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)
Overdose
AC/DC Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never drank much booze
But I'm only a man, don't you understand
And a man can sometimes lose
You gave me somethin' I never had
Pulled me down with you
Hit me with a big chunk of love
Hope you can pull me through
I overdosed on you
I overdosed on you
Crazy, but it's true
Ain't nothin' I can do
I overdosed on you
Oh, woman you give to me
More than I can take
But listen, honey, I don't mind
You're a habit I don't wanna break
Don't want me none of that harder stuff
Don't need it anymore
I'm in love, and I'm sinkin' fast
And I don't need no cure
I overdosed on you
I overdosed on you
Crazy, but it's true
Ain't nothin' I can do
I overdosed on you
Gee, I was happy as a man could be
Too far gone to save
Died of love, and plenty of
Just write on my grave
I overdosed on you
I overdosed on you
Crazy, but it's true
But nothin' I can do
I overdosed on you
On you
On you
On you
All over you
All over you
Ooh, yeah, oh
I overdosed
Overdosed
Overdosed on you
Overdosed, yeah
The lyrics of AC/DC's song Overdose explore the theme of a consuming, addictive love. The singer admits that he never indulged in smoking or excessive drinking, however, he realizes that as a human being, there is a chance to lose control. He acknowledges that his lover gave him something new that pulled him down initially but also raised him up. He expresses that he is somehow addicted to her and can't escape, despite the fact that her love is overwhelming and he has "overdosed" on it. He acknowledges that the woman has given him more than he can take, but the addiction is so strong that he can't imagine quitting.
The chorus of the song delivers the message very clearly that he has overdosed on her love, without any cure for it. The singer is fully aware of the craziness of his situation, but he is unable to resist the uncontrollable and obsessive nature of his addiction. The song expresses sorrow and vulnerability during the verses, but the energetic and lively tune transforms the song into a celebration of the powerful love that propels the singer, peaking with the chorus "I overdosed on you, Crazy but it's true, Ain't nothing I can do, I overdosed on you." The lyrics imply that the passion and addiction are so extreme that they will kill him (write on my grave).
Line by Line Meaning
I never smoked with no cigarettes
I have never smoked cigarettes but have tried drugs, so I am not a clean slate
I never drank much booze
I have never been an alcoholic, but I have consumed alcohol
But I'm only a man, don't you understand
And a man can sometimes lose
I am just a human being who can make mistakes and fall victim to addiction
You gave me something I never had
Pulled me down with you
You introduced me to a new experience, but it also brought me down
Pulled me up, think I'm in love
Hope you can pull me through
At the same time, I feel like I am in love with you, and I hope you can help me overcome this addiction
I overdosed on you
I overdosed on you
Crazy but it's true
Ain't nothing I can do
I overdosed on you
I became addicted to you, and I cannot help it
Oh woman you give to me
More than I can take
But listen honey, I don't mind
You're a habit I don't want to break
You offer me more than I can handle, but I do not want to give up this addiction
Don't want none of that hard stuff
Don't need it anymore
I'm in love, and I'm sinking fast
And I don't need no cure
I am not interested in other harmful substances anymore because I am already in love with you, and there is no going back
Gee I was happy as a man could be
To far gone to escape
Power of love, don't pull me off
Just write on my grave
At some point, I was content with my life, but now I am so far into this addiction that I feel I cannot escape. I am no longer in control and am urging those around me to let me be and allow me to die with this addiction.
Overdosed
Overdosed
Overdosed on you
Overdosed on you
I am addicted to you and have overdosed, and it is all your fault
On you, on you, on you
All over you
All over you
This addiction has consumed me entirely, and I associate everything with you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Ronald Belford Scott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind