[Kronomyth 10.1]
Go FLICK Yourself.
This is not the best song from what was not their best album, Flick of The Switch. It does have a great little guitar solo in it and all of the subtlety you’d expect from a band that put a penis on their last album cover, For Those About To Rock. Lyrically, the song mixes sexual innuendo with outlaw imagery; it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but no one listens to AC/DC for the lyrics. The flip side features “Landslide” in what appears to be an edited version at 3:17. I was going to confirm that this morning, but then I remembered that my phono cartridge is actually upstairs in my bedroom where my wife is sleeping, and I don’t want to wake her up just to listen to an AC/DC song, which I suppose is one of the fundamental differences between the sexes, since I’m pretty sure if you woke a guy up and said “Sorry, I need to listen to an AC/DC song” they would totally understand.
Original 7-inch single version
A1. Guns For Hire (Angus Young/Malcom Young/Brian Johnson) (3:25)
B1. Landslide (Angus Young/Malcolm Young/Brian Johnson) (3:17)
Did You Know?
- Although Phil Rudd plays the drums on this song, Simon Wright appears in the video, having replaced Rudd for the Flick of The Switch tour.
- “Guns For Hire” was the opening song in the setlist for the band’s Flick of The Switch tour.
The Plastic
Released on 7-inch and 7-inch shaped picture disc in September 1983 in the US (Atlantic, 7-89774), the UK (Atlantic, A-9774/P), Germany and Italy (Atlantic, 78.9774-7) and Japan (Atlantic, P-1809) with picture sleeve; reached #84 on the US charts (charted on October 1, 1983 for 5 weeks) and #37 on the UK charts (charted on October 29, 1983 for 4 weeks). Also released as one-track promotional 7-inch in 1983 in the US (Atlantic, 7-98774).