Yall May Hate Me For This One AC:DC Highway to Hell 

Ok, Maddy. The idea for this song is about a stretch of road that AC/DC would travel to get to gigs in Australia. It was notoriously bad to road to see their friends, and fans at the bar waiting for them to perform. Not wanting to let them down, the band drove all out to make the show. Highway to Hell is the nickname of the road they they traveled to make it to work and get paid. Paying the price for success as it were. Come Hell or high water, or terrible road conditions. This is why most songs are written with a double meaning. BAD BOY BOOGIE, DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP, TOUCH TOO MUCH, T.N.T., and IT'S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP, IF YOU WANNA ROCK-N-ROLL, are waiting for your years. Please make sure you react to the Bon Scott versions from the original 197o's music, as it is the most accurate representation of the song in most cases. Most fans who grew up with AC/DC know these versions best. Let's get you to 1ook. Keep going and enjoy the music.

That is Angus' uniform, his superman cape. He wears the school boy "uni" since 1974. He tried glam rock, drag, even a gorilla suit before the shorts and jacket was a hit. 50 years now he has worn that gimmick. This song and album finally got them the international fame they were seeking, and Bon died months later (he was their 2nd singer after Dave Evans their 1st year in 73.)

The loudest concert I ever went to, my ears rung for two days.

once rock & roll gets into your soul - it never leaves

It is the perfect song to come on the radio when you drive to work if you dont like your job 😁

Im over here jumping around my room and screaming the lyrics and then Maddy pulls out the PSA. What we say and think is what we become. Now I’m rethinking my life...lol. You are SO spot on, Maddy. 💕🙏😊

Bon Scott was asked by a music journalist what it was like to tour the United States by bus in the summer of 1978. With somebody's feet just inches from your face (They slept in bunks) he said it was like "...a Highway to Hell". They used that line for the name of the song & album.

As I understand it the “Highway to Hell” was the nickname for the “Canning Highway” in Perth Western Australia. Bon Scott would travel it to go to a 70’s rock n roll pub. Many people were killed by driving fast through that intersection at the top of the hill on the way for a good night out!!!!!! It amazes me to this day how many Christian ppl in the United States tried to ban the lads from radio air play and selling their albums as being devil worshipers and singing the devils praises!!!!!! Christians can be Amazing sometimes!!!!! Just saying!!!!! So says Austin Tx!!!!!!😎🍸🤘

Maddy, you need to know the context of the meaning of the “Highway to Hell” It is actually the Canning Highway between Perth and Fremantle (Bon Scott’s hometown) it has a reputation for bad motor accidents.. this was actually the inspiration for the song.. Dave, your faithful Aussie minion..

43 years Bon Scott passed away, still missing his voice.

This is one of the first songs I learned on guitar. I found out later that the lead singer and I have the same birth date

So good to see a young woman stand by her beliefs! I enjoy your reactions ❤

Not gonna hold my breath for the 'Hell's Bells' reaction

Everytime I hear this first thing pops up in my mind is Sam and Dean Winchester rollin in their black 67 Chevy Impala. 😄

The song isn’t about worshiping Satan or whatever-it’s about the hard road to get to the top. The song “It’s a Long Way Too the Top (If You Wanna Rock & Roll)” is more or less the same. It’s not about giving up at all, in fact he’s trying harder and harder to get to the top. AC/DC never was part of “the industry,” they always stood apart from that nonsense. But yeah, I can see how it could be interpreted in that way. They just call it as they see it. It’s how they felt.

I already have it set up to play at my funeral!

In an interview, he said any band touring in the 70s new exactly what they were talking about. I say Jesus a lot when I sing this song ha ha so maybe that's good. Amen.

I love this song and I love ACDC

Maddy I agree with you, it’s really a dark tragic ballad.

