1. With radio friendly… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three bands called 21 Guns
1. With radio friendly AOR super groups such as Bad English and Damn Yankees receiving commercial success, former Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham decided to form a similar type band and hope for stardom. Gorham recruited fellow Americans Tommy La Verdi (vocals), Leif Johansen (bass), and Michael Sturgis (drums). By 1992 they had been signed to RCA records and released a well-polished AOR album that received rave reviews, but went relatively unnoticed by the record buying public. After touring it was decided that La Verdi wasn't on the same page as the rest of the band, and with his departure the group disbanded. Gorham began appearing at Thin Lizzy tribute shows while Sturgis resurfaced with prog-rockers Asia.
In 1997 Gorham decided to reform 21 Guns around new vocalist Hans Olav Solli (ex-Sons Of Angels, ex-psycho motel). Solli had most recently been a member of iron maiden gitarist Adrian Smith's band Psycho Motel with drummer Mike Sturgis who returned to the reformed line up of 21 Guns. By the time the follow-up album Nothing's Real the music scene had completely changed, and a limited release in America killed any chance of the album breaking out commercially. A collection of demo recordings by the original line-up was released in 2002 and the band is rumored to be working on another studio recording. Solli resurfaced in the Norwegian music-project Greenhouze, Gorham hit the road with a Thin Lizzy tribute band and Sturgis became a permanent recording and touring drummer with Asia.
In 2009 it was announced that Scott Gorham and Leif Johansen have been writing and recording together again with a new singer, Peter Shoulder. Peter is the former singer/guitarist of Winterville. Scott and Peter first worked together when Winterville supported Thin Lizzy on their 2005 UK tour. In 2007 Winterville split and Peter went on to record his own solo material.
2. 21 Guns were an Australian hard rock band that released a self-titled album in 1990. Personnel: Andy McLean (lead vocals), Cameran McKenzie (guitar, backing vocals), Henry Eustacs (bass, backing vocals), Mark Herrera (drums).
3. 21 Guns were a very short-lived ska band from Coventry, United Kingdom, that released just one single: '21 Guns' on Shack Records (1981). Formed in 1980, the group consisted of The Specials roadies Trevor Evans (keyboards) and Johnny Rex (drums), plus Kevin Tanner (bass), Stuart MacLean (guitar) and Gary 'Judge' Chambers (vocals). Prior to their single at Shack Records (the label that The Specials' Neville Staple started, along with his then girlfriend, The Bodysnatchers' Stella Barker) 21 Guns recorded a three-song session for John Peel in early February 1981. They also scored a support slot opening for Hazel O'Connor.
Battered and Bruised
21 Guns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got to break out of hell
I'm breakin' the chains
To find the keys to my cell
I've carried the monkey
For too many miles
Till he laughed in my face
And I forgot how to smile
She said
Open your eyes
And take a look at yourself
Now stop living your life
Battered 'n' bruised
I'm so black 'n' blue
That's the truth
Battered 'n' bruised
I was the king of the fools
But now I'm on fire
I took the good with the bad
But the bad got worse
Livin' like that
You're livin' with the curse
Like hittin' the brakes
On the passenger side
That helpless feeling
Leaves you empty inside
She said
Open your eyes
And take a look at yourself
Now stop living your life
Like you were somebody else
(Chorus)
The lyrics of the song "Battered and Bruised" by 21 Guns are quite metaphorical and evocative. The song speaks about breaking free from the chains of hell to enter heaven, both of which are symbolic of the internal struggles and battles that we face in our lives. The singer talks about being battered and bruised by life, having carried the monkey for too many miles, which is a reference to the monkey on one's back, symbolizing a burden or addiction. The monkey laughing in his face and him forgetting how to smile is a poetic way of saying that his struggles had left him emotionally drained and unable to find joy in life.
The singer then introduces a female character who urges him to open his eyes and take a look at himself, to stop living his life like he's somebody else. This is a call to self-awareness and self-acceptance that is an important part of overcoming one's struggles.
The chorus of the song talks about how battered and bruised the singer is, how he was once the king of fools, but now he's on fire, which is a reference to his newfound strength and resilience. He took the good with the bad, but now the bad has gotten worse, and he's living with a curse that leaves him feeling empty inside. The brakes on the passenger side symbolize a lack of control over his life, and the helpless feeling that comes with it.
Overall, the song is a powerful anthem about overcoming the obstacles that life throws at us and finding the strength to keep going, even when it seems impossible.
Line by Line Meaning
If you wanna enter heaven
In order to have a good life, you need to leave behind the bad experiences you've had before.
Got to break out of hell
You will have to work hard to break out of the situation that you are in right now.
I'm breakin' the chains
I am trying to free myself from the things that are holding me back.
To find the keys to my cell
I am trying to find ways to escape my problems and be a happier person.
I've carried the monkey
I have carried my burdens for too long.
For too many miles
For a very long time.
Till he laughed in my face
Until my problems became too big to handle.
And I forgot how to smile
I became so unhappy that I forgot how to be happy.
She said
Someone told me...
Open your eyes
Take a look at what is happening...
And take a look at yourself
Think about your own actions...
Now stop living your life
Change the way you are living...
Battered 'n' bruised
Hurt and damaged...
I'm so black 'n' blue
I am in a lot of pain...
That's the truth
That is how things really are for me right now.
Battered 'n' bruised
Hurt and damaged...
I was the king of the fools
I used to make foolish decisions all the time.
But now I'm on fire
But now I am really motivated to change and improve my life.
I took the good with the bad
I accepted the good things and the bad things that happened to me.
But the bad got worse
But the bad things kept happening and got even worse.
Livin' like that
Living in a difficult situation like that...
You're livin' with the curse
Is like living with a horrible burden.
Like hittin' the brakes
Like trying to stop something from happening...
On the passenger side
But realizing that you are not in control of everything.
That helpless feeling
Feeling like you cannot do anything to change your situation.
Leaves you empty inside
Makes you feel depressed and hopeless.
She said
Someone told me...
Open your eyes
Take a look at what is happening...
And take a look at yourself
Think about your own actions...
Now stop living your life
Change the way you are living...
Like you were somebody else
Stop pretending to be someone you are not...
(Chorus)
(The main part of the song that is repeated several times.)
Contributed by Liam A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.