Song of the Day: Highway Star (by Deep Purple)

Posted on April 19, 2026 by Arleigh

If you’ve never heard Highway Star by Deep Purple, you’re honestly missing one of the purest shots of adrenaline rock music has to offer. This isn’t just a song—it’s basically a speeding ticket set to music. From the second that opening riff kicks in, it feels like you’re already going 90 mph with the windows down, even if you’re just sitting still. It’s loud, fast, and unapologetically obsessed with the thrill of the road.

What really hooks you is how everything in the song feels like it’s racing forward. Ian Gillan’s vocals don’t just ride the music—they chase it. The lyrics are simple but perfectly on-brand: cars, freedom, speed, and that reckless confidence that makes you want to push things just a little further than you probably should. It’s not trying to be deep; it’s trying to make you feel like you’re behind the wheel of something dangerous, and it absolutely nails that vibe.

And then there’s the guitar solo—starting around 4:04—which is where the song goes from great to legendary. Ritchie Blackmore doesn’t just shred; he constructs this wild, almost classical-sounding run that somehow still feels like it belongs on a straight highway at full throttle. It’s precise but still raw, like controlled chaos. You can practically hear the engine revving in every note. It’s the kind of solo that makes you rewind the track immediately just to hear it again.

Honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if Highway Star has indirectly helped highway patrol rack up thousands—maybe millions—of speeding tickets since it came out. It doesn’t matter what you’re behind the wheel of—a Honda Civic, a Pontiac GTO, a Ford F-150, or even an AMC Gremlin—once this song kicks in, it burrows into your brain like a worm and suddenly you want to become an avatar of speed on the blacktop. This is not a song you play if you’re trying to drive responsibly—it practically dares you to press harder on the gas. And I’ll admit, even I wasn’t immune; once it started blasting through my car’s stereo, I ended up becoming one of those statistics myself. So yeah, if you’re checking it out for the first time, maybe don’t listen to it on your commute… unless you’re cool with funding your local police department.

Highway Star

Nobody gonna take my car, I’m gonna race it to the ground
And nobody gonna beat my car, it’s gonna break the speed of sound
Ooh, 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 ’til the end
And nobody gonna have my girl, she stays close on every bend
Ooh, she’s a killing machine
She got everything
Like a moving mouth, body control and everything

I love her, I need her, I see her

Yeah, she turns me on
Alright, hold on tight, I’m a highway star

And nobody gonna take my head, I got speed inside my brain
And nobody gonna steal my head now that I’m on the road again
Ooh, 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’ve seen it

Eight cylinders, all mine
Alright, hold on tight, I’m a highway star

(guitar solo @4:04)

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

Know Your Enemy

Huh
Yeah, we’re comin’ back in with another bombtrack
Think ya know it’s all of that, huh
Ayo, so check this out, yeah

Know your enemy
Come on

Born with insight and a raised fist
A witness to the slit wrist
As we move into ’92
Still in a room without a view
Ya got to know, ya got to know
That when I say go, go, go
Amp up and amplify, defy
I’m a brother with a furious mind
Action must be taken
We don’t need the key, we’ll break in
Something must be done
About vengeance, a badge and a gun
‘Cause I’ll rip the mic, rip the stage, rip the system
I was born to rage against ’em
Fist in ya face in the place and I’ll drop the style clearly
Know your enemy

Know your enemy
Yeah
Ayo, get with this, ugh

Word is born
Fight the war, fuck the norm
Now I got no patience
So sick of complacence
With the D, the E, the F, the I, the A, the N, the C, the E
Mind of a revolutionary, so clear the lane
The finger to the land of the chains
What? The “land of the free”?
Whoever told you that is your enemy
Now something must be done
About vengeance, a badge, and a gun
‘Cause I’ll rip the mic, rip the stage, rip the system
I was born to rage against ’em
Now action must be taken
We don’t need the key, we’ll break in

I’ve got no patience now
So sick of complacence now
I’ve got no patience now
So sick of complacence now
Sick of, sick of, sick of, sick of you
Time has come to pay

Know your enemy

(guitar solo @3:52)

Come on
Yes, I know my enemies
They’re the teachers who taught me to fight me
Compromise, conformity
Assimilation, submission
Ignorance, hypocrisy
Brutality, the elite
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams

Great Guitar Solos Series

Music Video of the Day: Vincent Price by Deep Purple (2013, directed by Joern Heitman)

Posted on September 29, 2022 by Jedadiah Leland

A young couple goes to the a dungeon and soon, they find that they’ve become black-and-white and they can no longer hear. They’ve become a part of a silent movie, starring someone who looks much like Vincent Price. Of course, the real-life Price didn’t appear in any silent movies but, overall, this is still an effective music video.

The director, Joren Heitmann, has several music videos to his name. He directed multiple videos for Rammstein and Sarah Connor. In fact, one of the videos that he did for Sarah Connor was for a song called Vincent.

Deep Purple was first formed in 1968. As with most bands that have been around for that long, several members have come and gone over the years but the important thing is that the band is still going today.

I’ve been told that this video is a good example of what the site hopes to accomplish this October.

Enjoy!

2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees

Posted on December 17, 2015 by paddiesthoughts

The 2016 inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have been announced and classic rock wins the majority; with Deep Purple, Cheap Trick, Chicago and Steve Miller. Getting a boost from ‘Straight Out of Compton‘, N.W.A. rounds out this years inductees.

Eligibility requirements:

“To be eligible for induction as an artist (as a performer, composer, or musician) into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the artist must have released a record, in the generally accepted sense of that phrase, at least 25 years prior to the year of induction; and have demonstrated unquestionable musical excellence.” **

Deep Purple:

Waiting for more than 20 years, Deep Purple finally got the honor they deserved. Deep Purple has been listed as ‘Heavy Metal’, ‘Hard Rock’ and ‘Progressive’. Having sold over 100 million albums, they are one of the most influential bands of all time. The band has gone thru many line-up changes thru the years, and it will be interesting to see which members show up on stage.

Chicago:

Formed in 1967 Chicago pulled a brazen move with their first release, Chicago Transit Authority being a double album, which went Multi-Platinum. Self-described as a “Rock and Roll band with Horns” Chicago has changed their sound thru the years, but remains one of the best selling and longest running bands of all time.

Cheap Trick:

Having preformed more than 5,000 shows, Cheap Trick is one of the most enduring bands of all times. Formed in 1973 they broke thru in Japan first, before the US, often referred to as the ‘American Beatles’. In 2007, the Illinois senate designated April 1st as Cheap Trick day as opposed to April fools day in honor of the band.

Steve Miller:

Although releasing his most notable hits with the ‘Steve Miller Band‘, Miller is being inducted alone. After a storied career, Miller may be ‘The Joker’ after all!

N.W.A.:

Pioneers and legends in the Rap and Hip-Hop genre, N.W.A.’s induction into the HOF is only the third Hip-Hop / Rap group to be let in. Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, MC Ren and the late Eazy-E were portrayed in this years Oscar nominated ‘Straight Outta Compton‘

Lyrics NSFW:

Snubs:

Among many left out this year were ‘The Cars‘, ‘Nine Inch Nails‘, ‘YES‘, ‘Janet Jackson‘ and ‘The Smiths‘.

The 31st Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at the Barclays’ Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., on April 8, 2016 and be filmed by HBO for a later broadcast.

**VIA https://rockhall.com/inductees/induction-process/