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)
Hard Times
AC/DC Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Going down slow
Make you quake
Make a body shake
Trying to hold you down
They can't push you around
They try to hold you back
Getting on the right track
Hard times
Blue and sad
Don't you cross the line
Run, run make it fun
Freeing up the time
Hidey plumping
Feet are jumping
This heart a loving
Keeps me running
They try to hold you down
But they can't push you around
Trying to hold you back
Getting on the right track
Hard times
Blue and sad
Don't you cross the line
Run, run make it fun
Freeing up the time
Hard times
Get on top
Follow me down the line
Hard times
Get online
Make a grown man blind
Hard times, these hard times
Sure ain't been good to me
Hard times, hard times
Sure been misery
Hard times
Blue and sad
Don't you cross the line
Run, run make it fun
Freeing up the time
Hard times
Get on time
Follow me down the line
Hard times
Get online
Make a grown man blind
At first glance, the lyrics of "Hard Times" by AC/DC seem to describe the struggle of feeling low and going down slow. The lyrics mention people trying to hold the singer down and hold them back, but they can't push them around. The singer is getting on the right track and attempting to free up time through running and making it fun. The lyrics seem to be urging the listener to push back against those who try to keep them down and strive to better themselves.
However, upon closer examination, the song may be interpreted as a nod to the band's own struggles before fame. The lyrics describe the blues and sadness that come with hard times, and the challenges of trying to make it in the music industry. The lyrics describing running and making it fun may be a reference to the band's energetic live performances, which helped them gain recognition and build a following. The repeated refrain of "hard times" emphasizes the difficulties that the band faced and overcame to achieve success.
Overall, "Hard Times" can be seen as a rallying cry for perseverance and overcoming adversity, both in personal struggles and in the pursuit of success in one's profession.
Line by Line Meaning
Feeling low
Feeling down and depressed
Going down slow
Falling into despair gradually
Make you quake
Causing intense fear and anxiety
Make a body shake
Instilling a sense of physical weakness and nervousness
Trying to hold you down
Attempting to suppress your potential and restrict your progress
They can't push you around
You refuse to be dominated or bullied
They try to hold you back
They attempt to restrain your growth
Getting on the right track
Moving towards a path of prosperity and success
Hard times
Times of struggle and difficulty
Blue and sad
Marked by gloominess and sorrow
Don't you cross the line
Don't give up and succumb to despair
Run, run make it fun
Embrace challenges and treat them as opportunities for growth
Freeing up the time
Making the most of the present moment and disregarding past hardships
Hidey plumping
Dancing with energy and enthusiasm
Feet are jumping
Feeling energetic and lively
This heart a loving
Overcoming hardship with love and positivity
Keeps me running
Motivating me to persevere
Hard times
A challenging period
Get on top
Take control of the situation
Follow me down the line
Continue on the journey towards success with perseverance and determination
Get online
Adapt to changing times and keep up with modern technology
Make a grown man blind
Overcome obstacles that would be too much for others to handle
Sure ain't been good to me
Undoubtedly difficult and troublesome
Sure been misery
A period marked by extreme pain and discomfort
Get on time
Stay focused and remain disciplined
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Malcom Mitchell, Angus Mckinnon Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind