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.
Two feet they come a creepin'
Like a black cat do
And two bodies are layin' naked
A 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 thirty-eight holes
Mr. Saturday night special
Got a barrel that's blue and cold
Ain't good for nothin'
But put a man six feet in a hole
Big Jim's been drinkin' whiskey
And playin' poker on a losin' night
And pretty soon ol' Jim starts a thinkin'
Somebody been cheatin' and lyin'
So Big Jim commence to fightin'
I wouldn't tell you no lie
Big Jim done pulled his pistol
Shot his friend right between the eyes
Mr. Saturday night special
Got a barrel that's blue and cold
Ain't good for nothin'
But put a man six feet in a hole
Oh, it's the Saturday night special, for twenty dollars you can buy yourself one too
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 ol' fool come around here
Wanna shoot either you or me
Mr. Saturday night special
You got a barrel that's blue and cold
You ain't good for nothin'
But put a man six feet in a hole
Mr. the Saturday night special
And I'd like to tell you what you could do with it
And that's the end of the song
Like a black cat do
And two bodies are layin' naked
A 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 thirty-eight holes
Mr. Saturday night special
Got a barrel that's blue and cold
Ain't good for nothin'
But put a man six feet in a hole
Big Jim's been drinkin' whiskey
And playin' poker on a losin' night
And pretty soon ol' Jim starts a thinkin'
Somebody been cheatin' and lyin'
So Big Jim commence to fightin'
I wouldn't tell you no lie
Big Jim done pulled his pistol
Shot his friend right between the eyes
Mr. Saturday night special
Got a barrel that's blue and cold
Ain't good for nothin'
But put a man six feet in a hole
Oh, it's the Saturday night special, for twenty dollars you can buy yourself one too
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 ol' fool come around here
Wanna shoot either you or me
Mr. Saturday night special
You got a barrel that's blue and cold
You ain't good for nothin'
But put a man six feet in a hole
Mr. the Saturday night special
And I'd like to tell you what you could do with it
And that's the end of the song
Lyrics submitted by magicnudiesuit
Saturday Night Special Lyrics as written by Ronnie Van Zant Edward C. King
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This argument is easily neutralized by referencing another Skynyard song (a song by the original Skynyrd by the way, not the reformed one). The song I'd like to reference is a song called "Gimme Back My Bullets". If Saturday Night Special is an "anti-gun" song, then Gimme Back My Bullets is a pro-gun song. Going by all the mentions of guns in LS songs and pictures of Ronnie Van Zant sitting in his yard barefoot with a shotgun on his lap, I'd say he liked guns, he was certainly an owner of guns himself and therefore, he was pro-gun ownership. The only reason most anti-gun liberals hold their view is because they do not understand the complexity of the firearms issue. If they understood the history of gun control globally and the deep implications of surrending your right to adequately protect your family, they would soon see sense and change their minds. Allowing the clearly corrupt powers-that-be to be the only ones allowed to have guns would be insanity. In this song, Ronnie was clearly talking about the bigger picture, saying if only humanity at large could throw all their guns in the sea, not just we the peasants! I'm all for gun control if it means military and police and all other organizations in the power structure have to do the same but clearly that is never going to happen and the libtards are too dumb to realize that they are supporting a suicidal cause by supporting gun control.
@OneInchPunch You are wrong on two counts. <br /> <br /> "Gimme Back My Bullets" is about the band slipping in the charts. Note:<br /> <br /> "According to Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington in a 1992 Goldmine interview, this song is about the bullets Billboard charts use to signify a song is moving quickly up the chart. If a song is "#12 with a bullet," it is at #12 but will probably go higher next week. Skynyrd had not had a hit in a while and this was a message that they wanted to get back on the charts."<br /> <br /> songfacts.com/detail.php<br /> <br /> Also, if you listen to and read the lyrics, they clearly say "Now handguns are made for killin'. They ain't no good for nothing else." That doesn't sound very pro-handgun to me.
@OneInchPunch Only a gun toting fool wouldn't know that Bullets on Billboard charts.<br />
@OneInchPunch In fact Ronnie's on the record as saying how much he hated handguns. He owned one old rifle that was mounted above his fireplace for decoration because it used to belong to his grandfather.<br /> There's no ambiguity about the lyrics whatsoever, he meant what he said, as he generally did. Ironically, one of the few really metaphorical songs he ever wrote was Gimme Back My Bullets, which is about cleaning up his act and straightening up before he seriously damaged himself and has nothing to do with guns.
