Pistol Packin' Mama
Bing Crosby Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lay that pistol down, babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

Oh, drinking beer in a cabaret
Was I having fun
Until one night she caught me right
And now I'm on the run

Oh, lay that pistol down, babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

Oh, I'll sing you every night Bing
And I'll woo you every day
I'll be your regular mama
And I'll put that gun away

Oh, lay that pistol down, babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that thing down before it goes off
And hurts somebody

Oh, she kicked out my windshield
And she hit me over the head
She cussed and cried and said I lied
And she wished that I was dead

Oh, lay that pistol down, babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

We're three tough gals
From deep down Texas way
We got no pals
They don't like the way we play
We're a rough rooting tooting shooting trio
But you ought to see my sister Cleo
She's a terror make no error
But there ain't no nicer terror
Here's what we tell her

Lay that pistol down, babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

Pappy made a batch of corn
The revenuers came
The drought was slow so now they know
You can't do that to Mame

Oh, lay that pistol down, babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

Oh, singing songs in a cabaret
Was I having fun
Until one night it didn't seem right
Now I'm on the run

Oh, lay that pistol down, babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down





Oh, pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

Overall Meaning

"Pistol Packin Mama" is a classic country song that has been covered by many artists since its release in 1943, but most notably by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters. The song is about a troublesome woman who carries a gun and causes chaos wherever she goes. The singer is warning her to "lay that pistol down" and put an end to the dangerous behavior before someone gets hurt.


The song starts with the singer reminiscing about a time when he was drinking beer in a cabaret and having fun until he met the pistol packin mama. She caught him doing something wrong, and now he's on the run. He then tries to woo her, promising to be a regular mama and put the gun away, but she's not having it.


Later in the song, three tough women from Texas join in on the fun, and the singer warns them too to put down their pistols. The song ends with a reference to moonshining and the dangers that come with it. The lyrics are fun and catchy, with a healthy dose of humor, making it a crowd-pleaser for country music fans.


Line by Line Meaning

Lay that pistol down, babe
Please put your gun down, dear


Lay that pistol down
Stop carrying that weapon


Pistol packing mama
Woman who carries a gun


Oh, drinking beer in a cabaret
Enjoying myself at a bar, drinking beer


Was I having fun
I was having a good time


Until one night she caught me right
However, one evening I was caught by a woman


And now I'm on the run
Now I am fleeing


Oh, I'll sing you every night Bing
I will sing to you every night, Bing


And I'll woo you every day
And I will court you every day


I'll be your regular mama
I will be your devoted partner


And I'll put that gun away
And I will stop carrying a weapon


Lay that thing down
Put that dangerous item down


Before it goes off
Before it accidentally goes off and hurts someone


And hurts somebody
Inflicting harm on someone else


Oh, she kicked out my windshield
She broke my car's windshield


And she hit me over the head
And she struck me on the head


She cussed and cried and said I lied
She expressed anger and disbelief that I was dishonest


And she wished that I was dead
She even wished for my death


We're three tough gals
We are three strong and daring women


From deep down Texas way
Hailing from Texas's heartland


We got no pals
We do not have any friends


They don't like the way we play
People dislike our behavior


We're a rough rooting tooting shooting trio
We are a gang of rough and tough women with a love for shooting


But you ought to see my sister Cleo
But my sister Cleo is particularly impressive


She's a terror make no error
She can be frightening at times


But there ain't no nicer terror
Despite this, there is no kinder person than her


Here's what we tell her
This is what we say to her


Pappy made a batch of corn
My dad made some moonshine


The revenuers came
Government officials came to shut us down


The drought was slow
There had been a slow period for our business


So now they know
They now understand the situation


You can't do that to Mame
You can't mess with us


Oh, singing songs in a cabaret
Singing and performing in a nightclub


Was I having fun
I was enjoying myself


Until one night it didn't seem right
Until one night things felt unusual


Oh, pistol packing mama
Woman with a gun


Lay that pistol down
Stop carrying that weapon




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Dexter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@Wolfhoundersful

Lay that pistol down, Babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

Oh, drinking beer in a cabaret
Was I having fun
Until one night she caught me right
And now I'm on the run

Oh, lay that pistol down, Babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

Oh, I'll sing you every night Bing
And I'll woo you every day
I'll be your regular mama
And I'll put that gun away

Oh, lay that pistol down, Babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that thing down
Before it goes off and hurts somebody

Oh, she kicked out my windshield
And she hit me over the head
She cussed and cried and said I lied
And she wished that I was dead

Oh, lay that pistol down, Babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

We're 3 tough gals
From deep down Texas way
We got no pals
They don't like the way we play
We're a rough rooting tooting shooting trio
But you ought to see my sister Cleo
She's a terror make no error
But there ain't no nicer terror
Here's what we tell her

Lay that pistol down, Babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

Pappy made a batch of corn
The revenuers came
The draught was slow
So now they know
You can't do that to Mame

Lay that pistol down, Babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

Oh, singing songs in a cabaret
Was I having fun
Until one night it didn't seem right
And now I'm on the run

Oh, lay that pistol down, Babe
Lay that pistol down
Pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down

Oh, pistol packing mama
Lay that pistol down



All comments from YouTube:

@Jackson-ub1uv

A direct fact from Wikipedia:


Patty Andrews recalled that she and her sisters were quite amused and had to restrain their laughter when Crosby ad libbed "lay that thing down before it goes off and hurts somebody."

@CloroxBleach-co3ht

I laughed when I heard that 🤣🤣🤣

@5tyxz

"laddatthindaownbeforigosofenhurtzumbuddy"

@peenprincess

cant blame them, he said it so fast its like a tongue twister lmao

@gloriarabanal7286

I literally saw this just as he was saying this, lol

@ivangranger8494

@@gloriarabanal7286 Same here! 😅

4 More Replies...

@DianaPhoenix

LOL! As a little girl, I got in trouble for singing this song. Good to hear it again.

@reviewbruh1771

+Diana Phoenix gg

@Ash_Vulpine

Don't you hate it when your mom tells you to pull out.

@coqblocked5364

+Traxer Interesting.

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