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Cover art for It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) by AC/DC

It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)

AC/DC
Track 1 on T.N.T. 

Produced by

George Young & Harry Vanda
A song about the hardships of rock n'roll bands trying to become big and famous. Many… Read More 
Dec. 8, 19751 viewer63.2K views

It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Ridin' down the highway
Goin' to a show
Stoppin' on the byways
Playin' rock 'n' roll

[Pre-Chorus]
Gettin' robbed, gettin' stoned
Gettin' beat up, broken boned
Getting had, getting took
I tell you folks, it's harder than it looks

[Chorus 1]
It's a long way to the top, if you want to rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top, if you want to rock 'n' roll
If you think it's easy doing one night stands
Try playing in a rock-roll band
It's a long way to the top, if you want to rock 'n' roll

[Bagpipes Solo]
[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 2]
Hotel, motel
Make you want to cry
Ladies do the hard sell
Know the reason why
See AC/DC Live
Get tickets as low as $118
[Pre-Chorus]
Gettin' old, gettin' gray
Gettin' ripped off, underpaid
Gettin' sold, second-hand
That's how it goes, playin' in a band

[Chorus]
It's a long way to the top, if you want to rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top, if you want to rock 'n' roll
If you wanna be a star of stage and screen
Look out, it's rough and mean
It's a long way to the top, if you want to rock 'n' roll
It's a long way to the top, if you want to rock 'n' roll

[Outro]
Well, it's a long way
Oh, it's a long way
(You should have told me)
It's a long way
Such a long way

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About

Genius Annotation

A song about the hardships of rock n'roll bands trying to become big and famous. Many musicians work in bad conditions, before they get famous and lead a life of luxury. A lot of badly paid gigs in sketchy places (when you’re being cheated and thus not paid), being on the road all the time in cheap modes of transport, encountering all kinds of hardships like hostile audiences, etc. Features one of the few instruments in AC/DC’s ouvre outside of guitars, bass and drums: a bagpipe solo!

This song was included in the 1975' album T.N.T. (which was only released in Australia) and in 1976’s High Voltage (the international version, not to be confused with 1975’s High Voltage, which was also only released in Australia). It served as the second single off the T.N.T. album.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Who produced “It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)” by AC/DC?
When did AC/DC release “It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)”?
Who wrote “It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)” by AC/DC?
T.N.T. (1975)
AC/DC
  1. 1.
    It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)
  2. 2.
    Rock ‘n’ Roll Singer
  3. 3.
    The Jack
  4. 4.
    Live Wire
  5. 5.
    T.N.T.
  6. 6.
    Rocker
  7. 7.
    Can I Sit Next to You Girl
  8. 8.
    School Days
  9. 9.
    High Voltage
Credits
Produced By
Written By
Vocals
Distributor
Background Vocals
Mastering Engineer
Mastered at
Copyright ©
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Label
Drums
Bass
Rhythm Guitar
Bagpipes
Lead guitar
Recorded At
Albert Studios (Sydney, Australia)
Release Date
December 8, 1975
Songs That Interpolate It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll)
It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) Covers
It’s a Long Way to the Top by Susanna and the Magical Orchestra & Susanna, High Voltage / It's A Long Way To The Top (If You Wanna Rock 'N' Roll) by Eagles of Death Metal, It's a Long Way to the Top by The Wiggles, It's A Long Way To The Top by Die Krupps, It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ’N Roll) by Pat Boone, It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock N' Roll) by Motörhead, It's a Long Way to The Top by The Trews (Ft. Rocky Mountain Pipe Band), It's A Long Way To The Top by Billy Corgan, It's A Long Way To The Top by Lucinda Williams, It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) by Steve 'n' Seagulls, It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Want to Rock and Roll) by Local H, It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll) by Iced Earth, It's a long way to the top by Pat Boone, It’s a Long Way to the Top by Lemmy (Ft. Jake E. Lee) & It's A Long Way To The Top by School of Rock (Ft. Jack Black)
View It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n’ Roll) samples
Tags
RockIn EnglishAustraliaBlues RockHard Rock
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