Australian singles chart:
Jailbreak entered the Kent Music Report on 28 June 1976 peaked at #10. The song was #59 on the Top 100 of 1976.
Album:
The song is on Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap which entered the Kent Music Report album charts on 4 October 1976 and peaked at #5.
Songwriters:
Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott
Producers:
Harry Vanda, George Young
Record label of Australian release:
Albert Productions
Songfacts:
Jailbreak is about Mark Brandon Reid, also known as “Chopper.” He was sent to jail for murdering a gang leader and he got sentenced to 16 years. Three years into his sentence Chopper became disillusioned with jail life and hated working for the “screws.” His friend and crime partner Jimmy Loughnan planned an escape, but because of Jimmy’s fear of tight spaces, they were caught and given solitary for two weeks. Bon Scott read about this in a newspaper and started writing lyrics for a song. Everyone in AC/DC loved the idea of a criminal-themed song, and they finished it in about a week.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/ac-dc/jailbreak
Lyrics:
There was a friend of mine on murder
And the judge’s gavel fell
Jury found him guilty
Gave him sixteen years in hell
He said “I ain’t spending my life here
I ain’t livin’ alone
Ain’t breakin’ no rocks on the chain gang
I’m breakin’ out and heading home”
Gonna make a (jailbreak)
Click for full lyrics
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