Whole Lotta Rosie by AC/DC

Album: Let There Be Rock (1977)

Charted: 36

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Songfacts®:

This song is about a very large woman lead singer Bon Scott had relations with early in the band's career. In a 1976 interview with the band for Sounds magazine, their guitarist Malcolm Young prodded Scott to tell the story about "the fat one." Scott explained that backstage at a show in Australia, a rotund woman they called "Big Bertha" came forward when he asked, "Who wants it?" Too frightened to refuse, he did the deed with Bertha, who then called to her friend, "that's the 37th this month," and produced a black book where she recorded her conquests. Scott turned the incident into a song, this time naming the woman "Rosie."
In their early days, the band shared a house in Australia where lots of unsavory incidents occurred. This gave them material for songs like this one and "The Jack." Bon Scott had great affection for the full-size girls, and occasionally put his conquests in his songs. Another song on the album, "Go Down," mentions Ruby Lips, who is another real person. This is confirmed in the Let There Be Rock liner notes.
The music is based on the Chuck Berry song "No Money Down." >>>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France
Originally released on the Let There Be Rock album, this song didn't get much publicity until AC/DC re-released it a year later on If You Want Blood, You Got It when the band became internationally popular.
This song was covered and performed live by Guns N' Roses. Nearly a decade later, Axl Rose cited an article in Melody Maker comparing the original AC/DC lineup to Guns N' Roses as the inspiration for covering this song.
Originally, there were two versions of this song. The first was called "Dirty Eyes" and was eventually released in 1997 on the Bonfire boxed set.

Comments: 41

Luna Loud from Royal Woods, MichiganOk, last post, I promise! They DO use the C chord in this song, and it's more like A-C-A-D-A-C-A, all power chords (never trust tabs!) Anyway, rockin' song and that's all I'm gonna say anymore. Bye!
Luna Loud from Royal Woods, MichiganCorrection: it's actually E G E A E G E. Apparently, I suck at this! My point is, it's not A C D C.
Luna Loud from Royal Woods, MichiganSorry, dudes, I beefed up the chord progression! I just tried playing it again to make sure and its actually G D G E. My bad.
Luna Loud from Royal Woods, MichiganHa! "Big Bertha" is what we call the thing we use to unclog the toilet in our house. Anyway, about the chord progression - it's not A C D C. The band NEVER uses "C" chord, dudes. It's not one of the 4 chords they use in every song. The way I play it is A G D G A, with single open E notes played between every chord. Anyway, the song rocks! Definitely one of Ang's shreddiest solo's of all time.
Martin from EnglandThe opening is based on the Chuck Berry song - No Money Down.
Zero from Nowhere, NjBest...Angus....guitar...solo...EVER!
Kevin from Melbourne, FlMike-Are you that Naive?

This song Rocks in concert!
Andrew from Kilcoy, AustraliaThis song is about an overweight woman from Tasmania that Bon slept with, naturally there have been many searches but the real Rosie has never been found.
Aaraon from Dallas, TxTo Mike from Oliver, Canada: 42,39, 56 are Rosie's measurements. 42" bust, 39" waist, 56" hips.
Nat from Brisbane, Australiathe guitar swap that scott from bris mentions:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBXHZNSUtyg&feature=related
Nat from Brisbane, AustraliaIs there any way I could contact Lisa-Marie Garcia. I'm preparing a piece of artwork based on this song for the exhibition, the "Bon Scott Project" at Fremantle Arts Centre and would be extremely interested to see the photo that you have of your Aunt. Please make contact with the project's curator - Jasmin and she will take your number for me to contact you. Many thanks.
http://www.fac.org.au/bon_scott_project.php
Lisa-marie Garcia from Melbourne, Australiathis song was dedicated to my aunty rosie garcia.I have photos of them in bed together.a real fan would know this.my uncle craig actually has the demo of this song on tape.please people get your facts right.she died the day before i was born.Lisa-Marie Garcia
Selina from Perth, Australiagod another simple and great powerful riff- sounds good slow sounds good fast, and very well said thanx - scott, oxford, NC
definetly 1 of their best live songs, great 4 th audience, and in between those classic breaks...ANGUS! Icant remeber who quoted it- but it's the breaks in between those powerchords that rock!!!
Brutus from Wynyard, Australiathe truth is rosie was a tasmanian girl born in the north west of the state passed aaway few years back, i knew her thruogh her brother in law and she was a big girl alright but a sweety. even one of our head polticians new her isn't that right mr groom hahahahahaha.............ps got very drunk with bon in the late 70's in launceston he was a man truely on his own highway to hell
Aussie from Fffff, Australia- scott, oxford, NC - True there are PC's in AC/DC but if you truly understood this "Australian" style you would know that there are Full Chords as well two string power chords. E.G the F D section etc etc
Aussie from Fffff, AustraliaJeff, San Jose, A F D A G with a D/F# What the hell are you on the F

Come over to Aussie and we will give you the guitar lesson of a lifetime (Blow you off the stage punk)

leave Haggai alone!!!!!!!he is actually right !!!

