Tuesday, June 21, 2011

AC/DC

AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band popular for songs like "Highway to Hell" and "Hell's Bells." 

Such song names led to speculation that the band might be Satanic and that AC/DC stood for "Anti-Christ/Devil's Child." 

One of my professors in school grew up with Malcolm and Angus, the brother's who founded the band. He then toured with them for a number of years as their sound tech. 

He told us the name AC/DC actually came from a sticker on an Australian vacuum cleaner that read AC NOT DC. He also explained that the song title "Hell's Bells" came from a bell hop at a London hotel who always said, "Oh Hell's Bells!" every time something went wrong.

The idea is you can't believe everything you hear. We all walk in varying shades of ignorance depending on the subject matter, so it's probably best to go straight to the source when confronted with things that concern us. And if you can't get to the source? Suspend judgment.

6 comments:

Timothy Kellogg said...

Cool story and good advice. Critical thinking isn't against the law, so maybe we can put it to use; instead of letting it collect dust.

Anonymous said...

Good points! I remember the alarmist attitude of the 80's (Kiss stands for kids in satans service, etc). But with Hells Bells, it seems there is at least some warrant for concern, since as I recall, the lyrics refer to "Satan get you" and being on the opposite side of God, etc. So whatever the genesis of the song's title, the lyrics do seem to suggest something more than just the title. I certainly oppose the uninformed alarmism of the 80's, but I also tend to think evangelicals are not as discerning as they should be about their consumption of pop-lyrics, given than once those lyrics are in, their in for good. I am currently undergoing therapy to have the Macarena removed from my mind ;). Seriously though, it reminds me of another song, "oh be careful little ears what you hear..."

Adam

Anonymous said...

Brando,
Sounds like you are a Satanist.
Joe

p.s. Im kidding.

Brandon said...

Adam: You really were into the Macarena weren't you? :) I can't really understand most lyrics so I wonder how that plays into the discussion. Good reminder though!

Joe: Is that Jk? Sounds like something Bobby M. would say: "Brando! How does that make you feel?"

Charlie's Church of Christ said...

cool story. I still don't prefer their songs but they are less evil now.

Brandon said...

That's all I was trying to do Charlie...take a little bit of the edge off :)