About The Song
“You Shook Me All Night Long” is a song by Australian hard rock band AC/DC, from the album Back in Black. The song also reappeared on their later album Who Made Who. It is AC/DC’s first single with Brian Johnson as the lead singer, replacing Bon Scott who died of alcohol poisoning in February 1980. It reached number 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in 1980. The single was re-released internationally in 1986, following the release of the album Who Made Who. The re-released single in 1986 contains the B-side(s): B1. “She’s Got Balls” (Live, Bondi Lifesaver ’77); B2. “You Shook Me All Night Long” (Live ’83 – 12-inch maxi-single only).
In January 2018, as part of Triple M’s “Ozzest 100”, the “most Australian” songs of all time, “You Shook Me All Night Long” was ranked number 63.
Record World said it has “a truckload of gravel and enough raunch to satisfy a stadium-size crowd,” as well as “havoc wrecking guitar blasts.”
“You Shook Me All Night Long” placed at number 10 on VH1’s list of “The 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s”. It was also number 1 on VH1’s “Top Ten AC/DC Songs”. Guitar World placed “You Shook Me All Night Long” at number 80 on their “100 Greatest Guitar Solos” list. In 2021, it was ranked at No. 287 on Rolling Stone’s “Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
Rock critic Robert Christgau regarded it as a “drum-hooked fucksong” and the band’s “only great work of art”.
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Lyrics
She was a fast machine, she kept her motor clean
She was the best damn woman that I ever seen
She had the sightless eyes, telling me no lies
Knocking me out with those American thighs
Taking more than her share, had me fighting for air
She told me to come, but I was already there
‘Cause the walls start shaking, the Earth was quaking
My mind was aching and we were making it
And you shook me all night long
Yeah, you shook me all night long
Working double time on the seduction line
She’s one of a kind, she’s just mine, all mine
Wanted no applause, it’s just another course
Made a meal outta me, and come back for more
Had to cool me down to take another round
Now I’m back in the ring to take another swing
That the walls were shaking, the Earth was quaking
My mind was aching and we were making it
And you shook me all night long
Yeah, you shook me all night long
And knocked me out, I said you shook me all night long
You had me shaking and you shook me all night long
Yeah, you shook me
Well, you took me
You really took me and you shook me all night long
Ooh, you shook me all night long
Yeah, yeah, you shook me all night long
You really got me and you shook me all night long
Yeah, you shook me
Yeah, you shook me all night long