As if a septic is even gonna play it with the same feel as an aussie anyway... Long live Aussie Celts!!!!!!!pretend you might you other fellas just don't have like we do!!!!!!!
Jon from Regina, CanadaTo Todd from Denver: Angus Young was born in 1955, and If You Want Blood was released 1978, making him 23 years old at the time of recording. The band did, however, often tell the press Angus was born in 1959 to make him fit the schoolboy image.
Scott from Oxford, NcThe driving power chords are extremely killer. If you're heart ain't racin after this song they you just don't have a heart.
Jeff from San Jose, CaTo Haggai in Sydney: The chords are actually A F D A G with a D/F# thrown in for good measure. I know because I played this song years ago in a rock band. Great song, too. I think the Bon Scott era was their best.
Scott from Brisbane, AustraliaThe "Live in Paris" cut... you can see it in the video"let There Be Rock"... halfway thru "Rosie" he did a guitar swap, and in fact played much of his solo while the roadie strapped his guitar to him! According to most sources, Ryley's got it right.
Stephen from Steamboat, CoSorry, it was Melbourne, Australia. That is why she is referred to as a Tasmanian Devil. This is heard in their live studio album from NYC with Atlantic Studios. there, those are the right facts.
Stephen from Steamboat, CoI Read from the Box set 'Bonfire' from ACDC is that the gang was half drunk in a town with no money in scottland, and they got a ride and a bed for the night from three Chicks. Two of them were not that bad looking (Remember they are totally drunk) and that the last girl was absolutly HUGE. so they take the ride and say thanks, and when they woke up in the morning they saw that Bon Scott, their lead singer, pressed against the wall on his back with a look of half fear on his face looking at what we now know as Rosie. He had to sleep with her for a bed that night. hahahah. I wonder why he had a look of fear on his face. The Band still laughs at the experience today, even with Bon Scott long dead. hahaha. I love it.
Haggai from Sydney, AustraliaIt's the easiest to play as well. The Chords are A - C - D - C. For those who didn't know
Todd from Denver, CoWhen I was a teenager I got the cassette "If You Want Blood, You Got it." The album was probably six or eight years old at the time and I heard that Angus was sixteen years old when it was recorded. I'd like to hear from some one more knowledgable than I on AC/DC history as to Angus' true age at that time. Regardless, they are fun to see live.
David Corino from Hawley, PaIn the BonFire boxset durning "Whole Lotta Rosie" (the live at paris gig) Durning the solo by angus, it sound like he pulls back and lets the rest of the band play. Was there a problem with the guitar, soudn problem, what happend!!!!
Josh from Las Vegas, Nvi don't know if bon actually liked rosie. on the commentary on Live in doonington they say that one night when they didn't have a place to stay bon came back to them and basically he had found two girls to stay with, the first being ugly and the second being pretty cute but also pretty big. That night after dinner, Angus and malcolm got out of there when they realized the girls were trying to get with them. Bon on the other hand was, as always, drunk out of his mind. The next morning he awoke to find himself squashed between the wall and 200- pound Rosie! So they made a song about it and nowadays they have a huge inflatable Rosie at their shows that I'm sure bon would have gotten a kick out of.
Reggy from Tokyo, JapanGNR did a cover of this song and was included in an album called 'Live From the Jungle' which was only sold in Japan and is now out of print.
Jonathan Horgan from Cork, IrelandThis is the greatest guitar song of all time and the greatest solo of all time played by the greatest guitarist of all time.KEEP ON ROCKIN!!! !
Tammy from Sydney, Australiahello, i am tammy and i like this song because i have a friend called rosie and she loved this song too until she found out what it was really about. And excuse me ken from canada but it is NOT about masturbation, listen to the words and start thinking about something other than ur dick!
Thank you
Joe from Toronto, CanadaThe first time i heatd this was on their live album with brian johnson and i really didn't like it. But when I heard it on If you want blood It sounded a whole lot bettet. And now it's like one of my favorite ac/dc songs
Tom from Trowbridge, EnglandTHE best AC/DC song without question! Has an immortal riff and the pace never lets up for 5 1/2 minutes of pure mosh ecstacy. THIS is what rock and roll is all about, if you don't have this album then buy it NOW! You will not regret it for a second!
Tom from Trowbridge, EnglandMike, the line you referred to are the woman's measurements i.e. chest, waist, hips.
Chris from Olympia, WaTo Ken from Canada if you listen to the end of Ride On from the Volts album that is in the Bonfire box set; there is a great collection of bits from Bon Scott. Within this it states that the song is plainly about a big woman that he had. NOT masturbation.
Luke from Melbourne, AustraliaPick up a Copy of ACDC: Live at Castle Donnington, and on the discography you hear Angus and Malcom talking about Bon hooking up with a woman in Melbourne, the song is a tribute to her.
Mike from Oliver, CanadaWhat does it mean when bon sings "Forty-two, thirty-nine, fifty-six. You could say she's got it all" mean?
Tom from Trowbridge, EnglandDid she really have 56 inch hips? That's pretty hard to imagine to be honest!
Tuff from Trenchtown, CaIn the song there is the line "you give it all you got, weighing in at 19 stone". A "stone" is a British unit for measuring weight and is equal to 14lbs. In other words "Rosie" was a 266lb. hottie.
Ken from Dupont, PaDefinitely one of AC/DC's best.
Tyson from Perth, Australiai am with ryley on this one. rosy is not rosy palmer as if you know anything about acdc on the inside of the back in black cover on the little booklet you get with it you will actually see a big balloon that gets inflated and used in the concerts and it is rosy naked. so rosy is a person that Bon shared a wil time with as Ryley put it
Ryley from Willow Spring, NcKen, that is completely the opposite of the song's meaning.

Bon wrote the song about a huge Tasmanian woman he had shared a 'wild time' with in Melbourne. Interestingly, the band ran into her again in Hobart, Tasmania...but she had lost a lot of weight and Bon was disappointed that she was no longer the '42-39-56' that he remembered. She did know the song was about her, and took it as a compliment.
Ken from Lasalle, CanadaPure and simply put, this song is about masturbation. "Rosy Palm" is something we uncouth teenage boys would all chortle about, "back when". And when you are a teenaged male willing to do ANYTHING to get to the Holiest of Grails, Rosy Palm was always a willing lover....

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