One of their many classic songs! 🤘😎

In an interview, Angus was asked what it was like being called the best guitarist in the world. He said ''I don't know about that, I'm not even the best guitarist in AC/DC. Malcolm is a much better guitar player than me, he understands chords and keys and stuff, I just like playing the flashy stuff'' .

ooh this is the og singer of acdc

Good Saturday morning, and kudos to you for indulging your subscribers requests, Maddy! There aren't any demonic or otherworldly meaning to the song. The lyrics can easily be misinterpreted. From song facts: "The title is often attributed as a phrase AC/DC guitarist Angus Young used to describe touring in America. There is a much more literal explanation, however. "Highway to Hell" was the nickname for the Canning Highway in Australia. It runs from where lead singer Bon Scott lived in Fremantle and ends at a pub/bar called The Raffles, which was a big rock 'n roll drinking hole in the '70s. As Canning Highway gets close to the pub, it dips down into a steep decline: "No stop signs... speed limits... nobody gonna slow me down." Sometimes a banging rock song is just a rock song. Looking forward to the next Bill Burr/Conan reaction! Much love and hope you have a great weekend!! ✌️☮️🤙🤟❤️💯

Brian Johnson is a legend, he’s amazing, but there’s something about these older recordings with Bon Scott that is just incredible.

I saw them in concert 4 times!!

This song was written about the grueling road tour especially in the large USA. Locked in a traveling bus is a highway to Hell. The promised land is the stage. The destination.

If people can't say how they really feel about anything, then what's the point? Love your honesty, Maddy. It just makes you beautiful on the inside too.

I always listen to music outside of time/era constraints, but AC/DC make it harder to do, they know it all sounds the same but they say “-beep- it”😊

You're over thinking it. These boys grew up in Australia, a very secular nation. I'm pretty sure they don't believe there is a hell. The HTH is a metaphor for the hardships of constant touring trying to make it big in the music industry. Not everyone is religious.

You should watch the River Plate concert - 100000 there . Unbelievable. The crowd literally shook the the foundations of buildings outside the arena. As such no more concerts were allowed there.

Hey, the truth hurts sometimes. Good for you for standing tall.

It’s a metaphor for a long and never ending experience of a tour they was on. A tour that was their job and their dream. So as bad as it is they can’t stop and don’t want to because they have to pay their dues playing in a rocking band. To get to where they are today. The biggest rock band in history after 50 years and they have the life and career they wanted. This can be applied to any career or goal. It can be hell but that doesn’t mean to give up the first time it gets tough!

I always thought it was depressing and no way of feeling good about it and Bon died of alcohol poisoning in early 1980 right after the album of the same title was released in 1979..He meant what he said..

I’ve been a fan of AC/DC forever and always liked this song. To be honest, I never thought much about the lyrics, but I understand where you’re coming from. Always say what you truly feel because that’s what reactions are supposed to be. Too many reactors just say what they think the request wants to hear. Good on you.

Finally an authentic reaction channel, if this song of band is not your cup of tea - that's absolutely fine. keep at it.

Ok, Maddy. Here is one a song you can really appreciate. Paul Revere and the Raiders have a song called INDIAN RESERVATION. The song is directly to the point. And if you need some comedy to lift your spirits, yhe Georgia Satellites are your answer. KEEP YOUR HANDS TO YOURSELF is the funny and a great song. Keep going.

Yeah, the Bon Scott Era of AC/DC is in my top favorite bands. Bon's lyrics are far deeper than what you hear on the surface. But it's okay if you don't like the song. It's not on my request list. 😂

Unfortunately got so drunk, he passed out in the back of his car and choked on his own vomit..(still they cheer the R&R hero) Never got the chance "be found"..

On the topic of what you called "giving up", there are several ways to interpret the lyrics if we're talking about actually going to hell. I'm half joking here, but I'd rather be there if my friends are gonna be there too, rather than a heaven full of strangers 🙂 The song is not that deep and grave in substance, despite the lyrics. But there's a difference between giving up - which is to surrender in defeat of an attempted achievement - and embracing your fate. It's not necessarily acceptance but it's at least realization. And if you're going to hell to meet your friends, why not rock and roll on the way 😄

Maddy, I LOVE you played ACDC!!! Angus Young captured my heart long ago!! But Brian Johnson came in after Bonn Scott for , BACK IN BLACK! Tragic death. Alcohol. And I respect “Your Journey” Maddy!!! You play what’s in your heart to play!! I’m here for you!!💙💙💙

Fame will take you on a hell highway.!!!

