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)
Inject the Venom
AC/DC Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No mercy for the bad if they plead
No mercy for the bad if they need it
Ooh, no mercy from me
Tell no truth and tell no lies
Cross your heart and hope to die
Never give what you can't take back
Oh, inject your venom, it'll be your last attack, ow
Oh, no mercy for the bad if they want it
No mercy for the bad if they plead
No mercy for the bad if they need it
V-E-N-O-M
Got no heart, no, feel no pain
Take your soul and leave a stain, yeah
Come choose your victim, take him by surprise
Go in hard and get him right between the eyes
And inject the venom (ow)
Inject the venom (c'mon)
Inject the venom (c'mon)
Inject it all (ow)
Ooh, stick it in
Stick it
Oh, yeah
Yeah, that's all
C'mon, inject the venom (ooh)
Inject the venom
Oh, yeah
Oh, yeah
Ooh, yeah
Yeah
Inject the venom (get it all)
Inject the venom (oh)
Inject the venom (ooh)
Inject it all
Oh, inject the venom
The lyrics of AC/DC's song "Inject the Venom" is about someone who is ruthless, heartless, and merciless towards the bad people in society. The singer warns them that there will be no mercy from him if they want, plead, or need it. He advises them to tell no truth or lies, and to never give what they can't take back. The singer compares himself to a cat, saying that he scratches back when he is attacked. The chorus then urges the listener to inject the venom into their victim with a sense of urgency.
The lyrics then describe the singer as having no heart and feeling no pain. He takes people's souls and leaves a stain, indicating that he does not have any remorse or guilt for his actions. The singer then encourages the listener to choose their victim and take them by surprise. He advises them to go in hard and attack their victim right between the eyes. The song ends with the chorus urging the listener once again to inject the venom.
The message of the song is quite clear, as it is about revenge and sending a message to those who have wronged you. The lyrics suggest that there will be no mercy for those who have done wrong, and that the singer is willing to go to any lengths to get his revenge. Overall, the song is a powerful and intense display of AC/DC's signature heavy rock style.
Line by Line Meaning
No mercy for the bad if they want it
I show no mercy towards bad people who want mercy from me.
No mercy for the bad if they plead
I show no mercy towards bad people who plead for mercy from me.
No mercy for the bad if they need it
I show no mercy towards bad people who need mercy from me.
No mercy from me
I do not show mercy to anyone.
Tell no truth and tell no lies
Do not reveal anything about yourself or others.
Cross your heart and hope to die
Promise to keep secrets or fulfill a commitment even if it means death.
Never give what you can't take back
Do not give away something that cannot be returned to you.
Scratch like a cat
Attack fiercely and scratch like a cat in a fight.
Inject your venom
Use your aggressive behavior to defeat your opponent.
It'll be your last attack
This will be your final and most powerful move against your enemy.
V-E-N-O-M
Spelling the word 'venom'.
Got no heart, no - feel no pain
I have no emotions and I don't feel any pain.
Take your soul and - leave a stain
I will destroy your soul and leave a permanent mark in your life.
Come choose your victim
Select your target for attack.
Take him by surprise
Attack your target unexpectedly or from an unusual angle.
Go in hard and get him
Attack with full force to finish the opponent off.
Right between the eyes
Aiming at the center of the enemy's forehead to deliver a fatal blow.
Inject the venom
Use your aggressive behavior and attack with maximum ferocity.
Inject it all
Use all your power and strength to defeat your opponent.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Angus Mckinnon Young, Brian Johnson, Malcolm Mitchell Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind