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)
The Jack
AC/DC Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She gave me the king
She was wheelin' and dealin'
Just doin' her thing
She was holdin' a pair
But I had to try
Her deuce was wild
But my ace was high
That she'd been dealt with before
Said she'd never had a full house
But I should have known
From the tattoo on her left leg
And the garter on her right
She'd have the card to bring me down
If she played it right
She's got the jack, she's got the jack
She's got the jack, she's got the jack
She's got the jack, she's got the jack
She's got the jack, she's got the jack
She's got the jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack
She's got the jack
Poker face was her name
Poker face was her nature
Poker straight was a game
If she knew she could get you
She played 'em fast
And she played 'em hard
She could close her eyes
And feel every card
But how was I to know
That she'd been shuffled before
Said she'd never had a royal flush
But I should have known
That all the cards were comin'
From the bottom of the pack
And if I'd known what she was dealin' out
I'd have dealt it back
She's got the jack, she's got the jack
She's got the jack, and who knows what else?
She's got the jack, yeah, yeah
She's got the jack, she's got the jack
She's got the jack, she's got the jack
She's got the jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack
She's got the jack
She's got the jack, she's got the jack,
Oh, it was a bad deal, (jack)
She gave me the (jack), hey
She's got the (jack), she's got the (jack)
She's got the (jack), ooh can't you tell
She's got the (jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack)
(she's got the jack, she's got the jack)
She's got the jack, she's got the jack
She's got the jack, you never know
She's got the jack, she's got the jack
She's got the jack
She's got the jack, and it hurts!
(she's got the jack)
She's got the jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack, jack
She's got the jack
Aaaaaah
Oooooh
Thank you, thank you, thank you people, thank you, thank you
I'm glad you like the show, yes, thank you very much folks
Goodnight and god bless
"The Jack" by AC/DC is a song about the dangers of gambling, specifically in the game of poker. The song goes through the singer's experience of being seduced by a woman who is well-versed in the game. The lyrics describe how she appears innocent but is actually cunning and manipulative, playing poker to win regardless of the cost. The chorus repeats the line "she's got the jack," which can be interpreted in a couple of different ways. On the one hand, it could be referring to the playing card, the jack, which is a crucial part of the game of poker. On the other hand, "jack" can also be slang for a venereal disease, suggesting that the woman is not just a danger at the table but also to the singer's health.
The song's chorus is catchy and leaves a lasting impression on listeners. It is no wonder that "The Jack" is still one of AC/DC's most popular songs. The song's main riff is also memorable and includes a classic guitar solo.
Line by Line Meaning
She gave me the queen
She presented me with the second highest card in a deck of playing cards
She gave me the king
She presented me with the highest card in a deck of playing cards
She was wheelin' and dealin', just doin' her thing
She was actively and skillfully involved in arranging and agreeing on deals, doing what she's good at
She was holdin' a pair, but I had to try
She had two cards of the same value in her hand, but I attempted to win regardless
Her deuce was wild, but my ace was high
Her card of value two could take any value, but the highest card in a standard deck, my ace, was my best card
But how was I to know that she'd been dealt with before
How was I aware that she had already experienced a similar situation
Said she'd never had a full house, but I should have known
She claimed never to have a hand comprising of three of a kind and a pair, but I should've been aware of the possibility
From the tattoo on her left leg and the garter on her right, she'd have the card to bring me down if she played it right
The tattoo on her left leg and garter on her right indicated that she was skilled in the art of cards and could have played her hand to bring me down if she chose to
Poker face was her name, poker face was her nature
She was known for her skill in hiding her emotions and giving nothing away during a game of poker
Poker straight was a game, if she knew she could get you
Playing a straight hand at a game of poker was her strategy, if she was aware of her opponent's weaknesses
She played 'em fast, and she played 'em hard
She played her cards quickly and aggressively
She could close her eyes and feel every card
She had excellent intuition and could sense the cards by feel alone
But how was I to know that she'd been shuffled before
How was I aware that she had already experienced a similar situation
Said she'd never had a royal flush, but I should have known
She claimed never to have a hand comprising of Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10, all in the same suit, but I should've been aware of the possibility
That all the cards were comin' from the bottom of the pack
She was cheating by stacking the deck in her favor
And if I'd known what she was dealin' out, I'd have dealt it back
If I was aware of her tricks, I'd have played fair, but at the same time, I would've challenged her cheating tactics
Oh, it was a bad deal, (jack), she gave me the (jack), hey
It was a lousy deal, she gave me the same card she was holding, which was the (jack)
She's got the jack
She indeed had the (jack), which was crucial to the situation
She's got the jack, and who knows what else?
She undoubtedly had more than just the (jack) in her hand, which was not known to me
She's got the jack, yeah, yeah
She won the round with the strength of her hand
She's got the jack, and it hurts!
I lost the game due to her hand, and it was painful
Thank you, thank you, thank you people, thank you, thank you
The singer is acknowledging the audience's applause and showing gratitude for supporting him
I'm glad you like the show, yes, thank you very much folks
He's happy that the audience enjoys his performance and is appreciative of their presence
Goodnight and god bless
The singer is bidding farewell to the audience and wishing them well
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RONALD BELFORD SCOTT, ANGUS MCKINNON YOUNG, MALCOLM MITCHELL YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind