Hey Joe
Charlotte Gainsbourg Lyrics
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Hey Joe, I said where you going with that gun in your hand
I'm going down to shoot my old lady
I caught her messing 'round with another man
I'm going down to shoot my old lady now
You know I caught her messing 'round with another man
And that ain't too cool
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your woman down
You shot her down now
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your lady down
You shot her down to the ground
Yes I did shot her
You know I caught her messing 'round down
Yes I did shot her
You know I caught my her messing 'round down
And I gave her the gun
You shot her
Hey Joe
Where you gonna run
Hey Joe
Where you gonna run
I'm going way down south
Way down to Mexico way
I'm going way down south
Way down where I can be free
Ain't no one gonna mess
He ain't gonna put a rope me
Hey, Joe, you better run on down
Goodbye everybody
The song "Hey Joe" talks about a man named Joe who catches his old lady cheating on him with another man. Instead of trying to resolve the issue or leaving her, he decides to grab a gun and go down to shoot her. The lyrics repeat the question "Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand/ I'm going down to shoot my old lady/ I caught her messing 'round with another man." The song progresses to a point where Joe has already shot his lady, and people are warning him that the police are coming so he should run away. He then decides to go to Mexico where he hopes to be free from any punishment for his crime.
The lyrics to this song might appear to be about domestic violence, but according to the song's writer Billy Roberts, it was about someone who is willing to "go down that road" and commit a crime because of a broken heart. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Jimi Hendrix, who made the song famous in 1966, and many other rock bands such as The Leaves, The Byrds, and Deep Purple have also covered it. The song was also used in a Quentin Tarantino movie, "Reservoir Dogs," to bring emphasis to a particularly violent scene.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand
Joe, why are you carrying a gun?
Hey Joe, I said where you going with that gun in your hand
Joe, I am asking you where you are going with that gun
I'm going down to shoot my old lady
I am going to shoot my girlfriend
I caught her messing 'round with another man
I found out she has been cheating on me with another man
I'm going down to shoot my old lady now
I have decided to go and kill her
You know I caught her messing 'round with another man
I caught her cheating on me
And that ain't too cool
I am very angry and hurt about it
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your woman down
I heard that you killed your girlfriend
You shot her down now
You killed her
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your lady down
I heard that you shot your girlfriend
You shot her down to the ground
You killed her
Yes I did shot her
Yes, I did shoot her
You know I caught her messing 'round down
I caught her cheating on me
And I gave her the gun
I gave her the gun before I killed her
Hey Joe
Hey Joe
Where you gonna run
Where are you planning to go?
I'm going way down south
I am running away to Mexico
Way down to Mexico way
Going way down to Mexico
I'm going way down south
I am running away to Mexico
Way down where I can be free
To a place where I can live freely
Ain't no one gonna mess
No one is going to interfere
He ain't gonna put a rope me
I won't be caught by the authorities
Hey, Joe, you better run on down
Joe, you better run away quickly
Goodbye everybody
Goodbye everyone
Contributed by Isabelle D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@devildoll8968
Hey Joe, where you going with that gun in your hand
Hey Joe, I said where you going with that gun in your hand
I'm going down to shoot my old lady
I caught her messing 'round with another man
I'm going down to shoot my old lady now
You know I caught her messing 'round with another man
And that ain't too cool
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your woman down
You shot her down now
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your lady down
You shot her down to the ground
Yes I did shot her
You know I caught her messing 'round down
Yes I did shot her
You know I caught my her messing 'round down
And I gave her the gun
You shot her
Hey Joe
Where you gonna run
Hey Joe
Where you gonna run
I'm going way down south
Way down to Mexico way
I'm going way down south
Way down where I can be free
Ain't no one gonna mess
He ain't gonna put a rope me
Hey, Joe, you better run on down
Goodbye everybody
@FragranceTestTube
[Verse 1]
Hey Joe, where you goin' with that gun in your hand?
Hey Joe, I said where you goin' with that gun in your hand?
I'm goin' down to shoot my old lady
You know I caught her messin' 'round with another man
I'm goin' down to shoot my old lady
You know I caught her messin' 'round with another man
And that ain't too cool
[Verse 2]
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your mamma down
You shot her down now
Hey Joe, I heard you shot your lady down
You shot her down to the ground
[Chorus]
Yes, I did, I shot her
You know I caught her messin' round town
Yes, I did, I shot her
You know I caught my old lady messin' 'round town
And I gave her the gun
I shot her
[Verse 3]
Hey Joe
Where you gonna run to now?
Hey Joe, I said
Where you gonna run to now?
I'm goin' way down south
Way down to Mexico way
I'm goin' way down south
Way down where I can be free
Ain't no hang-man gonna
He ain't gonna put a rope around me
Hey, Joe
You better run on down
Goodbye everybody
@gogandmagog44
Sends chills down my back. This song isn't the orgasm, it's the minutes right afterwards.
@holygoalie3
At the end of Nymphomaniac Vol 2, most of the theater stayed for the credits and I feel like this song was why.
@urubserver
Gypsy brought me here
@nefelibata4190
and me
@buddhabrot
nobody cares.
@bds4335
Sexy.....
@asmrsoul210
Me too💞
@MariaFariasFotografias
me too
@qoaa
He just wanted to get a little nookie after storytime, but
"Joe had a gun in her hand"
@jerichojones3595
Damn sad episode of TVD, it ended the only way I didn't want it to end.