AC/DC underwent several line-up changes before releasing their first album, 1975's High Voltage. Membership subsequently stabilised around the Young brothers, singer Bon Scott, drummer Phil Rudd, and bassist Mark Evans. Evans was fired from the band in 1977 and replaced by Cliff Williams, who has appeared on every AC/DC album since 1978's Powerage. In February 1980, about seven months after the release of their breakthrough album Highway to Hell, Scott died of acute alcohol poisoning after a night of heavy drinking. AC/DC considered disbanding, but at Scott's family's request, the remaining members opted to continue the band, bringing in longtime Geordie vocalist Brian Johnson as Scott's replacement. Later that year, the band released their first album with Johnson, Back in Black, which was dedicated to Scott's memory. The album launched AC/DC to new heights of success and became one of the best selling albums of all time.
The band's eighth studio album, For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (1981), was their first album to reach number one in the United States. Prior to the release of their next album, Flick of the Switch (1983), Rudd left the band and was replaced by Simon Wright, being in turn replaced by Chris Slade in 1989. The band experienced a commercial resurgence in the early nineties with the release of their twelfth studio album The Razors Edge (1990); it was their only album to feature Slade, who was replaced by the returning Rudd in 1994. Rudd has since recorded five more albums with the band, starting with, and including, Ballbreaker (1995). Their fifteenth studio album Black Ice was the second-highest-selling album of 2008, and their biggest chart hit since For Those About to Rock, eventually reaching No.1 worldwide.
The band's line-up remained the same for twenty years, until 2014 with Malcolm Young's retirement due to early-onset dementia (he died in 2017) and Rudd's legal troubles. Malcolm was replaced by his nephew Stevie Young, who debuted on AC/DC's 2014 album Rock or Bust, and on its accompanying tour, previous drummer Chris Slade filled in for Rudd. In 2016, Johnson was advised to stop touring due to worsening hearing loss. Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose stepped in as the band's vocalist for the remainder of that year's dates. Long-term bass player and background vocalist Cliff Williams retired from AC/DC at the end of the Rock or Bust tour in 2016 and the group entered a four-year hiatus. A reunion of the Rock or Bust line-up was announced in September 2020 and the band's seventeenth studio album Power Up was released two months later.
AC/DC have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 75 million albums in the United States, making them the ninth-highest-selling artist in the United States and the 16th-best-selling artist worldwide. Back in Black has sold an estimated 50 million units worldwide, making it the second-highest-selling album by any artist, and the highest-selling album by any band. The album has sold 25 million units in the US, where it is the fourth highest-selling album of all time. AC/DC were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 10 March 2003. AC/DC ranked fourth on VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and were named the seventh "Greatest Heavy Metal Band of All Time" by MTV. In 2004, AC/DC ranked No. 72 on the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Producer Rick Rubin, who wrote an essay on the band for the Rolling Stone list, referred to AC/DC as "the greatest rock and roll band of all time". In 2010, VH1 ranked AC/DC number 23 in its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC/DC
Discography
High Voltage (1975) (Australia only)
T.N.T. (1975) (Australia only)
High Voltage (1976) (international version)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)
Let There Be Rock (1977)
Powerage (1978)
Highway to Hell (1979)
Back in Black (1980)
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) (1981)
Flick of the Switch (1983)
Fly on the Wall (1985)
Blow Up Your Video (1988)
The Razors Edge (1990)
Ballbreaker (1995)
Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
Black Ice (2008)
Rock or Bust (2014)
Power Up (2020)
Blood
AC/DC Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There ought to be a law
Criminal
There ought to be a whole lot more
You get nothin' for nothin'
Tell me who can you trust
We got what you want
And you got the lust
If you want blood, you got it
Blood on the streets
Blood on the rocks
Blood in the gutter
Every last drop
You want blood
You got it
Yes you have
It's animal
Livin' in the human zoo
Animal
The shit that they toss to you
Feelin' like a christian
Locked in a cage
Thrown to the lions
On the second page
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
Blood on the street
Blood on the rocks
Blood in the gutter
Every last drop
You want blood
You got it
O positive
Blood on the rocks
Blood on the streets
Blood in the sky
Blood on the sheets
If you want blood
You got it
I want you to bleed for me
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
If you want blood, you got it
The song "If You Want Blood" by AC/DC is a hard-hitting rock song that deals with the concept of violence and lust. The lyrics suggest that the world is animalistic and cruel, and the only way to survive is to be just as brutal. The repeated refrain "if you want blood, you got it" reinforces this idea of violence and aggression.
