In their early years, Whitesnake played in a hard-edged blues rock and heavy metal influenced style. By the mid-80s, the band had moved towards a more commercially friendly arena rock and pop metal ethos, garnering them major hits such as "Love Ain't No Stranger", "Now You're Gone", "Slide It In", "Still of the Night", and the iconic tune "Here I Go Again" (arguably their 'signature song'). They were named the 85th greatest hard rock band of all time by VH1.
Whitesnake were active primarily in the 80s, but they still tour, albeit with an entirely new line-up (bar Coverdale), to this day. Some of the most famous musicians who have joined the band for a time include Jon Lord, Ian Paice, Cozy Powell, Neil Murray, Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, Rudy Sarzo, John Sykes, Adrian Vandenberg, Vivian Campbell, Tommy Aldridge, and Steve Vai.
The band's early material has been compared by critics to Deep Purple. This is not only because three past members of the band were once in Deep Purple but also because of their sound and influences. Later, the band took on a sound more in line with the hair metal style popular in the mid to late 80s, but they never truly left their heavy, blues rock roots behind
Formed in 1978 by David Coverdale after leaving Deep Purple, Whitesnake were originally a straightforwards heavy rock group with Jon Lord and Ian Paice from Deep Purple in the band. Despite a few album releases and constant touring, Whitesnake was unable to attain any significant commercial success in America, though becoming popular in the U.K., Europe, and Japan. Their critical reviews as well for their albums were somewhat mixed.
After acquaintance with Chris Cuttler, Fred Frith and most importantly, young guitarist John Sykes, David Coverdale decided to turn to a slicker, more commercially viable sound. Whitesnake made their first major splash in the States in 1984 with the album 'Slide It In', featuring the self-titled single as well as rock tracks "Slow An' Easy" and "Love Ain't No Stranger". All three of them gained major airplay and were eaten up by fans. Sykes was not involved in any of the song writing for 'Slide It In', though re-did some of Micky Moody's guitar work in the American remastering of the U.K. version of the album.
Three years later, thanks to radio-friendly, Zeppelin-ish songwriting and MTV friendly Tawny Kitaen's automobile acrobatics, Whitesnake became superstars with the album 'Whitesnake' (titled '1987' in Europe, and 'Serpens Albus' in Japan). Containing the U.S. smash hits "Here I Go Again", "Is This Love", "Still of the Night" and others, the album eventually sold over 10 million copies. Coverdale replaced the entire band for the subsequent tour, ditching Sykes for guitarists Adrian Vandenberg and Vivian Campbell. Also joining the band at this point were bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Tommy Aldridge.
Campbell left shortly after the tour (going on to replace Steve Clark in Def Leppard. Vandenberg, despite penning most of the material on the follow-up album, was unable to record due to a freak wrist injury. Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai was brought in to record all of the guitar parts for Slip of the Tongue, which was released in the spring of 1989. Despite going platinum, the album did not reach the stratospheric heights of Whitesnake (entitled 1987 in Europe, and Serpens Albus in Japan). With a divorce looming, and the alternative 'grunge' movement threatening to destroy the melodic rock movement, Coverdale dissolved Whitesnake.
In the late 90s, David Coverdale and Adrian Vandenberg finally recorded together again. Initially intended to be a Coverdale solo effort, the Whitesnake name was eventually attached (much like the Tony Iommi/Black Sabbath projects of the late 80s). The resulting products were a new studio album entitled Restless Heart, and the live acoustic set, Starkers In Tokyo.
In the early 2000's Coverdale relaunched Whitesnake fully with an entirely new lineup centred around guitarists Reb Beach and Doug Aldrich (previously of Winger and Lion/Dio). This Whitesnake embarked on tours across the globe, releasing the "Live In the Still of the Night" DVD and "Live... In the Shadow of the Blues" on CD in 2006. A new studio album, "Good to be Bad", was released in 2008 reaching the top 10 in the UK album charts.
Over the last few years Coverdale has been involved in a remastering project which has seen all albums from 1978's Trouble, to 1989's Slip of the Tongue reissued with bonus material.
Whitesnake released Forevermore, on March 25, 2011 in Europe, and on the 29th in North America. They have released a number of scheduled 2011 tour dates on their website, with six scheduled UK tour dates and other European dates. In February 2011, Whitesnake was announced as one of the headliners to play the annual Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma, on Memorial Day weekend. A digital single for the song 'Love Will Set You Free' was released, along with a video for the song, on February 21.
