AC/DC: Back in Black Meaning
Song Released: 1981
Back in Black Lyrics
I hit the sack
It's been too long I'm glad to be back
Yes I'm
Let loose from the noose
That's kept me hanging around
I've been looking at the sky cause it's gettin' me high
Forget the hearse cause I'll never die
I got nine...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:I think that it means that people might have thought that ACDC was over after the death of Bon, but this song is stating that:
"I'm (ACDC) Back (stating that they are still going) in Black (after Bon Scott's death)" -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:OMG people. First, the song was not written before Scott passed. The TITLE was written and the riff was always played before his death b it they didn't have lyrics to the song until after his death. Brian wrote those lyrics so how could those lyrics be written before Scott's death by Brian if Brian wasn't even in the band yet. The song is a tribute to Bon Scott. It doesn't have anything to do with accounting or jail....lol. please do your research on the band before commenting geez.
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3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:Forget the Hearse cause I'll never die. I got nine lives. cat's eyes using everyone of them and I'm running wild . Means no matter what Bon's spirit will live forever in AC/DC.The term Back in Black means the band has returned in mourning of Bon and will continue on in his memory. RIP Bon.
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It can be perceived as a Bon Scott tribute buy the song is about a criminal that has either beaten the rap or escaped. Now he's back in the shadows back in the game back to doing his thing at night.
Or!!!! It could be that Bons spirit had been risen from the dead by satanic rituals and although he can't be seen he's right there with boys with a bottle in his hand just rocking his ass off with 8 more lives to go. Hell I don't care if it about Marry Poppins it's some back ass classic metal and the riffs and the iconic vision of Angus bouncing around rippin it to shreds are never gonna die never gonna die EVER!!!!!!! -
The song was written by bon at a time when the bands finances actually allowed them 2 live a decent life. Bon was dirt poor because of the standard record deals that leave the artists 'in the red' until they start 2 pull large audiences or sell boo coo recordings. They had just toured America & were finally getting the airplay they were due internationally (the were mega stars in their home country, Australia). Brian Johnson is awesome & is a talented writer and has a unique & incredible voice. Bon was a special writer in excellent musical hands with the young brothers. He had the goods in his notebooks. The band wanted 2 go on & they had the blessing of the Scott family. The Scott family makes excellent money from this sealed arrangement & made the right choice. Bons cool lyrical style belongs in the public domain. Acdc really had 2 work hard 2 get where they were. They worried their new found international acclaim would be lost with the rock star front man who helped make them one of the premier hard rock acts of the day (& all time)
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This song was to honor Bon Scott and was meant for him and it was a great son
Rip Bon Scott -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I think this is a story of a criminal or bank robber who has made it out of jail and is back with his gang doing the same crime.
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The same demon that possessed Bon Scott,now has found a new host in Brain Johnson,and he,s back."Forget the hearse cause I'll never die." Thats a fact, nobody dies',life goes on.He wants to drag you to hell with him.Don,t go, ask Jesus Christ to save you, go to heaven instead.Its easy and will bring peace into your life.No God no peace.Know God Know peace.
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Ok here's my interpretation of this song:
I think some of your lyrics and meanings are incorrect.
I'm not sure but I think he's talking about getting out of jail and how he's having fun now running wild cause he beat the rap now that he's out and he's never going back.
Read what I write below and then listen to the song, the lyrics, and his attitude.
" It's been too long I'm glad to be back"
-He just got set free from being incarcerated (in prison) so he's back with his friends, the band, family, his life, etc..
"Let loose from the noose that's kept me hanging about"
-Again this is a reference to being incarcerated/held prisoner and being hung/punished for a crime. In the old days they used to hang criminals by putting a rope ( a noose ) around the neck of the criminal and they'd hang criminal if he/she was found guilty.
"I've been looking at the sky cause it's gettin' me high"
-Here he's referencing being set free from being locked in a cell for so long. When you're a prisoner they used to not let you outside to see the sky. You were locked in a tiny horrible cell. So he's finally free and looks up and he sees the sky and it's amazing, getting him high.
