Aldo Nova (born Aldo Caporuscio in Montreal on 13 November 1956) is a Canad… Read Full Bio ↴Aldo Nova (born Aldo Caporuscio in Montreal on 13 November 1956) is a Canadian guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer. Nova initially gained fame with his self-titled debut album Aldo Nova in 1982 which climbed to US Billboard's number 8 position, and its accompanying single, "Fantasy", which climbed to number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

His eponymous debut album from 1982 is said to have provided a blueprint for the hard rock of the '80s. During the '80s and '90s, he worked with fellow hard rockers Lita Ford and Jon Bon Jovi -- he contributed heavily to the latter's 1990 solo debut Blaze of Glory -- as mainstream rock began to adapt his innovations. Nova found his greatest commercial success as a songwriter and producer for Celine Dion, earning a Grammy for her 1996 album Falling Into You. This success allowed Nova to be picky with his projects, but he eventually returned to his own recording career in 2018 with the release of 2.0.

Nova learned guitar when he was 15 years old, inspired equally by Jimi Hendrix and jazz. While he cut his teeth in local clubs, he also played George Harrison in a production of Beatlemania, spending his extra hours working as a studio engineer. Eventually, he landed a publishing deal, which led to a 1982 contract with Portrait Records.

Portrait allowed Nova to produce his own 1982 debut, which resulted in the album sounding unlike most other hard rock on the radio at that time. "Fantasy" hit at precisely the right moment, burning up the AOR rock charts but also receiving heavy play on MTV. This helped "Fantasy" reach the Billboard Top 40, climbing to number 23 while making it all the way to three on their Mainstream Rock chart. The album's second single, the power ballad "Fooling Yourself," reached 65 on the Hot 100, but Aldo Nova had legs, earning its first platinum certification in 1989 and a second in 1994.

Nova had a difficult time capitalizing on this success. On his 1983 sequel Subject…Aldo Nova, the guitarist ratcheted up the synthesizers and tied together the songs with a vague concept, conceits that made the album feel vaguely New Wave. "Monkey on Your Back," the album's lead single, went to 12 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, but "Always Be Mine" couldn't get past 107. The album nevertheless managed to earn Gold certification in 1994. The record label intervened during the recording of 1985's Twitch to help steer him back onto the charts but it didn't help: the album stiffed upon its release. After its commercial failure, Nova asked to be let out of his contract with Portrait; his time with the label would be wrapped up with the release of the 1991 compilation, A Portrait of Aldo Nova.

At that point, Nova decided to recede from the spotlight. He chose to work as a session musician, producer, and professional songwriter, areas where he was experienced. During his ascent on the charts, he appeared on records by Michael Bolton and Blue Oyster Cult, but by 1984, he also was working on records by Lita Ford and Bon Jovi. The latter proved to be a crucial connection. In 1990, he played on Jon Bon Jovi's solo debut, Blaze of Glory, where he helped come up with the title track's lead riff. Bon Jovi had a history with Nova -- Nova appears on the 1984 debut by Jon's band -- and the rocker paid it forward six years later, signing Nova to his Jambco imprint and releasing Blood on the Bricks, but the record didn't go anywhere commercially, nor did the 1997 album Nova's Dream.

Of greater importance to Nova in the late 1990s was his collaboration with Celine Dion. He worked with the singer on some of her first albums, co-writing the song "A New Day Has Come," and the collaboration continued through her 1996 album Falling Into You. He produced part of the album, taking home a Grammy Award when it won Album of the Year in 1996. Another Grammy arrived when he worked with Latin rock group La Ley on Uno, which won the Grammy for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album in 2001. In 2003, he co-wrote "This Is the Night," which became a hit for Clay Aiken after he won American Idol.

Nova was firmly a behind-the-scenes artist by the 2000s, working as a producer and songwriter, toiling away on a rock opera called The Life and Times of Eddie Gage for the better part of a decade. Instead of releasing that, Nova mounted a comeback in 2018 with 2.0, an album where he offered new versions of his old hits.