What he was actually saying is that Handguns have no real purpose. They can't be fired with much accuracy which makes them pointless for self defense, and also that they are only good for shooting someone at point blank range, which often happens in spousal abuse situations.
@Stamphater Maybe YOU can't fire one accurately but that doesn't mean others can't.
Listen guys, a Saturday Night Special is a referrance to a small, cheap illegal handgun sold typically in the black market. Skynyrd was hardly anti-gun or pro-gun control and suggested by lesser informed above. I mean, they wore Confederate uniforms on stage! So yes, they were against domestic abuse and the illegal trafficking of cheap firearms, but to suggest anything more is to insert your own liberal agenda into the discussion.
StarsandBarsBaby: note the line "Handguns are made for killin'/They ain't no good for nothin' else..." The song is not limited to cheap, illegal ones. Moped_711: As for the Van Zant brothers, Ronnie was the only one in Skynyrd so you can't say he was a pro-gun person just because one of his brothers owned a revolver.
As for all the Confederate uniforms on stage, I've never seen a picture of that nor heard of it before so that comment sounds like b.s. They did have Confederate battle flag as part of their stage backdrop but in interviews, they said it was basically pushed on them by promoters and was not something the band thought up.
Funny how reactionary Southerners appropriated the Skynyrd legacy as their own. The band were totally reviled by the good ol' boys of their time for their long hair, drug use, etc. Hell: listen to "Things Goin' On" or "The Ballad of Curtis Lowe" where they stood up for blacks. They never had any intention or desire to be labeled a "Southern Rock" band; they just happened to be from the South. The Rolling Stones and Neil Young were two of their biggest influences. If being from a Southern state makes your music "Southern Rock," that would include Tom Petty (Florida), The Butthole Surfers (Texas), Man or Astroman? (Alabama), The B-52's and REM (Georgia) as well as Adrian Belew (King Crimson guitartist) (Kentucky).
The later incarnation of the band was merely a poor imitation of what they were about in the 70's.
I agree with most of what you say, I just wanted to add that I heard an interview with Gary Rossington a few years back. He said the bands biggest influence was The Beatles.
Interesting how the following song on the album (Nuthin' Fancy) is "Cheatin' Woman" where the singer threatens to get a gun and shoot his woman down.. hmmm.
Lynyrd Skynyrd was hardly a anti-gun group, but the song is clearly about the negative impacts of handguns and i think they are quite right. handguns are barely used in self defense anymore statistically.
Ok just wanted to add that someone put that skynyrd was a drug using band. Now I am not going to suggest that I knew them personally but the song That Smell is very anti marijuana. I believe that they shared Ted nugents view in this regard. In addition, you CAN be a southern white person and be FOR black civil rights. As a southerner I amangered that someone would the south is still that racist. Finally I don't know what they're stance on gun control was as this song is specifically about handguns which should maybe be up for debate, but I can say it is a right in this nation to own a firearm, not a privilege. In order to maintain the individual and states' rights over the federal governments is what the founding fathers had in mind so that the republic might be preserved and that we might not become an oligarchy, ruled by few. That being said skynyrd was a wonderful musical group regardless of their politics one way or the other.
Interviewer: Are you into gun control?
Ronnie: I think they oughta throw them all away.
Interviewer: Just like the song says?
Ronnie: Yes.
Interview: Is that right?
Ronnie: Yes I do.
Interviewer: Do you own a gun?
Ronnie: I have an old gun, an 1874 Springfield. But it's an old flintlock gun, it hangs over the fireplace.
Interviewer: But you're not into having one yourself and...
Ronnie: No, I've been shot myself and I don't want to get into that but that happens, you know, everyday.
youtube.com/watch
In the same interview he talks about how the Confederate flag was an idea from the record label and how he doesn't like it. It's also common knowledge that Skynyrd and Neil Young were huge fans of each other and Neil loved Sweet Home Alabama.
This song is obviously about how handguns should be taken away, or basically anti-handguns. A Saturday Night Special is a slang term for a pistol. The song is saying how in the wrong hands, these weapons can have devestating effects. That is all I have to say about it.
This song shows why we need GUN CONTROL!!!!