The album Forevermore was released as a special edition 'Snakepack' through Classic Rock magazine on 25 March, a full 3 weeks before its commercial release. The fan pack includes the full, official new album Forevermore, a 132-page magazine, poster and pin badge. On 20 March 2011, Whitesnake announced that Brian Ruedy would play keyboards on the Forevermore World Tour.
The album did not chart highly upon its official release in the UK (number 33, possibly due to the copies released as part of the aforementioned Classic Rock Snakepack, which are not eligible for the charts). It did, however, show signs of Whitesnake's slow rebuild of support in the US with the album charting at number 49 - the band's highest charting album since the 80s.
Doug Aldrich and Reb Beach are Whitesnake longest standing guitar players, both being in the band 10 years by 2012.
Whitesnake are set to embark on their farewell tour in May 2022, beginning in the UK and Ireland with Foreigner and Europe. In July 2021, the group announced the addition of multi-instrumentalist Dino Jelusick to their ranks, turning Whitesnake into a septet for the first time. Later that November, Michael Devin parted ways with the band. He was replaced by Tanya O'Callaghan, marking the first female musician to join the band.
Website: http://www.whitesnake.com/
Hit An' Run
Whitesnake Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An' I don't want a nine to five,
So many women I know
Think they can tie me down,
But, I will never let them take me alive
I hit an' run, hit an' run, hit an' run, hit an' run, hit an' run.
Now some women say they don't want nothing,
I've heard it before, I can't hear it no more
'cause they all take whatever they can,
But, still I want a heartbreaker,
A love maker, a soul shaker,
A women who can turn me on,
For a just little hit an' run, hit an' run
She can be a love stealer,
A double dealer, a free wheeler
As long as she can turn me on
For just a little hit an' run,
A little bit of hit an' run
You can keep your lock and key
No ball and chain can harness me.
Take me home tonight,
Love and treat me right
But, in the morning you'll find me gone,
I hit an' run.
Hit an' run
Whitesnake's "Hit An' Run" is a song about pursuing an uncommitted lifestyle without allowing any kind of emotional attachment to settle in. The singer of the song sings about their disinterest in living a conventional lifestyle - a home sweet home, nine to five job or committed relationship. They are happy with how free their life is and want to keep it that way. The song questions the traditional notion of love and relationships, where the singer is not looking for a commitment, but instead, wants someone to entertain them for just a little bit.
Throughout the song, the singer refers to himself as a hit-and-run lover, living life at his own pace, and refusing to let anyone take control of his freedom. He claims he has a way with women and doesn't believe any woman can tie him down because he is a "little bit of a love stealer, a double dealer, a free-wheeler."
The lyrics suggest that the singer is roaming around, looking for a specific type of person who can 'turn him on' for just one little hit and run. He wants someone who is equally invested in the fleeting, physical aspect of a relationship without any emotional strings attached. The song ends with the singer admitting that they aren't interested in being 'locked up' by any ball and chain; they would rather lead a footloose and fancy-free lifestyle.
The song has gained popularity as it explores the uncommitted, carefree aspect of relationships, which many people relate to, and it has been re-recorded by various artists. The song has undoubtedly inspired a lot of hits over the years, and it continues to inspire the many hit-and-run interviews and articles about the rock-star lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
I've never had a home sweet home life
I have never experienced a life where I felt at home or had a stable place to live.
An' I don't want a nine to five,
I am not interested in a typical job that involves working from nine to five every day.
So many women I know
I am familiar with many women.
Think they can tie me down,
Some of these women believe that they can make me commit or settle down with them.
But, I will never let them take me alive
I will avoid being tamed or controlled by any woman.
I hit an' run, hit an' run, hit an' run, hit an' run, hit an' run.
My approach in dealing with women is to have brief, non-committal encounters with them and then move on to the next one.
Now some women say they don't want nothing,
Some women claim that they do not want anything beyond a man who is good at talking sweetly.
But a sweet talkin' bull of a man,
They seek a man who can talk smoothly and confidently even if sometimes he is full of bravado.
I've heard it before, I can't hear it no more
I am so used to hearing these words from women that it no longer interests me.
'cause they all take whatever they can,
Because in my experience many women have taken what they wanted and left afterwards.