"Forget the hearse cause I'll never die"
-A hearse is car used to transport a corpse; a dead body.
So here he might be saying because I'm out of jail forget the hearse (you mother f'ers) cause I'm out of jail and I'm not going to die or be executed here in jail cause I'm 'let loose from the noose that's kept me hangin about'. So the charges were either dropped and he was set free or he served his time and he's out.
"I got nine lives, cat's eyes
Abusing every one of them and runnin' wild because I'm back.
Here he's saying you Aholes couldn't kill me, I've got more life to live and now that I'm out (of jail) I'm living it up and running wild.
"Back in the back of a cadillac
Number one with a bullet I'm a power pack"
Yes I'm in a band
With a man"
Correction:
Last line should be
"Yes I'm in a band, with a gang"
-Here he's pumped up cause he's out and he's saying: Yah that's right I'm a bad ass and you (the cops) couldn't keep me in jail cause I beat the charges ( or maybe he served his time).
"They gotta catch me if they want me to hang"
-He's saying they gotta prove he is guilty 'catch him in the act' if they want to put him back in jail 'to hang' to pay for the crime he was accused of. An old term people used was
"You're going to hang for that" to mean the person is going to do time in jail or be held accountable (hung) for breaking the law and being a criminal.
"Cause I'm back on the track and I'm beatin' the fact
Nobody's gonna get me on another rap"
Possible Correction:
He could be saying "I'm beatin' the fact" or he could be saying "I'm beatin' the flak".
In either case he's saying, I'm out of jail (I'm back on the track)
If he says "I'm beatin' the fact" he's talking about the crime that he's been accused of.
If he says "I'm beating the flak"
Flak is verbal criticism, like someone's accusing you of something you didn't do. So he's saying no matter what people are accusing me of, I've beaten it cause I'm innocent and I'm out of jail now.
So which ever word he is saying means the same/similar thing.
"Nobody's gonna get me on another rap"
He's saying I'm never going back to jail:
A rap, is referring to a criminal rap sheet which is a list of crimes a person has committed or the authorities falsely accused you of and you served time for.
He's saying again, I'm not going back to jail; You'll never incarcerate me again -"They gotta catch me if they want me to hang" (earlier line.) "Nobody's gonna get me on a another rap" (crime).
"So look at me now I'm just makin' my pay
Don't try to push your luck just get out of my way"
He either says "So look at me now" or "Don't look at me now" but it means the same thing. It's a message to the cops that he isn't breaking the law so leave me alone because I'm just living my life making my pay...
"Don't try to push your luck" (and arrest me again) "just get out of my way" ... (let me live my life.)
Cause I'm back.. (out of jail and free now.)
The term 'In the red' means you're in trouble.
The term 'In the black' means things are good.
So 'Back in Black' either is referencing he's good now cause he's out of jail or he's saying he's back in the band because he's out of jail.
_W. -
I just want to say that I bought a Black 1971 Camaro and I am in the process of restoring her to the glorious muscle car she once was and still is (by the way I'm a chick, not a dude). My license plate reads "BKNBLCK" to honor her 'resurrection' and also as a tribute to Bon Scott and AC/DC as a whole.
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First just let me say Bon is truly the better Singer. The message of the song is that AC/DC is back to Kick Some ASS!
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This song is simply a way for AC/DC to give a tribute to Bon and this song just says that they're back, and pretty much they can get through anything, including death of a good friend. And for those of you who were mistaken about who wrote it, Brian did the lyrics, it obviously wasn't written before Bon died (otherwise it would be a huge coincidence) and Malcolm was the one who came up with the main riff years before but never recorded it.
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Please, This is what it means
in the black
Definition:
Profitable. opposite of in the red. -
There are two ways this go ACDC used it to say "were still here a death can't bring us down" and Brian used it to say "I'm in another band a better one"
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Are you kidding me? Seriously!? I can't believe I just read so many wrong interpretations. The song was written months before Bon Scott died look it up. Unless it's all a conspiracy, it is definitely NOT a tribute to Bon Scott or anything even close to that. How could it be a tribute to Bon if he and Angus wrote the song before his death?
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