In 1976, he achieved a national breakout with the studio album Night Moves. On his studio albums, he also worked extensively with the Alabama-based Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which appeared on several of Seger's best-selling singles and albums.
Seger's first marriage in 1968 lasted for "one day short of a year". He had a long-term relationship with Jan Dinsdale from 1972 until 1983. In 1987, he married actress Annette Sinclair and they divorced one year later. He married Juanita Dorricott in 1993, in a small private setting at The Village Club, in Bloomfield Hills; they have two children. Seger lives mainly at his home in Orchard Lake Village, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. He owns a condo in Naples, Florida.
Politically, Seger has characterized himself as a centrist: "[I'm] right down the middle", he remarked. He supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. He tackled antiestablishment themes in early songs such as "2+2=?" (1968) and "U.M.C. (Upper Middle Class)" (1974), according to Brian McCollum of the Detroit Free Press. On his 2014 album Ride Out, he addressed topics such as gun violence, and wrote "It's Your World" about climate change. On the subject, he said, "There are a lot of culprits in climate change, and everybody's responsible, myself included. Nobody gets a free pass on this one. We've got to change our ways and change them fast.
A roots rocker with a classic raspy, shouting voice, Seger wrote and recorded songs that deal with love, women and blue-collar themes and is an example of heartland rock. Seger has recorded many hits, including "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man", "Night Moves", "Turn the Page", "Still the Same", "We've Got Tonight", "Against the Wind", "You'll Accomp'ny Me", "Shame on the Moon", "Like a Rock", and "Shakedown", which was written for Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). Seger also co-wrote the Eagles' number-one hit "Heartache Tonight", and his iconic recording of "Old Time Rock and Roll" was named one of the Songs of the Century in 2001.
With a career spanning six decades, Seger continues to perform and record today. Seger was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012. Seger was named Billboard's 2015 Legend of Live honoree at the 12th annual Billboard Touring Conference & Awards, held November 18–19 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York.
Seger was known as one of the last holdouts regarding making his catalog available for digital download and streaming. However, as of 2017, much of his work is available.
The Devil's Right Hand
Bob Seger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Saw my first pistol in a general store
In the general store, when I was thirteen
I thought it was the finest thing I ever had seen
So l asked if I could have one someday when I grew up
Mama dropped a dozen eggs, she really blew up
She really blew up, she didn't understand
Mama said the pistol was the devil's right hand
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand
Mama said the pistol was the devil's right hand
My very first pistol was a cap and ball Colt
Shoot as fast as lightnin' but it loads a mite slow
Loads a mite slow and soon I found out
It will get you into trouble but it can't get you out
Bout a year later got a Colt 45
Called a peacemaker but I never knew why
Never knew why, I didn't understand
'Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand
Mama said the pistol was the devil's right hand
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand
Mama said the pistol was the devil's right hand
Got into a card game in a crumbling town
Caught a miner cheating so I shoot the dog down
Shoot the dog down, watched the man fall
Never touched his holster, never had a chance to draw
The trial was in the morning and they drug me out of bed
Asked me how I pleaded, not guilty I said
Not guilty I said, you've got the wrong man
Nothing touched the pistol but the devil's right hand
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand
Nothing touched the trigger but the devil's right hand
The devil's right hand, the devil's right hand
Mama said the pistol was the devil's right hand
The lyrics of Bob Seger's song The Devil's Right Hand narrates a story of a young boy’s first encounter with a pistol while in a general store. This event was around the time his father left to fight in a big war. The boy at thirteen thought the pistol was a fine thing to behold, so he asked his mother if he could have one, to which she reacted violently. The mother saw the pistol as an instrument of evil and associated it with the devil’s right hand.
The second verse of the song talks about the boy's first pistol which was a cap and ball Colt. He found out that it could get him into trouble but not get him out. Later he got a Colt 45 called a “Peacemaker,” but he could not understand why it was called that. The third verse recounts a time when the boy got into a game of cards and caught a miner cheating. He ended up shooting the cheating player's dog and watched the man fall. The trial was held the next morning, and he pleaded not guilty, saying nothing touched the pistol but the devil's right hand.
The song, The Devil’s Right Hand, indirectly pointed towards the rise of gun culture in America. Bob Seger created this song based on a fictional story, and it became the second single released from his 1983 album “The Distance.” The song's significance extends beyond just a boy’s fascination with weapons, it allows for a broader discussion into the culture of gun ownership and the impact it has had in the United States.
Line by Line Meaning
About the time my Daddy left to fight the big war
At the time when my father left to participate in the war.
Saw my first pistol in a general store
I saw my first gun in a store.
In the general store, when I was thirteen
When I was only thirteen years old in that store.
I thought it was the finest thing I ever had seen
I considered it the most exquisite thing I've ever seen.
So l asked if I could have one someday when I grew up
I asked whether I could possess it when I'm older.
Mama dropped a dozen eggs, she really blew up
My mother was deeply upset upon hearing my request and literally dropped eggs.
She really blew up, she didn't understand
She was severely infuriated with my request as she believed that I didn't comprehend the danger of pistols.
Mama said the pistol was the devil's right hand
My mother always believed firearms were evil and the tool of the devil.
My very first pistol was a cap and ball Colt
My first gun was a Colt handgun that utilized percussion caps.
Shoot as fast as lightnin' but it loads a mite slow
It could shoot rapidly but loading was cumbersome.
It will get you into trouble but it can't get you out
It can easily lead me into perilous circumstances but is ineffective in keeping me safe.
Bout a year later got a Colt 45
Approximately one year later, I obtained a Colt 45.
Called a peacemaker but I never knew why
Named the peacemaker, although I had no idea why it was called that.
Never knew why, I didn't understand
I had no knowledge of the purpose and usage of the weapon.
'Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand
My mother repeatedly emphasized that guns are malevolent.
Got into a card game in a crumbling town
I engaged in a card game in a dilapidated locality.
Caught a miner cheating so I shoot the dog down
When I noticed a miner was cheating, I promptly shot his dog down.
Shoot the dog down, watched the man fall
After shooting the dog, the miner fell to the ground too.
Never touched his holster, never had a chance to draw
I never had to pull out my weapon from the holster, as the miner never got the chance to draw his own.
The trial was in the morning and they drug me out of bed
The trial was scheduled in the morning and I was extracted from my bed.
Asked me how I pleaded, not guilty I said
Upon questioning, I answered that I was not guilty.
Not guilty I said, you've got the wrong man
I pleaded my innocence, stating that they had apprehended the incorrect individual.
Nothing touched the pistol but the devil's right hand
I didn't handle the gun, but only evil caused it to be used in the violent proceedings.
Mama said the pistol was the devil's right hand
My mother remained unwavering in her stance that firearms are evil.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STEPHEN F. (FAIN) EARLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Steven Harbers
on No Man's Land
I always liked 'No Man's Land' and equated it to all the times I'd get underway (ships at sea) especially when I was a younger Sailor. I always felt safer away from shore riding a wave that never crested.