This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Now me and my partner we work on the run
The quick try to get quicker and the creepers get hung
It's you that got wasted tonight on the job
One lost his liquor, the other lost his hand
Ten sticky thumb prints on the door and the sink
But nothin' saw nothin' just smell the stink
Five hundred mugshots and a hundred to one
Four forgotten and the rest just won't come
When you've begun to think like a gun
The rest of the year has already gone
When you've begun to think like a gun
The days of the year have suddenly gone
Blood on the windows and blood on the walls
Blood on the ceiling and down in the halls
Papers keep pounding and everything that burns
People getting restless but they'll never learn
I picked up a doctor he's good with a knife
Says anesthetic's a waste of his time
Works in a hurry but always worthwhile
Knows they won't be back for a long, long time
Top of the staircase was ready to fall
We were still waiting downstairs in the hall
Well, watch out for big mama, she'll set you on fire
Or go for your neck with the chicken wire
When you've begun to think like a gun
The rest of the year has already gone
When you've begun to think like a gun
The days of the year have suddenly gone
Mother of plenty, mother of none
You've got me cornered I'm still on the run
I don't care nothing about you anyway
Stuck in this hole I'm well on my way
When you've begun to think like a gun
The rest of the year has already gone
When you've begun to think like a gun
The days of the year have suddenly gone
The quick try to get quicker and the creepers get hung
It's you that got wasted tonight on the job
One lost his liquor, the other lost his hand
Ten sticky thumb prints on the door and the sink
But nothin' saw nothin' just smell the stink
Five hundred mugshots and a hundred to one
Four forgotten and the rest just won't come
When you've begun to think like a gun
The rest of the year has already gone
When you've begun to think like a gun
The days of the year have suddenly gone
Blood on the windows and blood on the walls
Blood on the ceiling and down in the halls
Papers keep pounding and everything that burns
People getting restless but they'll never learn
I picked up a doctor he's good with a knife
Says anesthetic's a waste of his time
Works in a hurry but always worthwhile
Knows they won't be back for a long, long time
Top of the staircase was ready to fall
We were still waiting downstairs in the hall
Well, watch out for big mama, she'll set you on fire
Or go for your neck with the chicken wire
When you've begun to think like a gun
The rest of the year has already gone
When you've begun to think like a gun
The days of the year have suddenly gone
Mother of plenty, mother of none
You've got me cornered I'm still on the run
I don't care nothing about you anyway
Stuck in this hole I'm well on my way
When you've begun to think like a gun
The rest of the year has already gone
When you've begun to think like a gun
The days of the year have suddenly gone
Lyrics submitted by post-punker
Gun Lyrics as written by Christopher J. Cornell
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
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.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
SEVERIN: " 'Gun' was from John Cale's 'Fear', the only album that Siouxsie and I each owned independently when we first met." Source: The Authorised Biography 2002.
SIOUXSIE: "On 'Gun', he (Carruthers) added a really straight acoustic guitar bit which sounded like the theme to Blue Peter or something, so I had this idea of twisting the knobs on the mixing desk and really fucking up the sound to make it more exciting. John was outraged and came storming in accusing me of wrecking some great artistic piece of work. He just wasn't responsive to any kind of invention or creativity." Source: The Authorised Biography 2002.