Hells Bells Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I'm a rolling thunder, pouring rain
I'm coming on like a hurricane
White lightning's flashing across the sky
You're only young, but you're gonna die
[Pre-Chorus]
I won't take no prisoners, won't spare no lives
Nobody's putting up a fight
I got my bell, I'm gonna take you to hell
I'm gonna get you, Satan get you
[Chorus]
Hell's bells
Yeah, hell's bells
You got me ringing
Hell's bells
My temperature's high
Hell's bells
[Verse 2]
I'll give you black sensations up and down your spine
If you're into evil, you're a friend of mine
See my white light flashing as I split the night
'Cause if good's on the left, then I'm sticking to the right
I won't take no prisoners, won't spare no lives
Nobody's putting up a fight
I got my bell, I'm gonna take you to hell
I'm gonna get you, Satan get you
[Chorus]
Hell's bells
Oh, hell's bells
You got me ringing
Hell's bells
My temperature's high
Hell's bells
[Guitar Solo]
[Chorus]
Hell's bells, Satan's callin' to you
Hell's bells, he's ringing them now
Those hell's bells, the temperature's high
Hell's bells, across the sky
Hell's bells, they're taking you down
Hell's bells, they're dragging you under
Hell's bells, gonna split the night
Hell's bells, there's no way to fight, yeah
About
This is the first track and second single from the album Back In Black. The song was written to commemorate the death of AC/DC’s former lead singer, Bon Scott.
The bell heard throughout the song was created by John Taylor Bellfounders in Loughborough from 2,000-pounds of cast bronze. Originally used during the 1980 Back in Black tour, it was made as is a replica of the Denison Bell, which the band first attempted to record for the song – this plan was abandoned after causing too much disruption to pigeons nesting in the bell tower.
The bell includes an engraving of the AC/DC logo and is branded with the title, “Hells Bell.”
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Brian Johnson told Classic Rock about the creative process,
Mutt [Lange] says, ‘Tonight we’re gonna do “Hells Bells,” Brian.’ I’m thinking, ‘Hmm, “Hells Bells,” right.’ I’d just done ‘Back in Black,’ so I thought, ‘Can it get any moodier?’ And then, right at that moment, there was a tropical thunderstorm the likes of which I’d never seen before. Mutt said, ‘Listen, thunder!’ And I said, ‘That’s rolling thunder, that’s what they call it in England.’ He says, ‘Rolling thunder, write that down.’ And this is true, it went ‘Boom!’ The fucking rain came down in torrents, you couldn’t hear yourself … I was gone. The song was ready that night. I hadn’t even heard the track ‘cause they were busy doing it. It was whacked down in the greatest haste.