The first verse of the song talks about the concept of criminality and how there should be more laws to punish those who are violent. However, the chorus suggests that violence is a natural part of life and that if you want to survive in this world, you have to be willing to spill blood. The second verse continues with this idea, describing the world as a human zoo and comparing people to animals that are trapped and thrown to the lions.
The repeated chorus emphasizes the importance of violence and the idea that if you want something, you have to be willing to fight for it. The final lines of the song, where the singer declares "I want you to bleed for me," suggests that this need for violence extends to personal relationships as well.
Line by Line Meaning
It's criminal
The situation is outrageous and intolerable.
There ought to be a law
There should be some kind of action taken to remedy this situation.
Criminal
This is an example of wrongdoing and injustice.
There ought to be a whole lot more
The amount of injustice we see is rampant and needs to be addressed urgently.
You get nothin' for nothin'
You have to put in effort and take risks to achieve anything worthwhile.
Tell me who can you trust
In this world, it's hard to know who you can rely on and who has bad intentions.
We got what you want
We have the goods and services that people desire.
And you got the lust
People are driven by desire and will do almost anything to get what they want.
If you want blood, you got it
If you are looking for intense, sometimes violent experiences or entertainment, we are happy to provide it.
Blood on the streets
This intense experience can be found everywhere, even in public spaces.
Blood on the rocks
And even in the natural landscape.
Blood in the gutter
Even the lowliest and least significant parts of society are touched by this intensity.
Every last drop
There is an endless supply of what you are seeking.
You want blood
You are drawn to this kind of intensity and may seek it out intentionally.
You got it
We are here to give you what you crave.
Yes you have
You have just what you need to engage in this kind of experience.
It's animal
This experience is primal and instinctual, more like an animal than a human.
Livin' in the human zoo
We are all trapped in a system that reduces us to animals or machines, not fully expressing our humanity.
The shit that they toss to you
The people in power give you only what they want you to have, not what you really need or desire.
Feelin' like a christian
You may feel helpless, like a martyr or sacrificial lamb.
Locked in a cage
Your options are limited, and you feel like a prisoner in your own life.
Thrown to the lions
You are at the mercy of those more powerful than you, who may abuse or betray you.
On the second page
You are just one of many casualties of the system, a footnote rather than the main story.
O positive
A reference to blood type, perhaps implying that everyone is a potential customer for this kind of intense experience.
Blood on the sky
Even the heavens are tainted by this intensity, suggesting an overwhelming and all-encompassing experience.
Blood on the sheets
Even in private moments, this kind of intensity can be found.
I want you to bleed for me
This is a direct appeal to the listener, asking for their participation in this kind of intense experience.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Angus McKinnon Young, Malcolm Mitchell Young, Ronald Belford Scott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lui22gustavo
It's criminal
There ought to be a law
Criminal
There ought to be a whole lot more
You get nothing for nothing
Tell me who can you trust
We got what you want
And you got the lust
If you want blood
You got it
If you want blood
You got it
Blood on the streets
Blood on the rocks
Blood in the gutter
Every last drop
You want blood
You got it
It's animal
Living in a human zoo
Animal
The shit that they toss to you
Feeling like a Christian
Locked in a cage
Thrown to the lions
On a second's rage
If you want blood
You got it
If you want blood
You got it
Blood on the streets
Blood on the rocks
Blood in the gutter
Every last drop
You want blood
You got it
Blood on the rocks
Blood in the streets
Blood in the sky
Blood on the sheets
If you want blood
You got it
I want you to bleed for me
If you want blood
You got it
@chad9037
Just another example of how Malcolm’s riffs are the basis for almost all AC/DC songs. One of the best rhythm guitar plays in all of rock. RIP.
@irishmobbin948
RIP Malcolm Young and Bon Scott
@jimmychevelle8260
Angus has one of the greatest vibratos I've ever heard too! Those bends are always perfect pitch when they play live and I love his use of double stops and working the pentatonic scales!
@rhondabeavers
Wtf
@wwhite3508
Hell yes!!!!!!
@GregB1133
It's funny cause sometimes I can't tell who's playing what guitar part, unless Ang is doing a solo of course, but this song opens with Malcolm!💚
@FirStub
Bon Scott embodies everything it means to be a rock n roll Legend.. what a voice, what a show man.. what a classic..
@Nasfelia
What a way to go.
@user-pk6zy9by9l
Oh my God yeah
@timholtzclaw8930
He lived the life.🤘