This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Tell me what a young man, mama, what's he got to live for
Tossed in the shuffles of everyday war
Searchin' for some trouble, Lord, which I'm sure he will find
Spend your whole life fightin', son, meet your dyin' time
It's a shame, it's a shame, Lord
The trigger be his only friend
It's a shame, oh yeah
But it ain't never gonna end, no, that's right
He's a pocketful of hate that don't give a damn
What fate awaits the machine-gun man?
Well, he ain't got no future and he ain't got no plan
What fate awaits the machine-gun man?
The machine gun man, yeah
I can't see tomorrow and I don't see today
Trail of confusion, Lord, done leadin' my way
They say the only thing worth killin', Lord, be killin' time
Only soul worth savin' now, mama, be a re-savin' mine
It's a shame, it's a shame, Lord
The trigger be his only friend
It's a shame, oh yeah
But it ain't never gonna end, that's right
He's a pocketful of hate that don't give a damn
What fate awaits the machine-gun man?
Well, he ain't got no future and he ain't got no plan
What fate awaits the machine-gun man?
He keeps shootin', oh mama
Like any old fool would do
Lord, the life he be leadin'
Ain't the one he had to choose
As he walks on out that door
Mama breaks down to cry
Oh, as she waves the machine gun man
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Yeah, he's a pocketful of hate that don't give a damn
Oh, what fate awaits the machine-gun man?
Well, he ain't got no future and he ain't got no plan
What fate awaits the machine-gun man?
The machine, yeah, gun man, the machine-gun man, yeah, oh yeah
Tossed in the shuffles of everyday war
Searchin' for some trouble, Lord, which I'm sure he will find
Spend your whole life fightin', son, meet your dyin' time
It's a shame, it's a shame, Lord
The trigger be his only friend
It's a shame, oh yeah
But it ain't never gonna end, no, that's right
He's a pocketful of hate that don't give a damn
What fate awaits the machine-gun man?
Well, he ain't got no future and he ain't got no plan
What fate awaits the machine-gun man?
The machine gun man, yeah
I can't see tomorrow and I don't see today
Trail of confusion, Lord, done leadin' my way
They say the only thing worth killin', Lord, be killin' time
Only soul worth savin' now, mama, be a re-savin' mine
It's a shame, it's a shame, Lord
The trigger be his only friend
It's a shame, oh yeah
But it ain't never gonna end, that's right
He's a pocketful of hate that don't give a damn
What fate awaits the machine-gun man?
Well, he ain't got no future and he ain't got no plan
What fate awaits the machine-gun man?
He keeps shootin', oh mama
Like any old fool would do
Lord, the life he be leadin'
Ain't the one he had to choose
As he walks on out that door
Mama breaks down to cry
Oh, as she waves the machine gun man
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye
Yeah, he's a pocketful of hate that don't give a damn
Oh, what fate awaits the machine-gun man?
Well, he ain't got no future and he ain't got no plan
What fate awaits the machine-gun man?
The machine, yeah, gun man, the machine-gun man, yeah, oh yeah
Lyrics submitted by MetalRican101
Machine Gun Man Lyrics as written by Zakk Wylde
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The Night We Met
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
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Just A Little Lovin'
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
I think this is about a soldier going off to war and debating wether the murder in war is justifiable (They say the only thing worth killin' Lord Be killin' time say the only soul worth savin' now Mama be a Resavin' mine) then he becomes brainwashed and numb towards it all (He's a pocketful of hate That don't give a damn What fate awaits…The machine gun man?) It's a good look at wether or not drafting is against a persons right to moral boundary.