Maddy, this is sadder than you think. I do not think they had very many theological meanings when they wrote this song, so when they refer to hell, it's more for effect than for any actual deeper meaning. They like to think that their personal excesses are some kind of expression of freedom or independence. It's a juvenile way of thinking and a stereotypical style of songwriting for hard rock or metal. The problem is that his celebration of this lifestyle led to his premature death. He died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 34 in 1980. The music rocked, and the actual talent in the band, Angus Young, the guitar player, is a teetotaler, and still playing.

Great song… The album that sold me on AC/DC … what a loss when Bon died…

Maddy, try AC/DC - Thunderstruck (Live At River Plate, December 2009). At this time the band members are in their late 50's and 60's... and they mention traveling through Texas while touring (probably when they passed through Houston in 1983). I also like Whole Lotta Rosie (Live At River Plate, December 2009). It's hard to misunderstand that song.

It's subjective for me. I sing not on a highway to hell.

Disagreement is not hate. You get to think what you want.

The song was written in different time. Hell could have been anything you didnt like. Maybe a job or literally a stretch of road. Point is they expressed themselves and people related. Some of us just luv the music! Thanks Maddy ❤️💛🤘

Funny you mentioned driving in Texas... yeah. I was in a big blob of traffic the other day and we were all doing about 15 over the speed limit. Including the police cruiser going down the road with all of us!!! LOL Crazy place. But I wouldn't live anywhere else. As to the song. People ask you to comment on a song they like. And you do. So what else can there be! They want your opinion. As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.

I think they are making fun of the fact that people tell you this and that. Telling you bad things may happen, but that’s their belief. I was there done all that but I’m fine and still a good person

0:45 I never realized that it actually sounds like the N word! LOL.

Well he did die from Alcohol poisoning, so he knew he was on a bad path, not to bring the room down more!

Google is your friend. After you listen, look up the meaning.

For something totally different, please listen to " Ride On"

I can see how you think that means he's giving up, but I would think it means he recognizes an unavoidable path he's on, and instead of lamenting over it and succumbing to despair he celebrates it. This song is optimism incarnate to me lol. It's making the best out of a bad situation. I love this song, but love your input too!

Jeff Bezos has a pretty good amount of money, Angus Young is a pretty good guitar player and Bon Scott is a pretty good vocalist ;) If you found the subject matter of this song disturbing, you should listen to 'Squealer' or 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' by the same band. It's very wholesome.

I like hard rock but I was never that big of an AC/DC fan.

Maddie, your reaction and opinions are your own and I respect that. Not upset or mad at all. AC/DC are not everyone's cup of tea...to each their own.

Amén sister

Oke I've never thought of it that way but you are also right. The 80's were a different time. Of course you 'll never be hated for an honest reaction, In my circle you are a wise woman.

Most AC/DC is going to be pretty tasty. Such a good band, mm.

If you haven't given up on ac/dc yet, try who made who...

You are absolutely right sweet Maddy! I've got your back! ;-)

Maggie, for once I'm in total agreement with you. I was in high school when this was out. All my moron friends thought this was great music & somehow liking it meant you were a "badass" or something, but it's just garbage, pure & simple. I don't even like the music. In fact, I don't like AC/DC at all. My favorite band was The Who back then, so it's not that I don't like hard rock. Jethro Tull, Yes, Beatles, Stones, Pink Floyd, Traffic, Moody Blues, TRex, Grand Funk Railroad, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, King Crimson, the list goes on...great bands all. AC/DC? Sucks. Now "Close To the Edge" by Yes....THERE'S GREAT MUSIC!!!! 😝😝😝😁

I suggest you listen to Robert Johnson's Crossroads One of the pioneers of Rock and Roll. That will freak you out.

How about this Maddy? Lets take a good GIANT LEAP of faith and get together... OK that was a bit of a joke, but some truth in it as some women just have it. On a blind date I don't think I would freeze from the start with you, but if there would be some progression, my cool style would probably collapse :)...

I understand your take on it. However, songs of sadness and misfortune have their place. The song isnt saying you should be on the highway to hell, its saying he is on the highway to hell. I saw the comment on how it its about their road trip in Australia, but there is no mention about this context in the song. The Eagles "Hotel California", Johnie Cash's "Folsum Prison Blues" has the same take.

If you like Bon, then listen to Touch to Much and Ride On.

