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