His album "The Life and Times of Eddie Gage" was released in 2022.

Under The Gun
Aldo Nova Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

See the man riding high in the desert near the Rio Grande
Runs for his life, doesn't sleep
Doesn't take time to understand
'Cause the girl that he loved
Went away and ran off with another man
But he followed them both
And he shot at the throat, couldn't stop his hand
So now he's under the gun

He was born and raised
And he lived like the son of an honest man
And who would've thought
That one day he might gun down another man
But his heart gave away to the gun in his hand
Couldn't stop it, no
So now he's gotta run and he weak from the sun
Got nowhere to go

Because he's under the gun, under the gun
Just a fugitive, out on the run
Under the gun, under the gun
Never see, the setting sun
He's under the gun

Well now he's on the run
'Cause he's under cause a gun
Got nowhere to go
Well now pray for him sister
Watch out for him mister
He'll let you know

That's he's under the gun, under the gun
Just a fugitive, out on the run, under then gun
Under the gun
Never see the setting sun

He's under cause a gun
Under the gun

Overall Meaning

The song "Under The Gun" by Aldo Nova tells the story of a man who is running for his life after shooting a man who ran off with his lover. The lyrics depict the man as being raised to live an honest life, but the betrayal of his lover changes him. He becomes consumed by the gun in his hand and cannot control his actions. Despite the fact that he never intended to become a killer, he now has to live as a fugitive from the law. The chorus "Under the gun, under the gun, just a fugitive out on the run, under the gun, under the gun, never see the setting sun, he's under cause a gun" emphasizes that he is always on the run and his life has become a perpetual cycle of fear and danger.

The lyrics convey the message that actions have consequences and once you cross a line, there is no turning back. The theme of betrayal and loss is evident throughout the song. Although the singer's actions were not justified, one cannot help but feel sympathy for his situation. The song is a cautionary tale that emphasizes the need to control one's emotions and not let them get the best of us.

Line by Line Meaning

See the man riding high in the desert near the Rio Grande
Observing a man in the desert by the Rio Grande riding high on his horse

Runs for his life, doesn't sleep
The man is constantly running and doesn't sleep

Doesn't take time to understand
He doesn't take time to analyze his thoughts or actions

'Cause the girl that he loved Went away and ran off with another man
He's heartbroken because the love of his life left him for someone else

But he followed them both And he shot at the throat, couldn't stop his hand
He followed them both and ended up shooting the other man in the throat, despite not being able to control his own hand

So now he's under the gun
Now he's in trouble and being targeted by the law enforcement that's looking for him

He was born and raised And he lived like the son of an honest man
He had a decent upbringing and was living an honest life similar to his father's

And who would've thought That one day he might gun down another man
No one expected him to ever resort to using a gun and taking someone else's life

But his heart gave away to the gun in his hand Couldn't stop it, no
Despite his best intentions, his heart led him to use the gun and he couldn't stop himself from doing so

So now he's gotta run and he weak from the sun Got nowhere to go
Now he's on the run and feeling weak due to sun exposure with nowhere to turn to for help

Because he's under the gun, under the gun Just a fugitive, out on the run Under the gun, under the gun Never see, the setting sun He's under the gun
He's constantly under pressure as a fugitive on the run and can't even get the chance to see the sunset

Well now he's on the run 'Cause he's under cause a gun Got nowhere to go
He's fleeing because he resorted to using a gun and has no safe haven

Well now pray for him sister Watch out for him mister He'll let you know
He needs all the prayers and help he can get, and he's likely to approach people he may encounter on his quest for help

That's he's under the gun, under the gun Just a fugitive, out on the run, under the gun Under the gun Never see the setting sun He's under cause a gun Under the gun
Reiterating that he's a fugitive who can't even see the sunset anymore because of his reliance on using guns

Lyrics © Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Aldo Nova

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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