Deep Purple - Highway Star - Live 1972 Made in Japan (Video Copenhagen 1972, Audio Osaka 1972)
This song was born on a tour bus going to Portsmouth in 1971 when a reporter asked the band how they wrote songs. To demonstrate, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore grabbed an acoustic guitar and began playing a riff consisting of a single "G" repeated over and over, while vocalist Ian Gillan improvised lyrics over the top. The song was refined and was performed that same night. The song first appears on the 1972 LP Machine Head. The track remains one of the band's staples in live concerts, and was the set opener even before it was released on any album.
"Highway Star" is the opening track on their 1972 album Machine Head and is the fastest song in tempo on the album. It is characterised by long, classically-inspired guitar and organ solos. Organist Jon Lord claimed that the organ and guitar solos were based on Bach-like chord sequences.
Lyrics
Nobody gonna take my car
I'm gonna race it to the ground
Nobody gonna beat my car
It's gonna break the speed of sound
Oooh it's a killing machine
It's got everything
Like a driving power big fat tires
And everything
I love it and I need it
I bleed it
Yeah it's a wild hurricane
Alright hold tight
I'm a highway star
Nobody gonna take my girl
I'm gonna keep her to the end
Nobody gonna have my girl
She stays close on every bend
Oooh she's a killing machine
She's got everything
Like a moving mouth body control
And everything
I love her I need her
I seed her
Yeah she turns me on
Alright hold on tight
I'm a highway star
Nobody gonna take my head
I got speed inside my brain
Nobody gonna steal my head
Now that I'm on the road again
Oooh I'm in heaven again
I've got everything
Like a moving ground an open road
And everything
I love it and I need it
I seed it
Eight cylinders all mine
Alright hold on tight
I'm a highway star
Nobody gonna take my car
I'm gonna race it to the ground
Nobody gonna beat my car
It's gonna break the speed of sound
Oooh it's a killing machine
It's got everything
Like a driving power big fat tires
And everything
I love it and I need it
I bleed it
Yeah it's a mad hurricane
Alright hold on tight
I'm a highway star
I'm a highway star
I'm a highway star
Songwriters: Ian Gillan / Ian Paice / Jon Lord / Ritchie Blackmore / Roger Glover
Highway Star lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management