In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Living easy, living free
Season ticket on a one-way ride
Asking nothing, leave me be
Taking everything in my stride
Don't need reason, don't need rhyme
Ain't nothing I would rather do
Going down, party time
My friends are gonna be there too, yeah
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
No stop signs, speed limit
Nobody's gonna slow me down
Like a wheel, gonna spin it
Nobody's gonna mess me around
Hey Satan, payin' my dues
Playing in a rocking band
Hey mama, look at me
I'm on my way to the promised land, woo
I'm on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
Don't stop me, eh, eh, ooh
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to
Yeah (highway to hell)
I'm on the highway to hell (highway to hell)
Highway to hell (highway to hell)
Highway to hell (highway to hell)
And I'm going down
All the way
Whoa
I'm on the highway to hell
Season ticket on a one-way ride
Asking nothing, leave me be
Taking everything in my stride
Don't need reason, don't need rhyme
Ain't nothing I would rather do
Going down, party time
My friends are gonna be there too, yeah
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
No stop signs, speed limit
Nobody's gonna slow me down
Like a wheel, gonna spin it
Nobody's gonna mess me around
Hey Satan, payin' my dues
Playing in a rocking band
Hey mama, look at me
I'm on my way to the promised land, woo
I'm on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
Highway to hell
Don't stop me, eh, eh, ooh
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to hell
I'm on the highway to hell
On the highway to
Yeah (highway to hell)
I'm on the highway to hell (highway to hell)
Highway to hell (highway to hell)
Highway to hell (highway to hell)
And I'm going down
All the way
Whoa
I'm on the highway to hell
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by LHGL
Highway To Hell Lyrics as written by Malcolm Young Angus Young
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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My fav AC/DC song, this one just plain kicks ass. NJ has the meaning right, but most people won't believe me when I tell them it's about touring, not satanism. Oh well. Just proves we live in a world full of stupid people.
This song is not about satanism you say? Please, explaine why several of their song are about hell and satan, why do the put on devil horns. On a tour one goes to and fro(round trip), but going to hell, the same hell that Christians bring up so we can "shove our religon down your throat" how any one heard of a Buddhist "shoving Buddha down one throat and what about Allah? Anyone? No, only the one true God no one wants to hear about. Sorry for the rant. "A one way ticket" the song may very well be talking about a bar in a valley, but those people did leave the bar and go home to wife and kids or apartment, am I right? Going to the reall hell....there IS no escape, it IS a one way destination as he says so in the song. One last thing, IF there is no satanism involved with acdc, why is "hey satan, I paid my dues playing in a rockin band" in the song? Just something to thing about.
@EvilLawyer Ever hear of something called a "METAPHOR"? Something used a LOT in music? And Bon knew his days were numbered, what with the way he was living, so that might have been the what the "one way ticket" part was about.<br />
It was written by Angus Young. They had a REALLY hard time touring in America for the first time, and Angus really hated it, because of all the satanism crap that was being said about them. Several states even tried to ban them form playing, but AC/DC's lawyers told them that it was illegal, so AC/DC took the states to court and won the battle to play, but the states wouldn't let them stay in any of the hotels in the state, which is legal, so the abnd had to stay in a hotel outside state limits, and then drive to the gig where they got jostled by the crazy uber-religious people. Angus labled the drive to the gigs the "Highway to hell."
@Rock-dude Bon Scott wrote the lyrics, Angus came up with the title and wrote some of the music. But Mal was the one that came up with that killer main riff!
I love it at the end when he says, "And I'm going down...whoa!" At least in concert he says the whoa. Haha. There's a stairway to heaven and a highway to hell...which I think means it easier to get to hell than to heaven. Because a highway is faster than a stairway, riiight? Of course I'm right.
Bullseye! You are right ob that one. Would you rather loose weight going to heaven or stay fat and go to hell? (Not meant to be offensive)
this song right here.... is about the ups and downs that ac/dc had to take to get up to where they are now in rock and roll. it's not actually a highway, its their struggle in being a rockstar.
actually rockstar this song is about life out on the road because one time Angus was interviewed and was asked wat life was like out on the road and he said and i quote "Life on the road is like a Highway to Hell"
Double meaning maybe. Hell is a real place, a terrible place no one needs to go. Call upon the name of Jesus to save you. You WILL NOT reget that choice
good song about how life is touring a highway to hell
Great song, such a classic. Makes an awesome driving song, Bonnc Scott made not have had the best singing voice, but he sure as hell had a good 'rock n roll voice'
"Hey satan, payed my dues, playin in a rockin band"
Good line, making fun of the people who think if you are in a rock band you must worship the devil or something.
"Hey satan, payed my dues, playin in a rockin band"<br /> <br /> Right, it's just poking fun at people like myself. <br /> "A ONE WAY ticket to the promised land" notice how he is referring "the highway to hell" as one way. The is no round trip with hell.<br /> Call on Jesus to save you.
@Tiger fan I think they are saying they'll enjoy their life ... no regrets, no what ifs ... live their life, and not live their life in fear of the afterlife.
H2H is definatly one of the best ACDC songs EVER! It's gotta have something in there about just saying fuck you to the system in it. And Bon Scott is my Vocal IDOL. His voice was never correct, more of a sharpness to it, but fuckin killed on stage. If only i was born 20 years ealier...
"If only I was born 20 years earlier..." I know the feeling... xD
The soundtrack to my life...My friends and I all joke that we are truly on our way to hell. Its a great song to work out to. Although, to me its more of a song to get me ready to go out on the town with my friends.
Look the song means different things to different people and the song was probably most accurately originally attributed to the "Canning Highway" in Western Australia from Bon's point of view, where this is that highways nickname. Another Aussie bloke put it this way - quote "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." 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, so when Bon was saying "I'm on the highway to hell" it meant that he was doing the nightly or weekly pilgrimage down Canning Highway to The Raffles bar to rock and drink with his mates: "Ain't nothing I would rather do. Going down, party time, my friends are gonna be there too.". Others attribute it to Brian Johnson's feelings, but these are probably accurate from his personal point of view separate from Bon's. quote "Vocalist Brian Johnson explained to The Metro October 15, 2009: "It was written about being on the bus on the road where it takes forever to get from Melbourne or Sydney to Perth across the Nullarbor Plain. When the Sun's setting in the west and you're driving across it, it is like a fire ball. There is nothing to do, except have a quick one off the wrist or a game of cards, so that's where Bon came up with the lyrics." - You decide. Personally I like the first one, and it seems to fit and besides, Brian's another era from Bon Scott, so it'll have a different meaning from a different point of view.
I chose this song because I love AC/DC and their hard rock songs like : Highway to hell and Back in Black. I also like other bands like Deep purple and others. But i like AC/DC more because the tune of the song is much more exiting and also the way they sing is different.