A Sweet Little Bullet From a Pretty Blue Gun
Tom Waits Lyrics

Well it's raining, it's pouring
It's raining heavily.

You didn't bring a sweater
You are unprepared for the weather.

Nebraska'll never let you come back home
Your home state doesn't want you back.

Now on Hollywood and Vine
The setting is Hollywood and Vine in California.

By the Thrifty Mart sign
Next to the sign for a Thrifty Mart store.

Any night I'll be willin' to bet
It is likely to happen any night.

There's a young girl
A young girl is present in the scene.

With sweet little dreams and pretty blue wishes
The girl has innocent aspirations and desires.

Standin' there just gettin' all wet
She is standing in the rain and getting wet.

Now there's a place off the drag
There is a location away from the main road.

Called the Gilbert Hotel
It is a hotel named the Gilbert Hotel.

And there's a couple letters
There are a couple of letters.

Burned out in the sign
The letters are no longer lit up on the sign.

And it's better than a bus stop
The hotel is a better option than a bus stop in the rain.

They do good business every time it rains
The hotel gets a lot of customers when it rains.

For little girls with nothing in their jeans
The hotel is a haven for young girls in need.

But pretty blue wishes and sweet little dreams
These girls have pure intentions and harmless desires.

The old man is snoring
Someone is asleep and snoring.

Now I lay me down to sleep
The singer is going to sleep.

I hear the sirens in the street
There are police or ambulance sirens outside.

All my dreams are made of chrome
The artist's dreams involve cars or a car-themed lifestyle.

I have no way to get back home
The artist is stranded or lacks the means to go home.

I'd rather die before I wake
The singer would rather die than continue living in this situation.

Like Marilyn Monroe
The artist would prefer dying in a similar manner to Marilyn Monroe.

And you could throw my dreams out in the street
The singer's dreams are worthless to them.

And let the rain make 'em grow
The singer wants their dreams to be washed away and forgotten.

Now the night clerk he got a club foot
The person working at the hotel has a physical impairment.

He's heard every hard luck story
The hotel clerk has heard many stories of tough situations.

At least a hundred times or more
The clerk has heard many of these stories.

And that's just what it means
The hotel's checkout time isn't flexible.

Go on up the stairs
The person being addressed should go up the stairs.

With sweet little wishes and pretty blue dreams
The person referred to needs to continue on with their hopes and aspirations.

And Hollywood's just fine
Hollywood is an acceptable place to be.

Swindle a little girl out of her dreams
It is easy to take advantage of a naive young girl.

Another letter in the sign
Another letter on the hotel's sign has burned out.

Never trust a scarecrow wearin' shades after dark
Do not trust something that is inherently untrustworthy.

Be careful of that old bow tie he wears
Be cautious around this particular object or person.

It takes a sweet little bullet from a pretty blue gun
It takes something small and seemingly insignificant to make a big impact.

To put those scarlet ribbons in your hair
Something small can have a big impact on your appearance or life.

No that ain't no cherry bomb
This is not a dangerous explosive device.

Fourth of July's all done
Independence Day celebrations are over.

Just some fool playin' that second line
Someone is playing a song or line that isn't the main attraction.

From the barrel of a pretty blue gun
This insignificant thing is coming from something seemingly harmless.