Son of a Gun
Desperado Lyrics


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Born to face the dark alone
By his father's guns he'll right the wrong
Following the man in black
Through the desert, to the tower and back, yeah

Nobody can stop a gun
Words or looks never killed someone
Nobody can stop a gun
It's death, the final weapon

He's the son of the gun
He's the son of the gun

Cold as steel and twice as hard
Measuring his manhood by the yard, yeah
Love and dying are his life
Wears his father's iron by his side, he's in love, oh yeah

Nobody ever stopped the gun
Some tried, now their days are done
Nobody ever stopped the gun
It's said, like father, just like son

He's the son of the gun
He's the son of the gun
Just the son of the gun
He's the son, son, son of the gun

[Solo]

He's the last of time before
Winning every fight, they lost the war, ha ha
Three remain from world of old
As he walks the prophecy unfolds, he's in guns, he's in gun

Nobody can stop his guns
Do their work and the bodies thump
Nobody can stop his guns
They spill some blood and the world moved on

He's the son of the gun
He's the son of the gun




Just the son of the gun
Just the son, son, son, son, son of the gun

Overall Meaning

In Desperado's song "Son of a Gun," the lyrics paint a picture of a cold and calculating lone gunslinger, born to a violent legacy and wielding his father's weapons with deadly precision. The song follows his journey through the desert, chasing a man in black to a tower and back. The lyrics emphasize that no words or looks can stop a gun, and that death is the final weapon. The singer measures his manhood by the yard and lives a life of love and dying. He walks the path of the prophecy, laying waste to all who stand in his way, continuing the violent legacy of his father, the original "son of a gun."


Through these lyrics, it's clear that the song is commenting on the enduring legacy of violence and revenge. The singer is a tragic figure, unable to escape the violent destiny that has been handed down to him. The song is a meditation on the cyclical nature of violence and the toll it takes on individuals and society as a whole.


Line by Line Meaning

Born to face the dark alone
He was destined to be alone, facing darkness


By his father's guns he'll right the wrong
He intends on using his father's guns to correct what is wrong


Following the man in black
He is following the path of the mysterious man in black


Through the desert, to the tower and back, yeah
From the desert to the tower and back again, that is his journey


Nobody can stop a gun
A gun cannot be stopped once fired


Words or looks never killed someone
Mere words or looks have never been fatal


It's death, the final weapon
Death is the ultimate weapon


He's the son of the gun
He is the offspring of the gun and all that it represents


Cold as steel and twice as hard
His appearance is rigid as cold steel and twice as unyielding


Measuring his manhood by the yard, yeah
He is male and measures his power in yards


Love and dying are his life
His life consists of love and death


Wears his father's iron by his side, he's in love, oh yeah
He has his father's gun with him always, and he is in love


Nobody ever stopped the gun
No one has ever successfully halted a gun's power


Some tried, now their days are done
Some have tried and now those people are dead


It's said, like father, just like son
It is claimed that he is like his father, and that's the reason for his actions


He's the last of time before
He is the last of his kind in his time


Winning every fight, they lost the war, ha ha
Despite winning individual battles, they still lost the war overall


Three remain from world of old
Only three people from the old world still exist


As he walks the prophecy unfolds, he's in guns, he's in gun
As he moves along his path, the prophecy about him becomes true, he represents guns and their power


Do their work and the bodies thump
The guns do their part and the bodies fall to the ground


They spill some blood and the world moved on
Some blood is spilt and the world keeps spinning


Just the son, son, son, son, son of the gun
He is emphasized as the son of the gun




Contributed by Samuel Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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