The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Machine Gun
Tearing my body all apart
Machine Gun, yeah
Tearing my body all apart
Evil man make me kill ya
Evil man make you kill me
Evil man make me kill you
Even though we’re only families apart
Well I pick up my axe and fight like a bomber
(You know what I mean)
Hey! And your bullets keep knocking me down
Hey, I pick up my axe and fight like a bomber now
Yeah, but you still blast me down to the ground
The same way you shoot me down, baby
You’ll be going just the same
Three times the pain,
and your own self to blame
Hey, Machine Gun
I ain’t afraid of your mess no more, babe
I ain’t afraid no more
After a while, your, your cheap talk don’t even cause me pain,
so let your bullets fly like rain
’Cause I know all the time you’re wrong baby
And you’ll be going just the same
Yeah, Machine Gun
Tearing my family apart
Yeah, yeah, alright
Tearing my family apart
(Don’t you shoot him down)
(He’s ’bout to leave here)
(Don’t you shoot him down)
(He’s got to stay here)
(He ain’t going nowhere)
(He’s been shot down to the ground)
(Oh where he can’t survive, no, no)
Yeah, that’s what we don’t wanna hear anymore, alright?
(No bullets)
At least here, huh huh
(No guns, no bombs)
Huh huh
(No nothin’, just let’s all live and live)
(You know, instead of killin’)
May this be
Love or just
Confusion Born out of
frustration wracked
feelings - of not
being able to
make true physical
love to the
Universal gypsy Queen
True, free expressed music
Darling guitar please
rest. Amen
Tearing my body all apart
Machine Gun, yeah
Tearing my body all apart
Evil man make me kill ya
Evil man make you kill me
Evil man make me kill you
Even though we’re only families apart
Well I pick up my axe and fight like a bomber
(You know what I mean)
Hey! And your bullets keep knocking me down
Hey, I pick up my axe and fight like a bomber now
Yeah, but you still blast me down to the ground
The same way you shoot me down, baby
You’ll be going just the same
Three times the pain,
and your own self to blame
Hey, Machine Gun
I ain’t afraid of your mess no more, babe
I ain’t afraid no more
After a while, your, your cheap talk don’t even cause me pain,
so let your bullets fly like rain
’Cause I know all the time you’re wrong baby
And you’ll be going just the same
Yeah, Machine Gun
Tearing my family apart
Yeah, yeah, alright
Tearing my family apart
(Don’t you shoot him down)
(He’s ’bout to leave here)
(Don’t you shoot him down)
(He’s got to stay here)
(He ain’t going nowhere)
(He’s been shot down to the ground)
(Oh where he can’t survive, no, no)
Yeah, that’s what we don’t wanna hear anymore, alright?
(No bullets)
At least here, huh huh
(No guns, no bombs)
Huh huh
(No nothin’, just let’s all live and live)
(You know, instead of killin’)
May this be
Love or just
Confusion Born out of
frustration wracked
feelings - of not
being able to
make true physical
love to the
Universal gypsy Queen
True, free expressed music
Darling guitar please
rest. Amen
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It is talking about the war with Vietnam
Machine gun is awesome. There is a band here in my town that does a cover of machine gun. I must say they do a great job of it.
Machine Gun blew my mind when I first heard it. The best guitar solo ever, IMO. His hypnotic use of feedback and powerful vocals are amazing. I think this song best displays Hendrix's phenominal musical talent.This song is so much different than his stuff with The Experience.
The lyric is, "I pick up my axe and fight like a farmer." Not, "...like a bomber."
On the Band of Gypsys album, the following lyrics preceed the song:
"I'd like to dedicate this song to all the soldiers fighting in Chicago, and Miwaukee, and New York. Oh yes, and all the soldiers fighting in Vietnam."
He mentions Vietnam almost as an afterthought, which I believe is intentional because of his views on the US fighting in that war. It's a humorous statement because one would expect that Jimi would mention Vietnam immediately rather than an afterthought.
he was saying this because as so often happens in war, citizens are so concerned about what's happening as a direct result of the war (draft, etc.) that they don't give as much attention to all the local wars that are happening every day (poverty, homelessness, people struggling to survive in such a bullshit system) - not that they're neglecting these problems because of the war necessarily, or that they deserve more attention than war - not at all. just that they're AS MUCH OF A PROBLEM and deserve to be fought against too.<br /> <br /> that's what i think he was getting at by saying "oh yeah, and vietnam."
YEah the guitar is amazing, there is a webpage explaining Jimi's techiniques and arrangement for the song. Bass really supports the track, and drums sound great too....the parts where he slams the drums to make it sound like machine gunfire...awesome. This song got me into Hendrix...just blew me away.
This sing is awesome. Jimi Hendix was actually pro war. He joined the 101st airborne to avoid being put in jail. He was a fully certified sharpshooter. But the war was getting to him so he told the doctor he had gay tendencys, and they kicked him out. Hendrix is in my mind the best artist of all time, in every perspective.
by the way hendrix got kicked out cause he broke his leg in a parachooting accident. and das jets im pretty sure its bomber but i like what u said about the vietnam thing
STONEDOUT is actually correct. It was always lead to believe that Hendrix got into an accident and he broke his ankle and he was dischared. It was discovered earlier this year that Hendrix wanted out and said he had gay tendencys and he was masturbating a lot. So naturally, they kicked him out. lolz
This really is such an amazing sound ! One thing though, I have Band of Gypsys album and I don't hear the last part of the posted lyrics from "May this be . . . -> Amen". ???Help?