But, still I want a heartbreaker,
Nevertheless, I crave to encounter a woman who can captivate and affect me emotionally.
A love maker, a soul shaker,
I desire a woman who is good at making love and can impact me so profoundly that I cannot help but think about her.
A women who can turn me on,
I am seeking a woman who can entice and excite me.
For a just little hit an' run, hit an' run
Even if it is just a temporary experience, I am willing to take risks and enjoy the moment with that perfect woman.
She can be a love stealer,
The woman I am looking for does not necessarily have to be honest, innocent, or impeccable.
A double dealer, a free wheeler
She can be unpredictable, secretive, or adventurous.
As long as she can turn me on
As long as she can arouse and stimulate me sexually.
For just a little hit an' run,
I am willing to let my guard down and enjoy the moment regardless of potential repercussions.
A little bit of hit an' run
I only need brief experiences with women before I move on with my life.
You can keep your lock and key
I am not interested in relationships that involve being caged or restricted in any way.
No ball and chain can harness me.
I am completely free, unattached, and autonomous.
Take me home tonight,
Even though sometimes I might want to spend a night with a woman, it does not mean I want to stay permanently.
Love and treat me right
I may not be ready to commit, but I want to feel adored and valued by the woman I am passionate about.
But, in the morning you'll find me gone,
Regardless of my emotional connection with a woman, I will not hesitate to start my life over again the next day.
I hit an' run.
My tendency is to run away from every situation that may require me to stay put or compromise.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID COVERDALE, BERNARD MARSDEN, MICKY MOODY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
NebGP
Letra en Español
Nunca fui un tipo de vida hogareña
Y tampoco quiero una
Todas las mujeres que conozco
Piensan que pueden atarme
Pero, nunca dejaré que me lleven vivo
Yo golpeé y corrí.
Algunas mujeres dicen que no quieren nada serio
Pero una charla amena y hablan mierda de otros hombres
Ya lo he escuchado antes, pero ya no las soporto
Porque ellas siempre toman lo que puedan de ti
Pero aún quiero una rompecorazones
que se buena en la cama, y me vuelva loca el alma
una mujer que realmente me caliente
pero solo por un poco, golpearé y correré
Ella puede ser una roba corazones
una tramposa, un alma libre
que sea lo que quiera siempre que me la haga parar
pero solo por un rato, golpearé y correré
Puedes quedarte con tu candado y tus llaves
Ningún grillete y cadenas pueden conmigo
Llévame a cada esta noche
ámame y trátame bien
pero en la mañana encontrarás que me he fugado
Yo Golpeé y corrí!
Alastair West
Ian Paice is a fucking awesome rock drummer and is highly underrated...he's one of the best.!!
Игорь
Странно! Я ещё ребёнком в 70-х. знал, что Ian Paice лучший ударник в мире!
Martin Clayton
I remember buying this album when it came out, still love it now!
Alan Sands
@Lord Protector I bought my copy on a 78 phonograph at Gimbals back in 1958.
Lord Protector
Me too. On cassette in Woolworths.
Adrian Groeneveld
This band had an amazing feel for rhythm and groove. Such a great line-up.
Zdravko Bitunjac
This whole album is amazing, but this song is so wild.
Vanei Pontes
Great Band 🐍 / Great Song 😎👊
NebGP
Letra en Español
Nunca fui un tipo de vida hogareña
Y tampoco quiero una
Todas las mujeres que conozco
Piensan que pueden atarme
Pero, nunca dejaré que me lleven vivo
Yo golpeé y corrí.
Algunas mujeres dicen que no quieren nada serio
Pero una charla amena y hablan mierda de otros hombres
Ya lo he escuchado antes, pero ya no las soporto
Porque ellas siempre toman lo que puedan de ti
Pero aún quiero una rompecorazones
que se buena en la cama, y me vuelva loca el alma
una mujer que realmente me caliente
pero solo por un poco, golpearé y correré
Ella puede ser una roba corazones
una tramposa, un alma libre
que sea lo que quiera siempre que me la haga parar
pero solo por un rato, golpearé y correré
Puedes quedarte con tu candado y tus llaves
Ningún grillete y cadenas pueden conmigo
Llévame a cada esta noche
ámame y trátame bien
pero en la mañana encontrarás que me he fugado
Yo Golpeé y corrí!
Ovais N
Beautiful drums and bass. Plus vocoder bridge and breakdown. Moody slide solo pristine.