One of AC/DC’s Biggest Hits Was Born From an Absolutely Tragic Loss

Ask any even casual hard rock fan to mention an AC/DC song, and almost everyone knows “Back In Black”. The title track of AC/DC’s seventh studio album, “Back In Black”, was written by band members Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Brian Johnson. “Back In Black” was released as a single at the end of 1980.

“Back In Black” begins with, “Back in black, I hit the sack / I’ve been too long, I’m glad to be back / Yes, I’m let loose from the noose / That’s kept me hanging about / I’m just looking at the sky ’cause it’s getting me high / Forget the hearse, ’cause I’ll never die / I got nine lives, cat’s eyes / Abusing every one of them and running wild.”

While the uptempo tune sounds like a classic rock anthem, the message behind the song is actually quite sad. “Back In Black” is about the tragic death of AC/DC’s former lead singer, Bon Scott. Scott passed away on February 19, 1980, from acute alcohol poisoning.

The Story Behind “Back In Black” by AC/DC

Johnson’s contribution to “Back In Black” goes far beyond showing off his songwriting skills. Indeed, it’s Johnson who became Scott’s replacement as the lead singer after Scott’s sudden death. It’s producer Robert “Mutt” Lange who suggested Scott, although at the time, Scott was working as a windshield fitter.

Surprisingly, when Johnson was asked to write “Back In Black”, AC/DC told him they wanted the song to be celebratory instead of sad.

“They said, ‘It can’t be morbid – it has to be for Bon and it has to be a celebration,’” Johnson remembers.

“I thought, ‘Well, no pressure there, then,’” he adds with a laugh. “I just wrote what came into my head, which at the time seemed like mumbo, jumbo. ‘Nine lives. Cats eyes. Abusing every one of them and running wild.’”

Perhaps ironically, it’s “Back In Black” that helped Johnson get the gig as the lead singer of the rock band.

“They said we got this one song. We got a riff, and we’re gonna call it ‘Back In Black’, but that’s all we’ve got,” Johnson recalls.  “It’s a tribute to Bon.”

Johnson says they hummed the riff of the song, tasking him to finish the job.

“That’s all it was,” Johnson says. “I went, ‘That’s it?’ And they said, ‘Yeah, well. Could you sing the words ‘back in black’?’”

Photo by Brian Rasic/Getty Images

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