Draw the Line (song)
| "Draw the Line" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Aerosmith | ||||
| from the album Draw the Line | ||||
| B-side | "Bright Light Fright" | |||
| Released | October 6, 1977 | |||
| Format | Record | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Genre | Hard rock, blues rock | |||
| Length | 3:24 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Writer(s) | Steven Tyler and Joe Perry | |||
| Producer(s) | Jack Douglas | |||
| Aerosmith singles chronology | ||||
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"Draw the Line" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and was released in 1977 as the first single (and title track) from the album Draw the Line. It peaked at #42 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was included on their album Greatest Hits.
Composition
The song encompasses many of the typical things Aerosmith is known for, including the strong rhythm backbeat by Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer, the back-and-forth interplay between guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford. The song slows down before building to a climax showcasing Steven Tyler's trademark scream.
In concert
Lately in concert, however, the chief focus is on lead guitarist Joe Perry, who plays an extended guitar solo before the song's climax, and makes use of the open tuning used for the song by performing a number of tricks made possible by said tuning. These include placing the guitar on the floor and beating it with his shirt and having drummer Joey Kramer beat a rhythm over the strings with his drumsticks. The song appears as a hidden track on Live! Bootleg following their cover of James Brown's "Mother Popcorn".
On more recent tours, he has also been known to employ a theremin in an extended breakdown of the song, often imitating Jimmy Page's use of one in Led Zeppelin's heyday. The band often follow with a brief snippet of Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" before returning into the song.
B-side
The b-side of some versions of the single, "Chip Away the Stone", was not on the Draw the Line album but eventually surfaced on Gems (a compilation of heavier, harder-edged Aerosmith album tracks that were largely not singles, though many were played live at one time or another). "Chip Away the Stone" was written by Richie Supa and received a fair amount of radio airplay after the release of Gems, and found its way into Aerosmith's live setlists for a while.
Many versions of the "Draw the Line" single also had "Bright Light Fright" as the B-side.
Covers and remixes
Thrash metal band Testament recorded a cover of "Draw the Line" for a greatest hits compilation of theirs, making it the second Aerosmith song they have covered, the first being "Nobody's Fault".
Jeff Keith, Tommy Skeoch, Tony Levin and Eric Singer covered the song for the Aerosmith tribute album Not the Same Old Song and Dance (Eagle Records, 1999).
A stereo remix is on Pandora's Box and the O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits compilation.
Pearl Jam performed a cover of the song for the first time at their August 5, 2016 show at Boston's Fenway Park.