Son of a Gun
D-A-D Lyrics


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He laid face down
In the desert sand
Clutching a sixgun
In his hand
And me & Maria went to watch him die.
Suddenly the raised and said:
Help me now, or I shoot you dead!.
- I got an arrow in my back
And it aches as hell!!

So we jumped on down in the yellow sand
Started helping this gunfighting man
He was six feet tall'n'four feet wide
And the wagon tipped from side to side
Driving into the red, red sun
Poor mule he could hardly run
I turned my head to Maria
And she turned her head to mine:
And we knew...
What he was going to do
He was going to shoo-oo-oy
His whole way through
And his name was on the pistol
- And he was son of a gun!!

As we went driving into town
We saw these posters all around
There was a big reward upon his head
'Cause the Marshall wanted to see
him dead...
As we talked about this gunfighting man
We saw the steel in his hand:
Now folks I want to see you run!
To the rhythm of my gun!!
And we knew...

Well I was saved & I was glad
Thanks to my old stetson hat®
It went through the top
Only leaving a spot
It was fabricated by an Indian bud
Who did not now that he was hot
Hanging on the posters everywhere...

So I took one step back
And tipped my hat
And looked him in his eyes
Aom shit he was telling me the
Dirtiest lies
I had no time to get away
I was trapped in the USA
C'mon Maria, let's get out of his war...

And we knew...





And we knew...
Dow! Flam bam! Pow! Bow!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to D-A-D's song Son of a Gun tell the story of a man lying face-down in the desert sand, holding a six-gun in his hand. Two people, the song's narrator and a woman named Maria, approach him and prepare to watch him die, but the man suddenly rises and demands their help, revealing that he has an arrow in his back. They work together to help the man, who is a notorious gunfighter, and as they travel toward town, they see posters offering a reward for his capture. Despite this, the gunfighter remains determined to shoot his way out, and the singer and Maria soon realize that they need to escape the situation before it's too late.


The song's lyrics are full of vivid imagery and symbolism, capturing the gritty, violent world of the Old West. The man with the gun is an archetypal outlaw, feared and despised by society but also somehow romanticized. As such, the song can be seen as a commentary on violence, justice, and the ways in which we mythologize historical figures.


Line by Line Meaning

He laid face down
The man was on his chest in the sand.


In the desert sand
The man was in the sand in a desert.


Clutching a sixgun
The man had a sixgun gripped in his hand.


In his hand
The sixgun was held by the man's hand.


And me & Maria went to watch him die.
The artist, Maria, and possibly others went to witness the man's death.


Suddenly the raised and said:
The man then immediately spoke up.


Help me now, or I shoot you dead!.
The man threatened the people who had come upon him.


I got an arrow in my back
The man claimed to have an arrow in his back.


And it aches as hell!!
The man complained of immense pain due to the arrow.


So we jumped on down in the yellow sand
The artist and Maria got off of their transportation and went onto the sand.


Started helping this gunfighting man
The singer and Maria started aiding the man.


He was six feet tall'n'four feet wide
The man was very large.


And the wagon tipped from side to side
Due to the weight on it, the wagon leaned to one end.


Driving into the red, red sun
The group traveled towards the sunset (the red sun).


Poor mule he could hardly run
The mule had trouble moving due to the load being carried.


I turned my head to Maria
The artist looked at Maria.


And she turned her head to mine:
Maria looked at the artist.


And we knew...
The singer and Maria both came to a realization.


What he was going to do
The man's actions became clear to the singer and Maria.


He was going to shoo-oo-oy
The man was about to shoot (the sound effects spelling out the sound).


His whole way through
The man would not stop shooting until he ran out of ammunition or was stopped.


And his name was on the pistol
The man's name was on the gun he held.


And he was son of a gun!!
The man was in essence an untamed outlaw.


As we went driving into town
The group traveled in a vehicle into the town.


We saw these posters all around
The group noticed the numerous posters featuring the gunfighting man all over town.


There was a big reward upon his head
A bounty had been placed on the man's capture or death.


'Cause the Marshall wanted to see him dead...
The reason for the bounty was that the Marshall wanted the man dead.


As we talked about this gunfighting man
The group engaged in conversation about the man.


We saw the steel in his hand:
The man once again held his weapon.


Now folks I want to see you run!
The man wanted others to flee from him.


To the rhythm of my gun!!
The man wanted others to run as he continued shooting.


Well I was saved & I was glad
The artist was relieved to survive the encounter.


Thanks to my old stetson hat®
The artist's hat saved their life.


It went through the top
The hat was punctured by the bullet.


Only leaving a spot
The bullet left a mark on the hat.


It was fabricated by an Indian bud
The hat was made by an Indigenous person.


Who did not now that he was hot
The person who made the hat didn't realize the extremity of the situation.


Hanging on the posters everywhere...
The hat was seen in several bounty posters about the gunfighting man.


So I took one step back
The singer took a step back from the man with the gun.


And tipped my hat
The artist made a gesture of respect to the man.


And looked him in his eyes
The artist made eye contact with the man.


Aom shit he was telling me the
The man then started speaking to the singer.


Dirtiest lies
The man spoke falsehoods.


I had no time to get away
The artist had no time to safely escape from the man.


I was trapped in the USA
The artist was stuck in the situation they were in.


C'mon Maria, let's get out of his war...
The artist wanted to leave the conflict behind with Maria's help.


And we knew...
The singer and Maria had once again come to some realization.


Dow! Flam bam! Pow! Bow!
The onomatopoeia represents the sounds of action and violence.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: David Berkowitz, Tatsu Mikami

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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