Michael Anthony on bass, Satriani on guitar, and Kenny Aronoff on drums. The track is both a nod to VAN HALEN’s legacy and a fresh, emotional statement of gratitude and closure.
But what truly sets this song apart is the story behind it.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Hagar revealed that the dream that sparked the song happened in 2020, a year after Eddie’s death.
“He had a guitar around his neck,” Hagar said, “and we were having a love fest since we hadn’t seen each other in a long time. And he just started playing this riff, and I started singing.”
Hagar woke up with the music still fresh in his mind and immediately began writing.
“I just grabbed a pad and a pencil,” he recalled. “And I got my iPhone. My wife’s screaming, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, ‘Writing a song!’ It just kept coming and coming. When I got up the next day, I grabbed my guitar and started to figure out the chords.”
He later added:
“This was one hundred percent a communication from the beyond. There is no question about it.”
The final product is a melodic, heartfelt farewell to a band, a brotherhood, and a musical era — but more than that, it’s a spiritual tribute that blurs the lines between memory and message.
