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TAG: brian johnson

• songspeak

  He’s got the Jack

  posted by jamie | 11.17.08 | permalink | 5 comments

  This songspeak took place a couple weeks ago on one of my poker nights. I’m not going to explain the game of no limit texas hold ‘em here, but for those familiar with the game, the story will make sense.

  I wasn’t playing this hand, but was just observing along with everyone else at the table. It was a guy and girl in in the pot together (I’ll withhold the names to protect the innocent), and the flop was J 8 8, I believe. They both checked. The turn was an A, the girl made a substantial bet, and the guy called. The river was another J, the guy bet big, and after thinking for a minute, she finally felt like she had to call. After she called, but before they showed their cards, I was singing The Jack by AC/DC at the end of the table, “He’s got the jack…he’s got the jack”. The woman sitting next to me commented that she loves that song. The guy indeed showed a jack for a full house, beating the girl’s 2 pair, aces over 8’s (this isn’t the blog or place to analyze how horrible his move of calling her turn bet was when it was obvious she had an ace or 8 and he was only drawing to 2 outs, but I digress…)

  The Jack is one of my favorite Bon Scott-era AC/DC songs. It’s basically a song about an STD, but uses playing cards and poker as a clever metaphor. Lyrically, one of AC/DC’s better efforts. At least, the studio version. The live version now performed by Brian Johnson has alternate lyrics and is more of a straightforward to-the-point description of said disease.

  *Disclaimer - The point of this story is that guy had a jack playing card in his hand. I have no idea if he has the disease “the jack” or not.

  Tags: 70s music, ac/dc, bon scott, brian johnson, full house, he's got the jack, no limit texas hold 'em, playing cards, poker, poker night, sexually transmitted disease, STD, the clap, the jack, two pair

• songspeak

  AC/DC releases new single, breaks tradition by NOT singing title of song repeatedly during chorus

  posted by matt | 10.03.08 | permalink | 2 comments

  AC/DC’s new single, Rock N’ Roll Train, has raised more questions than answers here at Songspeak. Brian Johnson does NOT… I repeat… does NOT sing the song title (Rock N’ Roll Train) over and over again in the chorus. It has us a little thrown off. They’ve been following the formula for years. All of a sudden, this drastic change?! I mean, if you can’t depend on consistency from AC/DC, then what CAN you depend on?

  The revelation unfolded between Jamie and myself over IM:

  Matt: hold on now…. this may be the first song where I’m aware that they are NOT repeating the song title over and over again
  Jamie: well, the name of the song is rock and roll train, but the chorus repeats “runaway train”, so I don’t know what’s going on there
  Matt: yeah!
  Matt: name another ac/dc song where they don’t repeat the title of the song for the chorus. I’m finding it difficult to think of one
  Matt: this is a real departure for ac/dc
  Matt: honestly, can you think of any?
  Jamie: I’m thinking…
  Jamie: I need to go back through some of their older stuff and see
  Matt: it really is amazing that it’s this difficult
  Jamie: isn’t that what their songs are supposed to be, though? verse/song title repeated in chorus/verse/repeat?
  Matt: why NOW after however many years with the same formula?!
  Jamie: it was probably going to be called runaway train, and somebody decided rock and roll train was more rockin’…
  Jamie: damn you…now I have to go through their discography

  Here’s the music video for their newest single, Rock N’ Roll Train:

  I think it would be very difficult to find lyrics to an AC/DC song that doesn’t contain at least one of the following 10 words (in no particular order).

  1. rock
  2. roll
  3. woman
  4. hard
  5. hot
  6. long
  7. hell
  8. love
  9. tonight
  10. give

  Here’s a challenge to our readers. Think of an AC/DC song that either contains ALL of the above words in the lyrics -OR- think of an AC/DC song that contains NONE of the above words in the lyrics… post your entries in the comments below.

  In the meantime…

  AC/DC's newest single, Rock N Roll Train-- your thoughts?

  • It's got the biggest balls of them all
  • It shook me all night long
  • It's on a highway to hell
  • It's a long way to the top if it wants to rock and roll

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  Tags: 00s music, ac/dc, australian band, brian johnson, classic rock, good ol’ fashioned rock n’ roll, repeating chorus, repetition, rock and roll train, rock n roll train