Chevelle – Take Out the Gunman

My OpinionFrom all the comments I've read on youtube and what I've seen with Chevelle's lyrics in the past, this song is about public shootings and the way they are publicized. If you take it from that point of view, the song is written from the would-be hero's stance. "point the gun at the eyes, or at the knees, had to shoot, had to fight."

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  @matb02
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  "Eyes huge" I would say refers to being shocked and surprised, not being on drugs as someone else suggested. Although I can understand when the next lyric is "so little empty something", but the line " I can't believe the way we publicize " at the end should clear up any confusion. Though could be that maybe the shooter "gunman" is on drugs (medication) as that is often a factor. That would make sense if you took it on the whole: "eyes huge, so little empty somethings". Idk, just my thoughts on it. Great song regardless.

  Flag matb02on May 02, 2014  

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  Just read back through the lyrics on this site and they are wrong in places from the official. Check vevo video for official lyrics.

  Flag matb02on May 02, 2014  

My InterpretationI know many people take this very literal and think the gunman is a actual "shooter" but really I see it as someone who's suicidal or someone who has an internal riot brewing inside them. They want to kill themselves "point the gun at the eyes" OR and that or is important, "shoot" the knees of the evil thoughts cause they "have to fight" they have to take out the gunman in themselves if they can hope to survive. It's not the face you would expect. It's a blind riot. A fight against something he can't see. He may take drugs to help deal with it as seen in with the line "huge eyes." He leave clues that nobody seems to see or care about and they all call him crazy for his condition. At the end he's amazed at the way at which they (those with depression) "televise" their condition aka through suicide. Maybe it's more literal meaning he hates the way suicide is televised to be good or such. So he decides to fight against the "gunman."

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  @Meecha

General CommentThis song sounds like them speaking out against paparazzi and the media destroying the lives of child actors/musicians. The gunman is the person behind the camera, and they're responsible for creating controversy in musicians' lives where there is none.

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  @ope86
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  @ope86 I like your thinking! Lots of references to lights, cameras (and shooting) and 'the way we televise'... Interesting thought! :)

  Flag Zargothon March 06, 2017  

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  @ope86 interesting way of looking at it

  Flag sokornyon July 13, 2017  

Link(s)The lyrics submitted here are incorrect, but in all honesty the only reason I know for sure is because I watched the official lyric video posted to the ChevelleVEVO channel on Youtube. I had no freaking clue what they were saying, and for the record I think Meta4 made a great stab at it, and got most of it right. Here are the videos according to the official video (which can be found here: youtube.com/… ):

Awoke when the light
Hit me right in the temple
Felt something cold
Touch my toes as it passed

Might not be the face you'd expect
But he's clearly insane
Got me pegged in the back

Just need a bit of luck
Get 'em up
Point the gun at the eyes
Or at the knees, had to shoot, had to fight
Gonna take out the gunman

Bit of luck
Get 'em up
Made to run for our lives
Take out the knees, had to choose, had to fight
Gonna take out the gunman

Eyes huge, so little left if something
Cracks and clues, he's crazy as a straw
Why denied, does no one care or nothing?
How, you ask, I ever last so long

Cuz I, I went blind, a blinding riot
He's regretting every word
Those empty lies
One more tonight, a blinding riot
As I summon every nerve

Just need a bit of luck
Get 'em up
Point the gun at the eyes
Or at the knees, had to shoot, had to fight
Gonna take out the gunman

Bit of luck
Get 'em up
Made to run for our lives
Take out the knees, had to choose, had to fight
Gonna take out the gunman
Gonna take out the gunman
Gonna take out the gunman


Gonna take out
Gonna take out
Gonna take out
Gonna take out

Just need a bit of luck
Get 'em up
Point the gun at the eyes
Or at the knees, had to shoot, had to fight
Gonna take out the gunman

Bit of luck
Get 'em up
Made to run for our lives
I'm so amazed at the way we televize
Gonna take out the gunman
Gonna take out the gunman
Gonna take out the gunman
Gonna take out the gunman

Interpretation:

The line "amazed at the way we televise" makes me think of the media frenzies surrounding shooters (they've been in season the past few years). Seems like it's from the perspective of someone trying to fight back, and a bit of a comment on the (somewhat frightening) fascination the general public has with violent tragic events. There's an old saying in journalism: "If it bleeds, it leads". But, it's just a general guess.

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  @gassygunslinger
  +1

  @gassygunslinger thanks, +1 for the video link
  
  After watching the vid is looks like the real meaning is to treat everyone in your life with compassion and love, in order to "take out the gunman" before they come to be gunmen in the first place. The "gunmen" are people that feel alone and ignored, and that leads them to anger, resentment, and disassociation. No one cares, until they are made to care. Our society and media just makes is worse, giving them all the attention they want after becoming the gunman.
  

  Flag silvaroson February 03, 2015  

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  @gassygunslinger I have edited the lyrics to reflect your posted lyrics (which when listening to the song are correct). Thanks.

  Flag sokornyon April 07, 2015  

My InterpretationTo me, knowing the kind of topics Chevelle finds important enough to write about, this song is about standing against a corrupt leader. "Might not be the face you'd expect," leads me to believe the Gunman is someone people are supposed to trust. The part about the "blinding riot," to me, means the hyped up followers of this leader who see him as the good guy the leader either once was, or lead his followers to believe he was (:so amazed at the way it was televised".) Pete is saying he was once one of these followers, but one morning he woke up and realized this person is leading them to destruction, so he decides to stand against the Gunman.

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  @13browell

Song MeaningI think this song is not about "an evil gunman" but the process of society creating one and how we label someone "crazy as a straw" and not realize what it could cause

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  @Strfox

My InterpretationIf anyone has corrections to these lyrics let me know. They are not official, they are just my interpretation. I got the "just need a bit of the camera" part from ambi over at ambilyrics.com and corrected the rest of what he had and posted it there before posting here.

I originally thought he was saying "Just need a bit of luck, get em up." I still don't think either of those is right, but "camera" makes more sense in context with "the way it was televised" at the end.

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  @metta4
  +1

  I changed it because I think there's no way he's saying "camera." Maybe it makes sense, but it just does not sound like it.

  Flag metta4on February 12, 2014  

  +1

  No, you are right. I watch the official lyric video and there's no mention of camera anywhere.

  Flag TheLibbyon March 03, 2014  

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  @metta4 they have been corrected now

  Flag sokornyon July 13, 2017  

General CommentThe first verse

"Awoke when the light
Hit me right in the temple
Felt something cold
Touch my toes as it passed"

Makes me feel like the singer was killed at the start. "Awoke when the light hit me right in the temple" woke up then was shot in the head. "Felt something cold touch my toes as it passed". Could be a reference to dying, soul leaving the body, ect.

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  @Guilitine