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)
Shoot to Thrill
AC/DC Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't know which way you wanna turn
Just keep a-coming and put your hand out to me
'Cause I'm the one who's gonna make you burn
I'm gonna take you down
Oh, down, down, down
So don't you fool around
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
Too many women with too many pills, yeah
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will
Yeah
I'm like evil, I get under your skin
Just like a bomb that's ready to blow
'Cause I'm illegal, I got everything
That all you women might need to know
I'm gonna take you down, yeah, down, down, down
So don't you fool around
I'm gonna pull it, pull it, pull the trigger
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
Too many women with too many pills, said
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will
'Cause I shoot to thrill, and I'm ready to kill
I can't get enough and I can't get my fill
I shoot to thrill, play to kill
Yeah, pull the trigger
Pull it
Pull it, pull it, pull the trigger, yeah
Oh
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
Too many women with too many pills
I said, shoot to thrill, play to kill
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will
'Cause I shoot to thrill, and I'm ready to kill
And I can't get enough, and I can't get my thrill
'Cause I shoot to thrill, play to kill
Yeah
Shoot you down
Yeah
I'm gonna get you down on the bottom, girl
Shoot you, I'm gonna shoot you
Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm gonna shoot you down, yeah, yeah
I'm gonna get you down
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Shoot you, shoot you, shoot you, shoot you down
Shoot you, shoot you, shoot you down
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
I'm gonna shoot to thrill
Play to kill
Shoot to thrill, yeah
Oh yeah
The lyrics to AC/DC's song "Shoot to Thrill" depict the persona of the embodiment of the "bad boy" image. The singer is addressing a group of women who are attracted to men who live on the edge, with a request to put their hands out to him. The lines "I'm the one who's gonna make you burn" and "I'm illegal, I got everything" portray the persona as an outlaw, and the repetition of the phrase "I'm gonna take you down" insinuates a sexual connotation. The lyrics are aggressive in nature and are meant to be provocative.
The chorus of "Shoot to Thrill" is the most memorable part of the song. It serves to amplify the persona's message that he is not to be taken lightly, and he speaks with conviction about his intentions. The phrase, "Shoot to thrill, play to kill" is an anthem of sorts, stating a fierce take-no-prisoners attitude.
Overall, the lyrics of "Shoot to Thrill" are an exemplary display of the "bad boy" attitude, tapping into the rebellious spirit and the tendencies of the youth of the 80s.
Line by Line Meaning
All you women who want a man of the street
Don't know which way you wanna turn
Just keep a-coming and put your hand out to me
'Cause I'm the one who's gonna make you burn
Women who want men from the streets do not know what they want. They can approach me as I am the one who will leave them wanting more.
I'm gonna take you down
Oh, down, down, down
So don't you fool around
I'm gonna pull it, pull it, pull the trigger
I am going to take them down and they should not be messing around. I am going to shoot them.
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
Too many women with too many pills, yeah
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will
Yeah
I shoot to thrill and I am ready to kill. There are too many women with too many pills, and I have my gun ready for action.
I'm like evil, I get under your skin
Just like a bomb that's ready to blow
'Cause I'm illegal, I got everything
That all you women might need to know
I am evil and I can get under their skin. I am like a bomb that is ready to explode. I am illegal, with everything all women need to know.
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
Too many women with too many pills, said
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will
'Cause I shoot to thrill, and I'm ready to kill
I can't get enough and I can't get my fill
I shoot to thrill, play to kill
Yeah, pull the trigger
Pull it
I shoot to thrill and play to kill. Too many women are drugged up, but I am ready to shoot. I cannot get enough action and I will shoot until I am satisfied.
Oh
Shoot to thrill, play to kill
Too many women with too many pills
I said, shoot to thrill, play to kill
I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will
'Cause I shoot to thrill, and I'm ready to kill
And I can't get enough, and I can't get my thrill
'Cause I shoot to thrill, play to kill
Yeah
I shoot to thrill and play to kill. Too many women are taking too many pills. I am ready to shoot and never get enough action. I shoot to thrill and play to kill.
Shoot you down
Yeah
I'm gonna get you down on the bottom, girl
Shoot you, I'm gonna shoot you
Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'm gonna shoot you down, yeah, yeah
I'm gonna get you down
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Shoot you, shoot you, shoot you, shoot you down
Shoot you, shoot you, shoot you down
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
I'm gonna shoot to thrill
Play to kill
Shoot to thrill, yeah
Oh yeah
I will shoot them down and get them on the ground. I will get them down to the bottom. I am going to shoot them and get them down. I shoot to thrill and play to kill.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Johnson, Angus Mckinnon Young, Malcolm Mitchell Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MonkeyBoo
1:32 Jesus in the house
@thelazyhumor
No that's whiplash
@LadyDebora
actually 1:43
@marianafrancociro7660
@@LadyDebora JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJJAJAJAJAJA
@roohamm2456
INDEED Brother!!
@cooper9063
That’s whiplash
@lanuyangerjamir3852
That person who choose this song to be in ironman should have a special place in heaven
@thanos9438
Damn straight
@gerwaanhartfield7261
😇😇😇😇
@MrRickkramer
Impossible when you’re on the Highway to Hell