Frankie's Gun!
The Felice Brothers Lyrics
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Chicago
Every weekend to pick up some cargo
I think I know the bloody way by now, Frankie
And turn the god damn radio down, thank you
Pull over
Count the money
But don't count the thirty in the glove box buddy
That's for to buy Lucille some clothes
Bang bang bang went Frankie's gun
He shot me down Lucille
He shot me down Lucille
He shot me down
He shot me down
He shot me down
Work zones double fines
Don't pass the double lines
Trailer McDonald's rest stop trailer double wide
I saw a man hit my mom one time, really
I hurt him so damn bad I had to hide in Jersey
Called my mama told her
In the dresser
There's ten or twenty dollars but there ain't no lesser
That's for to take my sister to the picture show
Bang bang bang went Frankie's gun
He shot me down Lucille
He shot me down Lucille
He shot me down
He shot me down
He shot me down
Sha nay na sha nay na na na ...
Slip make a fender shine
Frankie you're a friend of mine
Got me off a bender after long legged Brenda died
I thought we might be on a roll this time Frankie
I could have swore the box said Hollywood blanks but
You see my mama
Please tell her
I left a little rock in a box in the cellar
That's for to wear till kingdom come
Bang bang bang went Frankie's gun
He shot me down Lucille
He shot me down Lucille
He shot me down
He shot me down
He shot me down
Sha nay na sha nay na na na ...
The Felice Brothers' song "Frankie's Gun!" tells a grim story of a criminal named Frankie and his accomplice. The first verse sets the stage, with the singer driving to Chicago every weekend to pick up cargo. Frankie is in the passenger seat, and they get pulled over to count the money they've made. The singer instructs Frankie to skip counting the money in the glove box, which is reserved for Lucille's (presumably the singer's girlfriend or wife) clothes. Frankie, however, shoots the singer down with his gun. The second verse talks about work zones and avoiding double lines while driving; the singer reminisces about a time when he saw someone hit his mother and proceeded to "hurt him so damn bad [he] had to hide in Jersey." He leaves money in the dresser for his sister to go to the picture show, but Frankie shoots him down once again. The final verse has the singer detailing how Frankie got him off a bender after a woman named Brenda died. He leaves a rock in a box in the cellar and asks Frankie to tell his mama. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus and a chant of "Sha nay na" in the background.
The lyrics paint a picture of small-time criminals making a living, while the singer is left as the tragic victim of Frankie's guns. The narration style is matter-of-fact and tells a story, almost as if it is ripped from the headlines of a newspaper. Each verse is peppered with details of the setting and what the singer is thinking or feeling. As with most of their other songs, the Felice Brothers paint a vivid and realistic portrait of life on the margins.
Line by Line Meaning
My car goes
I drive my car
Chicago
To the city of Chicago
Every weekend to pick up some cargo
Every weekend to transport some goods
I think I know the bloody way by now, Frankie
I think I know the route well enough now, Frankie
And turn the god damn radio down, thank you
Please turn the radio down, thank you
Pull over
Stop the car on the side of the road
Count the money
Add up the amount of money
But don't count the thirty in the glove box buddy
But don't count the $30 in the glove box, buddy
That's for to buy Lucille some clothes
That's for buying clothes for Lucille
Bang bang bang went Frankie's gun
Frankie fired his gun three times
He shot me down Lucille
He shot and killed someone named Lucille
Work zones double fines
Penalties are doubled in construction zones
Don't pass the double lines
Don't cross the double yellow lines on the road
Trailer McDonald's rest stop trailer double wide
A rest stop with a McDonald's and double-wide trailer
I saw a man hit my mom one time, really
I witnessed a man hitting my mother once, truly
I hurt him so damn bad I had to hide in Jersey
I hurt him so badly that I had to flee to New Jersey
Called my mama told her
I called my mother and told her
In the dresser
In the clothing chest
There's ten or twenty dollars but there ain't no lesser
There's $10 or $20, but no less than that
That's for to take my sister to the picture show
That money is reserved for taking my sister to the movies
Sha nay na sha nay na na na ...
Musical interlude
Slip make a fender shine
Polish the car's bumper
Frankie you're a friend of mine
Frankie is a good friend of mine
Got me off a bender after long legged Brenda died
Frankie helped me out after Brenda died
I thought we might be on a roll this time Frankie
I thought we were going to have a streak of good luck this time, Frankie
I could have swore the box said Hollywood blanks but
I thought the box said "Hollywood blanks", but
You see my mama
You know my mother
Please tell her
Please inform her
I left a little rock in a box in the cellar
I left a small rock in a box in the basement
That's for to wear till kingdom come
That rock is for keeping forever
Contributed by Grace E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.