Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love Lyrics

Pistol shots
Gun shots
Pistol shots
Gun shots
Bullets from a revolver
Bullets from a gun
Bullets through the atmosphere
here they come
John, I've been bad and they're
coming after me
done someone wrong and I fear
that it was me
Sapphire bullets
Bullets of pure love.
Song Info
Submitted by
irrational On Mar 22, 2001
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Cover art for Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love lyrics by They Might Be Giants

honored to be #1. i have no clue what this means however. help me out plz!

Cover art for Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love lyrics by They Might Be Giants

I've heard this interpeted as being about the assasination of John Lennon, which would kind of make sense; "John" could refer to Lennon, and as he was shot down by an obsessed fan, the bullets could be "bullets of pure love". It certainly is an eerie way to look at it.

On the other hand, they admitted stealing the title from an old Mahavishnu Orchestra song (which they never actually heard until after the fact), so it's also likely the lyrics just kind of grew out of the title phrase without any real underlying meaning to them.

Cover art for Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love lyrics by They Might Be Giants

though the lyrics can have multiple meanings, i've always interpreted the song as being about falling in love with someone who's bad for you. the "sapphire bullets of pure love" are just that: pangs of desire shooting into your heart like cupid's arrows.

it's so brilliant how the music sounds exactly like that feeling, too.

Cover art for Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love lyrics by They Might Be Giants

the "Sapphire Bullets" are a look from someone with blue eyes ALA if looks could kill...

this song is about guilt... and at that still self interested enough to be more worried about the trouble of it to him than what he'd done to the other person.

Cover art for Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love lyrics by They Might Be Giants

Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love was an instrumental track by The Mahavishnu Orchestra- THE seminal jazz-rock band of the 70's- off their 2nd Album 'Birds of Fire'. Here, T.M.B.G take a literal reading of the track's title.

'John' refers to the guitarist/songwriter/bandleader of Mahavishnu Orchestra: John McLaughlin.

Check them out sometime.

Cover art for Sapphire Bullets Of Pure Love lyrics by They Might Be Giants

yup