"Me Wise Magic" is a song by Van Halen

Van Halen

Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...

 that first appeared on the compilation album Best of Volume I

Best of Volume I

Best of Volume I is the first compilation of studio tracks by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1996.In addition to material from nine of the band's first ten studio albums , Best of Volume I also features the band's contribution to the Twister soundtrack and two newly recorded songs...

. It was recorded in 1996 during the band's brief reunion with original vocalist David Lee Roth

David Lee Roth

David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....

 along with another new track, "Can't Get This Stuff No More

Can't Get This Stuff No More

"Can't Get This Stuff No More" is a song on American hard rock band Van Halen's 1996 compilation Best of Volume I. The song was one of two new songs recorded exclusively for the album . "Can't Get This Stuff No More" is also Eddie Van Halen's first and only use of the Heil Talk Box...

". The song reached #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for six weeks. It was the group's third #1 hit with Roth, and twelfth overall. A promo CD of "Me Wise Magic" distributed to radio stations prior to the release of Best of Volume I features a Buddha

Buddhism

Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...

 on the artwork; the line "A Buddhist riff for your inner ear" is a lyric in the song. Roth left the band following a tumultuous appearance at the 1996 MTV Video Music Awards

1996 MTV Video Music Awards

The 1996 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 4, 1996, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1995, to June 14, 1996. The show was hosted by Dennis Miller at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....

, before a planned video for "Me Wise Magic" could be filmed.

Eddie Van Halen's playing on the song and technique of using his whammy bar to raise and lower chords while still keeping them in tune is a result of recording with either his Steinberger

Steinberger

Steinberger refers to a series of distinctive electric guitars and bass guitars, designed and originally manufactured by Ned Steinberger. The word Steinberger can be used to refer to either the instruments themselves or the company that produced them...

 guitar or modified Peavey

Peavey Electronics

Peavey Electronics Corporation is one of the largest audio equipment manufacturers in the world, headquartered in Meridian, Mississippi in the United States.- History :...

 Wolfgang signature model with a TransTrem tremolo system.