Great reaction, Maddy! BTW, I love the shirt, but I'm ready for a change. Shouldn't be much longer!

Never take rock singers seriously when they are performing. Think of it like watching a movie. There's going to be a villain. You won't like him or her in the movie. Now you talk to them off set when they are themselves (not in act mode) and they are actually really good people. It is all part of Entertainment.

It doesn't have anything to do with worshipping Satan.

Good one! I’ll be up for next 4 hours for this one ☝️ :) love this song

I respect your opinion Maddy

Your a sweet girl. Stay that way forever.

Este es mejor vocalista que el de shots es natural

I believe in GOD up in heaven but I still listen to ROCK music just because I like a song called Hiway To Hell doesn't mean that I am a Satanist because I am not a Satanist I believe in GOD in heaven people shouldn't assume things if you listen to different kinds of music music brings everyone together

I appreciate your opinion good or bad.as for me,i been listening to these guys since the 70s.never paid attention to lyrics meanig. I just wanna ROCK🤟.angus outfits were designed and made by his wife.ty for great reaction😁❤😁

This is the 1 AC/DC song that I just did Not care for. It's a clear message and dark....

Not everyone likes everything, me i newer ben a fan of AC/DC but i like their "talent" of making short catchy tunes. This is also back in the days when Hard Rock (like this), heavy metal, Prog. was called the devils music and they all where satan worshipper. Black Sabbath had a lot of fun with that, as just the band name it self suggest, but more in the songs them selves on their earlier albums.

No need to apologize Maddy, if we all liked the same things and were attracted to the same people, we would all be the same person, and that would SUCK! That being said, this song has many different meanings, as it can be taken literally as you have described it to be, but that is probably the least true of the bunch. Early in AC/DC career, they got labeled as a "devil" worshiping band, "Anti Christ/Devil Child", as a brown kid growing up in South Central LA this was what I personally heard growing up. You can probably thank our great US Government who loves to "other" things and people they don't like or understand, but I digress(it is front and center even today). So at this point in their journey, they decided to lean in to it, but it has been said this song references being on the road in the states, and how hellish it was living on a tour bus with so many other band mates in cramped quarters. But the most well known and most accepted meaning is that there was a road in Australia that led to a bar Bon used to like to frequent, and the road was known for a lot of car fatalities, due to the dangers it held(no stop signs/speed limit). Hence the Highway to Hell, and my friends are going to be there too, is him referring to getting to the bar and it being "party time". And as I stated, it also plays in to the bigots who wanted them to be something they weren't and it giving them the finger. If you see us that way, well here you all are, the Highway to Hell. But yes, it can be taken exactly as it is written, but very few songs are that straight forward and that plainly written, and this song is no exception. I make this statement as someone who identifies as Christian as well, and there is no heaven without hell, and no need for a savior if it does not exist(if the Bible is to be believed). So even from a Biblical stand point, we are all on a highway to hell, as that is the curse we are all born in to(but only if you believe in that sort of thing). Love your reactions Maddy, have a great weekend.

I'm not religious, so, I couldn't care less about concepts like heaven or hell. Funny that it's religious folk who seem to have a problem with hell, when it's an integral part of their own belief system. Not having a go at you, Maddy. Not my business if people want to be religious.

good old fashioned repetitive rock.

I thought you were gonna say they were boring and over-rated and that they've played basically the same song for 40 years. Alas not. Just me. The wait goes on for someone else to come out and say AC/DC are crap.

I don't think it is as bad as you make it out in the reaction. When you realize this song came out in 1979, where everything considered rock was called devils music, my interpretation of the song is: If this music and my lifestyle brings me to hell, i welcome it with open arms.

You have to be a teenage boy overloaded with testosterone to appreciate this, i was sixteen when this album came out so it was right in my wheelhouse. Highway to Hell may be the worst song on the album in my opinion, listen to the album and give it a chance Maddy.

It’s great loud rock n roll meant for teenage boys to rock out to… Go back to The Carpenters Maddy

Nah.. I don't hate you for this, I just hate AC/DC from the bottom of my heart.

AC/DC helped put Australian music on the world stage and has been doing so for a long time now. Highway to Hell is a great song. Do not take it seriously. Simply enjoy it and rock on!

