<P> The full version of the song is also on the Volts CD of the Bonfire box set, released in 1997 . </P> <P> This was a signature song for Bon Scott . Brian Johnson, who replaced Scott as AC / DC's lead vocalist from 1980 until his departure in 2016, did not perform it out of respect for his predecessor . </P> <P> The song chronicles the hardships endured by a rock band on tour, such as being robbed, assaulted, stoned and cheated by a greedy agent . However, the band accepts these hardships as natural on the path to stardom, saying that "It's a long way to the top / If you wanna rock' n' roll". </P> <P> George Young (the older brother of Angus and Malcolm), having heard that Bon Scott was in a pipe band, encouraged the use of bagpipes in the song . Scott obliged despite having never played them before; he had actually been a drummer in the band . Scott used a set of bagpipes to play the song live until 1976, following an incident where he set them down at the corner of a stage and they were destroyed by fans . Subsequent live performances used a recording of the song's bagpipe part or an extended guitar solo by Angus . </P>

It's a long way to the top when you want to rock and roll