AC/DC – Hell's Bells lyrics

As much as the theory of military action and war seem cool and a good theory. The song actually came about while they were in the Bahamas recording Back in Black. Brian Johnson once recounted the events of the day. He said that he was wiped out from recording three songs in a row so he went back to his little hotel room which he said was a little room with no restroom etc, it was like a cell. Producer "Mutt" Lange walked in and said to him that they had to begin working on "Hells Bells. Brian told him that he was stuck and didn't know what to do. At that time, a tropical storm had been brewing and thunder cracked. Brian told Lange, "Rolling thunder, that's what we call it in England." Mutt told him to write that down. Then torrential downpours started, so loud Brian said, that you could barely hear yourself. So Brian then said "Pouring rain.... I'm coming on like a hurricane!" Brian said that after that he was off and running. He said that he didn't turn the light off all night and the song was done that night.

So the bell tolling in "Hells Bells" is a tribute to Bon Scott, but the meaning itself is more about the events and things that surround Satan. From the storm, Brian is saying that when Satan come he brings with him thunder and lighting, rain, and storms of unimaginable size (i.e. "I'm coming on like a hurricane). When these happen, you know that he is coming, he's not going to spare anyone and that he's ringing Hell's Bells to signal that.

I think it symbolizes someone who is going after evil men(as in our armed forces fighting the enemy). Where it says "if good's on the left, i'm sticking to the right, it is saying that those who oppose justic may claim to be righteous, but the true righteousness is still on the right. Right has always symbolized the righteousness of god, and those on the left are those who oppose him. I think this song is the ultimate armed forces fight song, and it's telling the enemies of peace and justice that their judgment day is coming, and they will die and go to hell for being wicked and evil. Imagine the destruction that america's apache helicopters and fighter planes can unleash on an enemy- and this would be the perfect video for this song. They are coming after the terrorists, and bringing "hell" with them in the form of missiles and rockets. That's just my opinion. I am a christian, and i choose to believe that they are, in their own way, upholding god in this song by saying they are "sticking to the right", and those that oppose right(eousness) are going to hell.

My personal theory is that it's about Operation Rolling Thunder, in The Vietnam War or the American bombing raids over Nazi Germany in 1944-'45
A= Vietnam War
B= World War II A/B= Both
If absent=No comment

I'm rolling thunder A: Operation Rolling Thunder B: The thundering roar of the Cycone power plants on the B-17

And pouring rain A/B The almost rain like hail of bombs

I'm coming on like a hurricane A/B The massive amounts of bombers sent at once

My lighting's flashing across the sky A: The AIM-7 missiles used by the F-4 escorts

You're only young, but you're gonna die A/B: a lot of young men were killed by both bombing campaigns

I won't take no prisoners A/B: its kinda hard to take prisoners when you're flying ten thousand+ feet above your enemy

Won't spare no lives

Nobody's putting up a fight: B: later in the war, Germany could do absolutely nothing to stop the bombers

I've got my bell A/B Possible reference to bombs

I'm gonna take you to hell A/B Isn't it obvious?

I'm gonna get you Satan get you

Hells bells A/B possible reference to the explosions of the bombs

You got me ringing

Hells bells

My temperature's high A/B the engines would get hot, would they not?

Hells bells

I'll give you black sensations up and down your spine A/B it can be pretty terrifying to hear the scream of hostile engines overhead

If you're into evil, you're a friend of mine

See my white light flashing as I split the night B the RAF did night raids

'Cuz if good's on the left, then I'm sticking to the right

Hells bells

Satan's coming to you A/B maybe the bombers?

Hells bells

He's ringing them now

Hells bells

The temperature's high

Hells bells

Across the sky A/B possibly the explosions of the flak/SAMs?

Hells bells

there're taking you down B the P-47 and '51s took down the inexperienced, ill trained late war replacement pilots with ease

Hells bells

There're dragging you around

Hells bells

Gonna split the night

Hells bells

There's no way to fight, yeah. B in '44-'45, the Germans had no way to counter the bombers once the '51s came on the scene

Hells bells

NOTE:

This is just a theory. It is nothing confirmed, and there is a good chance I could be wrong. But that's OK. That's why it's called a "theory".