Best Gun Songs?

[Breckinridge Elkins]

I was talking weapons with an old friend whom I hadn't seen for some time.
We deplored the lack of contemporary gun songs. Except in the hip-hop genre, the gun song has virtually disappeared.

My friend went out on the porch and inhaled a joint, (to help him think). When he came back in we compiled a relatively scant list of the best old and new gun songs ever written.

Neither of us are big music-fans so experts please feel free to improve on this meager list.

Devil Pays In Gold - Jason Boland.

Sixgun - Reckless Kelly.

32-20 Blues - Cowboy Junkies.

Cocaine Blues - Johnny Cash (obligatory)

Nine Bullets - Driveby Truckers. (also obligatory)

[Zed]

Does Skid Row's "18 and Life" count?

[WFHermans]

Thanks for the titles to look up and download.

Klansmen - Johnny joined the Klan
Beatles - Happiness is a Warm Gun
Henry Rollins - Driveby Shooting

[Rocky Joe]

Nirvana - come as you are

manic depressive to actually use one, which he did? didn't he

[SteamshipTime]

Tom Waits - 16 Shells

[Intrepid]

Who Shot Liberty Valance - Gene Pitney

Although Marty Robbins has about a dozen that would qualify, this is easily best ever (legend has it, old Mestizos of the South West still have gory nightmares of The Balladeer's well-penned gun fighter songs):

Big Iron

To the town of Agua Fria rode a stranger one fine day
Hardly spoke to folks around him didn't have too much to say
No one dared to ask his business no one dared to make a slip
for the stranger there among them had a big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

It was early in the morning when he rode into the town
He came riding from the south side slowly lookin' all around
He's an outlaw loose and running came the whisper from each lip
And he's here to do some business with the big iron on his hip
big iron on his hip

In this town there lived an outlaw by the name of Texas Red
Many men had tried to take him and that many men were dead
He was vicious and a killer though a youth of twenty four
And the notches on his pistol numbered one an nineteen more
One and nineteen more

Now the stranger started talking made it plain to folks around
Was an Arizona ranger wouldn't be too long in town
He came here to take an outlaw back alive or maybe dead
And he said it didn't matter he was after Texas Red
After Texas Red

Wasn't long before the story was relayed to Texas Red
But the outlaw didn't worry men that tried before were dead
Twenty men had tried to take him twenty men had made a slip
Twenty one would be the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

The morning passed so quickly it was time for them to meet
It was twenty past eleven when they walked out in the street
Folks were watching from the windows every-body held their breath
They knew this handsome ranger was about to meet his death
About to meet his death

There was forty feet between them when they stopped to make their play
And the swiftness of the ranger is still talked about today
Texas Red had not cleared leather fore a bullet fairly ripped
And the ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

It was over in a moment and the folks had gathered round
There before them lay the body of the outlaw on the ground
Oh he might have went on living but he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the ranger with the big iron on his hip
Big iron on his hip

[billy_boatrocker]

That Cowboy Junkies song has a long line of predecessors from the old blues guys like Howlin Wolf and Charlie Patton and their songs. .32-20 blues, 44 blues etc.

Also how could you forget THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS by Johnny Horton? Shame on you :(

[gmork]

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Saturday Night Special
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Back My Bullets

[il ragno]

"God, Guns & Guts", by Agony Column

God, Guns & Guts

Everyone join the posse tonight
Pile in the 4x4 let's go for a ride
Take out your weapons and shine 'em up bright
Jam in the magazine switch on laser sights

We're just grown men playin' GIs and Gooks
We got on down vests and spiked cowboy boots
Out there training waiting for the red dawn
You won't believe the shit that we've brought along

Now there's a loaded gun pointed in my face
They pass the law to terrorize this place
Fear them now and hear the sound
Our women and children are hiding under the ground

So now we're justified by the red, white and blue
Our holy angels are flying straight into you

God, Guns And Guts

Our parents forced us to attend sunday school
We grew up strong with conviction knowing jesus was cool
'Cause now we're fighting with big fire sticks
Killing bad injuns under big crucifix

Show the path that leads to the fire
The sinners jump in and the flames get higher
And at last i see the way
I will not die on this day

God, Guns And Guts

And now at last the two suns rise in the sky
In the end... The armageddon... All die?
But, no the war seeds have won
The chance between the few and the none
We are surviving one day at a time
By the light that blinds is divine
And grow the seeds in the night
The strong will survive

Now it's my loaded gun pointed in their face
I pass the law to terrorize this place
Fear me now and hear the sound
Your women and children are hiding under the ground
We're justified by the red, white and blue
Our holy angels flying straight into you

God, Guns And Guts

[tricknologist]

Dash Rip Rock - Johnny Ace (http://www.dashriprock.net/images/JohnnyAce.wma)

[Breckinridge Elkins]

DBTs

When the Pin Hits the SHell.

You lie to your mama
You can lie to your race
But you can't lie to nobody
With that cold steel in your face

And the same God you were so afraid
was gonna send you to hell
Is the same one you're gonna answer to
When the pin hits the shell

Well, your sister's been blaming everybody
And I don't blame her man-- I'd probably do the same
If you were my brother, man, I'd probably stand by you,
But you ain't, man, so I gotta go my way

And I ain't going to crawl up on no High Horse
'Cuz I got thrown off of one when I was young
And I ain't no cowboy so I ain't going where I don't belong
It wouldn't do no good to let you know that it damn near killed me too
So I ain't gonna mourn for you, man, now that you're gone

Me and you-- we liked our pills and our whiskey
But you don't want your head full of either one
when the house gets quiet and dark
Feeling good-- it used to come so damn easy
Racing trains from Second Street to Avalon

Take a trip down memory lane but you don't see no friendly faces
All the houses have been painted and nobody knows your name
It's enough to make a man not want to be nobody's daddy
Well, all he thinks he's got to lift his hand now is guilt and shame

And I ain't going to crawl up on no High Horse
'Cuz I got thrown off of one when I was young
And I ain't no cowboy so I ain't going where I don't belong
It wouldn't do no good to let you know that it damn near killed me too
So I ain't gonna mourn for you, man, now that you're gone

You lie to your mama
You can lie to your race
But you can't lie to nobody
With that cold steel in your face

And the same God you were so afraid
was gonna send you to hell
Is the same one you're gonna answer to
When the pin hits the shell

[Randall McMurphy]

Sav;

Did you get Jason Isbell's (DBT) new solo effort? A buddy sent it to me. Some good stuff and one classic antiwar song for our time.

How about Warren Zevon: Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner?

I still love that song.

[Breckinridge Elkins]

I heard about Isbell's new release, but have not seen or heard it yet.

[Intrepid]

For the Duke:

Sgt. Barry Sadler - Ballad of the Green Beret http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH4-tOqLH94

[Anarch]

The Devil's Right Hand by The Highwaymen is quite good.

[O'Zebedee]

Fred Eaglesmith - Time To Get a Gun.

[FreeWhiteMan]

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Saturday Night Special
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Gimme Back My Bullets


Gimme three steps


And I began to pray
As the water fell on the floor.
And Im telling you son,
Well, it aint no fun
Staring straight down a forty-four.