The band’s first full-length album, Soft Targets, was recorded in Los Angeles and Brooklyn in 2005. However, they were loathe to release the album without a permanent drummer—tellingly, a constant snag since EG’s inception. Taking a leap of faith, Matt and Kamara vowed to play a gig every week until their dream drummer found them. One fateful evening, a gig at Brooklyn’s Southpaw brought them a friend in guitar player Kirk Douglass (of The Roots). Douglass became a fan and brought his friend and Gold Crowns bandmate Ricc Sheridan to gigs for the next few weeks. Ricc says, “I awoke from a dream one night, and knew that this was my band.” A rockneck-inducing jam confirmed that the band had found its holiest trinity. They hit the ground running with Big Ricc Sheridan on drums, and the world has been rocking their faces ever since!
Released in October 2006, Soft Targets earned loads of fans and critical acclaim from publications including The New Yorker, SPIN, Rolling Stone, Brooklyn Vegan and Pitchfork. Even more so, the band’s live show quickly drew heaps of attention and gained a steady reputation among critics and fans alike as a veritable rock-n-roll wrecking ball. Earl Greyhound toured relentlessly for the next two years all over the US, Canada and Japan, and autumn 2007 was spent playing theatres as openers for the band’s good friend Shooter Jennings as well as Soundgarden and Audioslave’s Chris Cornell.
Shotgun
Earl Greyhound Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am a traveler on this land
And nothing, nothing, nothing in my hands
I am nobody, nobody is who I am
I am a wanderer on these sands
And I got down on my knees and folded my hands
And on the great wings of a great bird
Where I heard the word...
Dead man on the run, him and his shotgun
Panic in the street, testing one two three
Simple is the song-- sing to carry on
Dead man on the run, him and his shotgun
I am nobody, nobody is who I am
Through the red sky on the crow's wing I stand
And now to the radiant sun I surrender myself again
Then higher through the fire and to Orion with the raven
I look into the eyes...
Dead man on the run, him and his shotgun
Panic in the street, testing one two three
Simple is the song-- sing to carry on
Dead man on the run...
(guitar solo)
Dead man on the run, him and his shotgun
Panic in the street, testing one two three
Simple is the song-- sing to carry on
The lyrics of "Shotgun" by Earl Greyhound appear to convey a sense of self-discovery and self-awareness. The repetition of "I am nobody, nobody is who I am" suggests that the persona is searching for their identity and possibly feeling lost or disconnected from the world around them. The lines "nothing, nothing, nothing in my hands" and "I am a wanderer on these sands" indicate a lack of material possessions and a sense of aimlessness.
However, there is a moment of enlightenment where the persona is carried on the wings of a great bird to a temple, where they hear the word. The exact meaning of "the word" is not clear, but it could represent a spiritual or philosophical revelation. The themes of surrender, fire, and looking into the eyes of the raven suggest a transformative experience.
The repeated phrase "dead man on the run, him and his shotgun" adds a layer of tension and danger to the song. It is not clear whether the persona is the dead man with the shotgun or simply observing the scene. However, the line "simple is the song-- sing to carry on" suggests that even in the face of danger, there is a simple solution: to keep moving forward and find strength in music.
Overall, "Shotgun" by Earl Greyhound is a rich and multi-layered song that explores themes of identity, self-discovery, and perseverance in the face of danger.
Line by Line Meaning
I am nobody, nobody is who I am
I'm not someone who is well-known or recognized, I'm just a regular person on this Earth.
I am a traveler on this land
I'm a wanderer, traveling to different places to experience and explore new things.
And nothing, nothing, nothing in my hands
I don't have anything that I hold onto or possess so dearly, my hands are empty.
I am a wanderer on these sands
I'm a vagabond walking on the desert sands, not really belonging to any particular place or station in life.
And I got down on my knees and folded my hands
I knelt down in awe and submission and clasped my hands together.
And on the great wings of a great bird
A giant avian creature lifted me up on its strong wings.
I was carried to a temple
The bird took me to a temple, a sacred place of worship.
Where I heard the word...
There, I listened to the divine message that taught me something important.
Dead man on the run, him and his shotgun
There is a man who's fleeing for his life with his firearm, and he's already deceased.
Panic in the street, testing one two three
There's an atmosphere of chaos and fear in the street, as if people are conducting an emergency drill.
Simple is the song-- sing to carry on
The song is easy to understand and melodious, and it's meant to help us cope with the difficulties of life.
Through the red sky on the crow's wing I stand
I brace myself while flying on the wings of a crow, amidst a reddish sky.
And now to the radiant sun I surrender myself again
I bow down to the bright sun, offering myself once more to its warmth and light.
Then higher through the fire and to Orion with the raven
Slowly, I rise to the skies, passing through a fiery atmosphere, and journeying with a raven towards the constellation of Orion.
I look into the eyes...
I gaze into someone's eyes, probably someone important or powerful.
Contributed by Owen M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@groovywaffle401
I am nobody, nobody is who I am
I am a traveler on this land
And nothing, nothing, nothing in my hands
I am nobody, nobody is who I am
I am a wanderer on these sands
And I got down on my knees and folded my hands
And on the great wings of a great bird
I was carried to a temple
Where I heard the word...
Dead man on the run, him and his shotgun
Panic in the street, testing one two three
Simple is the song-- sing to carry on
Dead man on the run, him and his shotgun
I am nobody, nobody is who I am
Through the red sky on the crow's wing I stand
And now to the radiant sun I surrender myself again
Then higher through the fire and to Orion with the raven
I look into the eyes...
Dead man on the run, him and his shotgun
Panic in the street, testing one two three
Simple is the song-- sing to carry on
Dead man on the run...
Dead man on the run, him and his shotgun
Panic in the street, testing one two three
Simple is the song-- sing to carry on
@TheHanfi93
12 years to late but thanks spotify <3 what a banger this is!
@Spudjett
Same!
@ThePromisedWLAN
4:23 "You call that soup woman?"
@sirelegant7495
I've got a habit of finding a good song and listening to it on repeat until i hate it. Roughly 50 loops in and I'm still in love with this song.
@lalaloopsley4376
Lmao, discovered this one yesterday and I've already go the lyrics memorized from the amount of times I've listened to it. Shame they went on hiatus!
@timoese
Heard this song for the first time this monday,
must be the 15th time this week now! what a song, love it!
@xDmindless
Ditto, goddamn it is so good
@jedininja666
Absolutely storming song! Can't believe once again I'm discovering mindblowing classics on Beavis and Butthead! It's like 1993 all over again, I love it!
@RyanB1987
THANK YOU BEVIS AND BUTTHEAD!!!! I love this band!!!
@anthonybrletic974
Can't stop listening.