Don't Listen To The Others, Maddy: Highway to Hell remains one of the intellectual,achievements of the Hard Rock Era. You just have to know how to parse the lyrics. Let's start with the name of the band, AC:DC, which religious zealots mistook as subtext for Bisexuality. I can see how an amateur parser would make that mistake, given how the phrase was also coopted by sexually obsessed perverts, but, in truth, if you know the code being used, AC:DC is the OPPOSITE of support for the Bisexual community. Mind you, were are talking about the 70s when it was criminal to engage in certain modes of intimacy, so A LOT of codes were is use at that time. What the band's name is actually intending to communicate is that A should C the colon before the DC. If I have to explain it further, you don't have the need to know. AC:DC was just exploiting the code of radicals they were ridiculing and lampooning in their art. Of course all of these Code Talkers drove religious zealots nuts, and the radical left started spreading vicious rumors, rubbing salt in religious wounds, so AC:DC wrote Highway to Helll, the lyrics of which fight on two fronts, one which did not require parsing (religious zealots) and one which did (the intelligentsia). What AC:DC is actually singing about here is how the LGBT community used vicious rumors of AC:DC's homosexuality to try and destroy the band...using religious zealots as their unwitting proxies. Now, I could explain the rest of the code to you, but you'd have to move to California to learn it. You see, Maddy, on the Left Coast you'd be taught that "A" is for Apple. B is for Apple. C is for Apple and D is for Apple. But E, E is NOT for Apple. That's enough to go on for now. See if you can Crack the rest of the code from there, Maddy. In short, Highway To Hell became a Civil Rights Anthem for many because of its parity in duality. Find another song that fights injustice and psychosis on both fronts. I don't think it can be done. Enough said.

Looking forward to that one 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

The "Highway to Hell" is not literal. Its the road between concert appearances. It's an expression that Angus coined to explain the dues that a band pays traveling on a bus in America between gigs. It's a metaphor. The promised land isn't actually H E double hockey sticks as you so quaintly put it. This conclusion that you've come to is biased, ridiculous and you completely misinterpreted the band's intent.

Oh Maddy....:) This song is a big middle finger to all the religious people of the time that said that rock music was from demonic sources. We all know (I hope) that is a crock of doo doo. ♥'s none-the-less.

Your a nice woman. Please hear this as a thought from a much older female. Rock n roll is often a troubling paradox. But 4=on=the= floor drums and bad, often vulgar, sometimes profane, and sexist lyrics are part of the deal. It's an art form that has power AND cringe...especially listening as a female. The 'religious' lyrics have always sparked calls for censorship but it's part of the anti-establishment, faux morality, fake piety that he 60's was pushing back on following WW II and the incessant ' promise' of the American Dream many people found empty and hypocritical...and selectively applied...ie: racism, sexism, corrupt politicians. It's foundation is the American Blues. I hope I don't have to 'splain the painful, messy 'realness' of THAT pure creative form. I know....Blah blah blah. R n R went too far depending on who you were and not far enough for the same reason. A flawed but powerful artform. End of the day, I' m so glad it exists...warts and all. And you can dance to it.

Date me!

You are not wrong. But, come on it’s only rock. I wouldn’t sing it.

Make 730 i have to go to work 😊

I might😂❤😂

"Highway to Hell" was the nickname for aHighway in Australia.lead singer Bon Scott would often go to a pub at the end of the highway.So many people where killed by driving fast over that intersection at the top of the hill on the way for a good night out, that it was called the highway to hell

But if you don't care for it, that's cool too. Just seemed like it brought you so down. Just move on, there's always something else to listen to from the 60's, 70's, etc. And some ACDC cuts sound truly lazy and boring to me also. But when they hit...oh my!

I like everything except the singer. His voice just doesnt sound good to me

Ok, you said it way better than my slight overreaction , Maddy... 😂 I am 62 yrs old and played in bands in the late 70s & 80s. I never liked them. I lived around many friends who worshipped them and still do today.😮 I didn't watch the video, only your reaction which was graceful and kind. I'm sure my friend's who love them still would not be the least bit upset with your response. Ɓut hey, we can still reserve the right to be annoyed when we want to, we live in America! 😂😂😂