5 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Just the Right Bullets Lyrics
There is a light in the forest
There is a face in the tree
I'll pull you out of the chorus
And the first one's always free
You can never go hunting
With just a flintlock and a hound
You won't go home with a bunting
If you blow a hundred rounds
It takes much more than wild courage
Or you'll hit just the tattered clouds
You must have just the right bullets
And the first one's always free
You must be careful in the forest
Broken glass and rusty nails
If you're to bring back something for us
I have bullets for sale
Why be a fool when you can chase away
Your blind and your gloom
I have blessed each one of these bullets
And they shine just like a spoon
To have sixty silver wishes
Is a small price to pay
They'll be your private little fishes
And they'll never swim away
I just want you to be happy
That's my only wish
I'll fix your wagon and your musket
And the spoon will have his dish
And I shudder at the thought of your
Poor empty hunter's pouch
So I'll keep the wind from your barrel
And bless the roof of your house
There is a face in the tree
I'll pull you out of the chorus
And the first one's always free
With just a flintlock and a hound
You won't go home with a bunting
If you blow a hundred rounds
Or you'll hit just the tattered clouds
You must have just the right bullets
And the first one's always free
Broken glass and rusty nails
If you're to bring back something for us
I have bullets for sale
Your blind and your gloom
I have blessed each one of these bullets
And they shine just like a spoon
Is a small price to pay
They'll be your private little fishes
And they'll never swim away
That's my only wish
I'll fix your wagon and your musket
And the spoon will have his dish
Poor empty hunter's pouch
So I'll keep the wind from your barrel
And bless the roof of your house
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
wow! the devil trying to cheat on the main character of the play/album. this song scares me! i'd like to know a bit more about all the Black Rider album as a whole. so far, i went quite deep into Franks Wild Years, but only found out recently that the Black Rider was conceived in a similar way!
Maann it reminds me of like 20's new york bars and alleyways, just the meean jazzy stuff, then the fast bits are like being chased in the forest, creeeeepy
There are definitely a lot of heroin references in the album. There's also a rather sick reference to the accident when William Burroughs (who was involved in making it & even sings) shot his wife dead while playing William Tell. This is pretty much what happens in The Black Rider - the Devil peddles his magic bullets but instead of winning the shooting contest, they kill the heroine.
I don't think this is about Heroin! Let's stick to the story of the Black Rider as written in the liner notes: The father of our hero's love interest declares he cannot have her hand in marriage unless he proves himself as a hunter. our hero goes into the forest to hunt but turns out to be a rubbish hunter and doesn't bring anything back for the pot.
The Devil then appears before him and offers him these magic bullets (silver fishes) and persuades him to part with his soul for them, bribing him by letting him have the first one for free which he manages to successfully use for his first kill. He then parts with his soul for the rest of the bullets so that he can prove his prowess and to win the object of his desire's affection and the Father's approval.
It's very Faustian as a morality tail illustrating how any deal made with Satan ultimately comes at a high price/or ransom that is only payable through Death/Madness.
The instrumental interludes in this song are incredibly evocative, conjuring up vivid imagery of Bones, Guns and Spaghetti Westerns.
@BarnabyHughes Tom and William S. Burroughs, who conceived the Black Rider together, were both masters of multı-layer storytelling. Tom obviously wrote the songs, so it makes sense that Burroughs conceived a good part of the story. Burroughs was a gun nut, and just about everything he wrote related in some way to his opiate habit. It makes sense that they would write something that functions on both levels. The 'spoon' references definitely support this. So do the other songs on the album. The magic bullets could easily be doses of a drug that fixes you.
@BarnabyHughes Tom and William S. Burroughs, who conceived the Black Rider together, were both masters of multı-layer storytelling. Tom obviously wrote the songs, so it makes sense that Burroughs conceived a good part of the story. Burroughs was a gun nut, and just about everything he wrote related in some way to his opiate habit. It makes sense that they would write something that functions on both levels. The 'spoon' references definitely support this. So do the other songs on the album. The magic bullets could easily be doses of a drug that fixes you.
If I read the liner notes correctly, this song is actually about a heroin dealer/addiction.