The band's greatest commercial success came between the early 1980s and the early 1990s. Their first album, 1980's On Through the Night, reached the Top 15 in the UK but received little notice elsewhere. Their second album, 1981's High 'n' Dry, was produced by Mutt Lange, who helped them begin to define their melodic hard rock style, and the album's most popular track "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" became one of the first rock videos played on MTV in 1982, but the album only reached the Top 30 and 40 in the UK and US. Def Leppard's next studio album, Pyromania, was released in January 1983, with "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages" both topping the US Rock Tracks chart and reaching the top 20 of the Hot 100. Reaching No. 2 on the US album chart, Pyromania was certified Diamond in the US and 7× platinum in Canada and reached the top 20 in the UK but did not sell much elsewhere.
Def Leppard's fourth album, the more pop-oriented Hysteria (1987), topped the UK, US, New Zealand, Canadian, Australian and Norway charts. It also went to No. 2 in Sweden and No. 10 in Germany without any Top 50 singles in those countries. It has been certified 12× platinum for sales in the US and 13× platinum in Canada, selling over 25 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. The album spawned six Top 20 US singles, including the US Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 "Love Bites" (went Top 10 in several other countries including No. 2 in NZ), alongside "Pour Some Sugar on Me" (US No. 2), "Hysteria", "Armageddon It" (No. 2 in NZ), "Animal" (at No. 6, the biggest UK hit), and "Rocket" (a Top 15 hit in many countries). Hysteria had four Top 10 hits in New Zealand.
Their next studio album, Adrenalize (their first following the death of guitarist Steve Clark), reached No. 1 on the UK, US, NZ, Canadian and Australian charts in 1992, while going Top 10 in Sweden and Germany. It contained several hits, including the US Rock Tracks chart-topper, "Let's Get Rocked", which became their biggest hit in several countries, including No. 2 in the UK, No. 3 in Canada and Switzerland, and the Top 20 in Sweden and Germany. The third single, "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad", was a Top 15 song in the US, UK and Canada. Adrenalize went on to sell over 8 million copies worldwide. Their 1993 album, Retro Active, contained the acoustic Top 5 North American hit "Two Steps Behind". Their greatest hits album Vault, released in 1995, featured the UK No. 2 hit "When Love & Hate Collide" and reached the Top 10 in several countries, going 5× platinum in the US. Beginning with Slang, Def Leppard released five albums between 1996 and 2008, with most usually reaching the Top 15 in several countries, including the UK, US and Canada. Their self-titled album was released in 2015 and reached the Top 10 in several countries. The band's newest studio album, Diamond Star Halos was released in May 2022 and reached the Top 10 in the US, the UK and Australia.
As one of the world's best-selling music artists, Def Leppard have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and have two albums with RIAA diamond certification: Pyromania and Hysteria, making them one of only five rock bands with two original studio albums selling more than 10 million copies in the US. The band were ranked No. 31 in VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and ranked No. 70 in "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Def Leppard were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Studio albums
On Through the Night (1980)
High 'n' Dry (1981)
Pyromania (1983)
Hysteria (1987)
Adrenalize (1992)
Slang (1996)
Euphoria (1999)
X (2002)
Yeah! (2006)
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008)
Def Leppard (2015)
Diamond Star Halos (2022)
Don't Shoot Shotgun
Def Leppard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't shoot, shoot
She's so dangerous (shotgun, gun)
(Don't shoot shotgun)
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right
Fallin' head over heals at the speed of light
Hey little miss heaven-on-earth
Won't you walk this way
So don't shoot
(Don't shoot shotgun)
Dream on nightmare
Touch and go
Dove turned destroyer, she cut you up, she's a slave of love
Run for cover, she's so dangerous
Undercover, she's so shameless
(Don't shoot shotgun)
