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Sunday, June 2, 2013

Song Meaning: Highway to Hell by AC/DC

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/ac/Acdc_Highway_to_Hell.JPG/220px-Acdc_Highway_to_Hell.JPG
Highway to Hell  - title track of 5th album
The title track from AC/DC's fifth studio album marked the band's dominance on rock radio. Released in 1979, the song propelled the album to commercial success and mainstream recognition, especially in the US, when Rock N' Roll was the popular music.The album saw the front-man Bon Scott's final collaboration with the band. He passed away very next year. Let's hope Highway to Hell wasn't indicative of his fate afterlife.

The song has always been a fixture on AC/DC's live setlist, now performed by Brian Johnson.

"Highway to Hell" is a celebration of going to hell. The song is written in first person's point of view, and illustrates his/her joyous ride to hell. In fact, "Season ticket on a one-way ride"2 describes hell as good as, say, Disney Land, and one doesn't want to come back to Earth upon departure. In the song, hell is described as "promise land"22 and "party time"7. The song was written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott, and I don't know how personal this is for them. In other words, lines like, "My friends are gonna be there too"8 are too vague for the listener to make out a meaning. Does that mean they are going to meet up with John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix?

There's also a nice reference to Satan19. This line is just a filler to complete the final verse. I'd like know what you think of the song.Make a comment below.

1.            Living easy, living free
2.            Season ticket on a one-way ride
3.            Asking nothing, leave me be
4.            Taking everything in my stride
5.            Don't need reason, don't need rhyme
6.            Ain't nothing I would rather do
7.            Going down, party time
8.            My friends are gonna be there too
9.             
10.        I'm on the highway to hell
11.        I'm on the highway to hell
12.        I'm on the highway to hell
13.        I'm on the highway to hell
14.         
15.        No stop signs, speed limit
16.        Nobody's gonna slow me down
17.        Like a wheel, gonna spin it
18.        Nobody's gonna mess me round
19.        Hey Satan, payed my dues
20.        Playing in a rocking band
21.        Hey Momma, look at me
22.        I'm on my way to the promised land
23.         
24.        I'm on the highway to hell
25.        I'm on the highway to hell
26.        I'm on the highway to hell
27.        I'm on the highway to hell
28.         
29.        (Don't stop me)
30.        And I'm going down, all the way down
31.        I'm on the highway to hell

3 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 18, 2016 at 5:47 AM

    hwy to hell is canning hwy, many died outside the singers drinking hole, it was the main hwy from nis polace in fremantle to applecross th raffles,,,

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 18, 2016 at 5:53 AM

    friends are gonna be there too means his friends will be there too, no hidden message,,, the band all used to hang out at the raffles hotel and party hard, it was a rock and roll hot spot, no stop sign, speed limit,,, there are traffic lights there now,, many died there,

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousOctober 24, 2016 at 8:39 PM

    It's not about going to hell. Lol. Angus said it came about due to the constant promotion and touring they did. He compared it to being on a highway to hell. Jeez.

    ReplyDelete

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