Lynyrd Skynyrd
I grew up listening to all kinds of rock, classic rock included. Classic stuff like the Stones, Aerosmith, Zeppelin, some Beatles, Bad Company, Steve Miller, T-Rex, George Thorogood, Grand Funk Railroad, ZZ Top, CCR, and also Skynyrd.
Actually, while at first I thought that Skynyrd's members might be kind of conservative in their politics, a quick Google turned up this. I only skimmed it, but according to it the original version of the band were not a collection of wingnuts at all. Certainly not when it came to gun control, if the lyrics of "Saturday Night Special" were any indication.
SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL
Two feets they come a creepin'
Like a black cat do
And two bodies are layin' naked
Creeper think he got nothin' to lose
So he creeps into this house, yeah
And unlocks the door
And as a man's reaching for his trousers
Shoots him full of .38 holes
(Chorus)
Mr.Saturday night special
Got a barrel that's blue and cold
Ain't no good for nothin'
But put a man six feet in a hole
Big Jim's been drinkin' whiskey
And playing poker on a losin' night
And pretty soon, Big Jim starts a thinkin'
Somebody been cheatin' and lyin'
So Big Jim commences to fightin'
I wouldn't tell you no lie
And Big Jim done pull his pistol
Shot his friend right between the eyes
(Chorus)
Oooh Saturday night special...
For twenty dollars you can buy yourself one too...
Oooh let me tell you all about it...
Well hand guns are made for killin'
They ain't no good for nothin' else
And if you like to drink your whiskey
You might even shoot yourself
So why don't we dump 'em people
To the bottom of the sea
Before some ole fool come around here
Wanna shoot either you or me
(Chorus)
Ooooh it's a Saturday night special
And I'd like to tell you what you can do with it too...
Skynyrd returned, of course, with Ronnie Van Zant's brother Johnny on vocals. And I guess the two brothers didn't agree on everything when Ronnie was alive, including guns, because here are the lyrics to the title track of their latest release, "God & Guns".
GOD & GUNS
Last night I heard this politician
Talking 'bout his brand new mission
Liked his plans, but they came undone when he got around with God and guns
I don't know how he grew up
But it sure wasn't down at the hunting club
Cause if it was he'd understand a little bit more about the working man
God and guns
Keep us strong
That's what this country
Was founded on
Well we might aswell give up and run
If we let them take our God and guns
I'm here in my back of the woods
Where God is great and guns are good
You really can't know that much about 'm
If you think we're better off without 'm
Well there was a time we ain't forgot
You caressed all night with the doors unlocked
But there ain't nobody save no more
So you say your prayers and you thank the lord
For that peace maker
And the joy
God and guns (God and guns)
Keep us strong
That's what this country, lord
Was founded on
Well we might aswell give up and run,
If we let 'm take our God and guns.
Yea we might aswell give up and run,
If we let 'm take our God and guns!
Yeaaa
Ooh
God and guns
Don't let 'm take
Don't you let 'm take
Don't let 'm take
Our God and guns
Oh God and guns
Ye keep us strong
That's what this country, lord
Was founded on
Well we might aswell give up and run,
If we let 'm take our God and guns!
Wohoho
God and guns
Wohohoo
Ooh
King of a big shift, isn't it? For the worse, IMO.
Further proof that plane crashes are bad.
(And Johnny? While gun laws might possibly get more restrictive and prevent you from hunting deer with assault rifles--though considering the spineless nature of lots of Democratic senators and representatives I'm not exactly holding my breath--nobody's going to outlaw God, or the worship of God, or ban the Bible, or whatever it is you're afraid of.)
Actually, while at first I thought that Skynyrd's members might be kind of conservative in their politics, a quick Google turned up this. I only skimmed it, but according to it the original version of the band were not a collection of wingnuts at all. Certainly not when it came to gun control, if the lyrics of "Saturday Night Special" were any indication.
SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL
Two feets they come a creepin'
Like a black cat do
And two bodies are layin' naked
Creeper think he got nothin' to lose
So he creeps into this house, yeah
And unlocks the door
And as a man's reaching for his trousers
Shoots him full of .38 holes
(Chorus)
Mr.Saturday night special
Got a barrel that's blue and cold
Ain't no good for nothin'
But put a man six feet in a hole
Big Jim's been drinkin' whiskey
And playing poker on a losin' night
And pretty soon, Big Jim starts a thinkin'
Somebody been cheatin' and lyin'
So Big Jim commences to fightin'
I wouldn't tell you no lie
And Big Jim done pull his pistol
Shot his friend right between the eyes
(Chorus)
Oooh Saturday night special...
For twenty dollars you can buy yourself one too...
Oooh let me tell you all about it...
Well hand guns are made for killin'
They ain't no good for nothin' else
And if you like to drink your whiskey
You might even shoot yourself
So why don't we dump 'em people
To the bottom of the sea
Before some ole fool come around here
Wanna shoot either you or me
(Chorus)
Ooooh it's a Saturday night special
And I'd like to tell you what you can do with it too...
Skynyrd returned, of course, with Ronnie Van Zant's brother Johnny on vocals. And I guess the two brothers didn't agree on everything when Ronnie was alive, including guns, because here are the lyrics to the title track of their latest release, "God & Guns".
GOD & GUNS
Last night I heard this politician
Talking 'bout his brand new mission
Liked his plans, but they came undone when he got around with God and guns
I don't know how he grew up
But it sure wasn't down at the hunting club
Cause if it was he'd understand a little bit more about the working man
God and guns
Keep us strong
That's what this country
Was founded on
Well we might aswell give up and run
If we let them take our God and guns
I'm here in my back of the woods
Where God is great and guns are good
You really can't know that much about 'm
If you think we're better off without 'm
Well there was a time we ain't forgot
You caressed all night with the doors unlocked
But there ain't nobody save no more
So you say your prayers and you thank the lord
For that peace maker
And the joy
God and guns (God and guns)
Keep us strong
That's what this country, lord
Was founded on
Well we might aswell give up and run,
If we let 'm take our God and guns.
Yea we might aswell give up and run,
If we let 'm take our God and guns!
Yeaaa
Ooh
God and guns
Don't let 'm take
Don't you let 'm take
Don't let 'm take
Our God and guns
Oh God and guns
Ye keep us strong
That's what this country, lord
Was founded on
Well we might aswell give up and run,
If we let 'm take our God and guns!
Wohoho
God and guns
Wohohoo
Ooh
King of a big shift, isn't it? For the worse, IMO.
Further proof that plane crashes are bad.
(And Johnny? While gun laws might possibly get more restrictive and prevent you from hunting deer with assault rifles--though considering the spineless nature of lots of Democratic senators and representatives I'm not exactly holding my breath--nobody's going to outlaw God, or the worship of God, or ban the Bible, or whatever it is you're afraid of.)