You got me bitin' my lip
(Don't shoot shotgun)
You're shootin' straight from the hip
So don't shoot shotgun
Shoot me, baby, ow
Hit and miss, flesh and blood
She's sweet and indiscreet, she can't get enough
A little midnight madness, oh baby, you can't hide
So wild and unpredictable, step aside
'Cause you're, you're shooting wide
Run for cover, she's so dangerous
Undercover, she's so shameless
(Don't shoot shotgun)
You got me bitin' my lip
(Don't shoot shotgun)
You're shootin' straight from the hip
Oh
Shake it, shake it
Ah, take this, little hit and miss
Oh
(Don't shoot shotgun)
You got me bitin' my lip
(Don't shoot shotgun)
You're shootin' straight from the hip
Don't shoot it (don't shoot shotgun)
Shake it, shake it, take this little hit and miss
(Don't shoot shotgun) don't shoot it, don't shoot it
Oh, shotgun
Shoot me baby, ow
Let it blow
The lyrics to Def Leppard's song "Don't Shoot Shotgun" describe a dangerous and unpredictable woman who the main character is drawn to while simultaneously feeling the need to protect himself from her. The imagery of a shotgun throughout the song symbolizes the danger and unpredictability of this woman. The chorus repeats the phrase "Don't shoot shotgun," which can be interpreted as a warning to both the main character and the woman he is attracted to. The verses also suggest a sense of conflict within the main character, as he acknowledges both the excitement and danger of the situation.
The lyrics also contain several references to speed and movement, such as "fallin' head over heels at the speed of light" and "step aside 'cause you're, you're shooting wide." These phrases contribute to the overall theme of danger and unpredictability, as well as emphasizing the high stakes involved in the situation.
Overall, "Don't Shoot Shotgun" is a song about the thrill and danger of attraction to someone who may not be safe or stable. Through the use of vivid imagery and fast-paced language, Def Leppard creates a sense of excitement and tension that mirrors the conflicted emotions of the main character.
Line by Line Meaning
Run, run for cover
Get away from trouble fast
Don't shoot, shoot
Avoid getting hurt or causing damage
She's so dangerous (shotgun, gun)
She's a potential threat
(Don't shoot shotgun)
Don't engage in risky behavior
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right
Uncertainty about a situation
Fallin' head over heels at the speed of light
Intense and sudden emotions
Hey little miss heaven-on-earth
Addressing a captivating woman
Won't you walk this way
Asking for her attention
But I see a red alert, oh, my senses say keep away
Feeling a warning or caution
So don't shoot
Stay away from danger
(Don't shoot shotgun)
Reinforcing the warning
Dream on nightmare
An impossible situation
Touch and go
A situation in which the outcome is uncertain
Dove turned destroyer, she cut you up, she's a slave of love
A woman who can hurt you and is controlled by love
Run for cover, she's so dangerous
The woman poses a risk to someone's safety
Undercover, she's so shameless
The woman is unapologetic about her behavior
(Don't shoot shotgun)
Repeating the warning again
You got me bitin' my lip
Feeling anxious or nervous
(Don't shoot shotgun)
A warning to avoid danger
You're shootin' straight from the hip
Being honest and direct
Shoot me, baby, ow
An invitation to take a risk
Hit and miss, flesh and blood
The unpredictability of human nature
She's sweet and indiscreet, she can't get enough
A woman who craves attention and affection
A little midnight madness, oh baby, you can't hide
An attempt to be spontaneous and have fun
So wild and unpredictable, step aside
A warning to those who can't handle risk
'Cause you're, you're shooting wide
Not being accurate or precise
(Don't shoot shotgun)
An insistence to avoid danger
Shake it, shake it
A call to move and let loose
Ah, take this, little hit and miss
An example of the unpredictability of human behavior
(Don't shoot shotgun)
A repetitive warning
Don't shoot it (don't shoot shotgun)
A final warning to not engage in risky behavior
Shoot me baby, ow
The invitation to a risky endeavor
Let it blow
To let go and enjoy the experience
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joseph Thomas Elliott, Philip Kenneth Collen, Richard Savage, Richard John Cyril Allen, Robert John Lange, Stephen Maynard Clark
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind