Love and Death and an American Guitar
Jim Steinman Lyrics
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I remember every little thing as if it happened only
yesterday.I was barely 17 and I once killed a boy with a fender guitar.
I don't remember if it was a Telecaster or a Stratocaster,but i do remember
that it had a heart of chrome and a voice like a horny angel.
I don't remember if it was a Telecaster or a Stratocaster,
but I do remember
that it wasn't at all easy.
and the precise angle
from which to strike.
The guitar bled for about a week afterwards and the blood was
ooh...
dark and rich like wild berries.
The blood of the guitar was Chuck Berry red!
The guitar bled for about a week afterwards and it rung out beautifully ,
and I was able to play notes that I had never even heard before.
So I took my guitar and I smashed it against the wall!!
I smashed it against the floor!!
I smashed it against the body of a varsity cheerleader!!
I smashed it against the hood of a car
I smashed it agianst a 1981-Harley Davidson...
The Harley howled in pain, the guitar howled in heat!
I ran up the stairs to my parents bedroom
Mommy and Daddy were sleeping in the moonlight
slowly I opened the door creeping in the shadows right
up to the foot of the bed
I raised my guitar high above my head and just as I was
about to bring the guitar crashing down upon the center of the bed
my father woke up screaming:
"stop...wait a minute..stop it,boy"
"what do you think you're doing???
That's no way to treat an expensive musical instrument"
And I said "god damn it, daddy!!!You know I love you....."
"BUT YOU GOT A HELL OF A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT ROCK AND ROLL!!!!!"
The song "Love And Death And An American Guitar" by Jim Steinman tells a story of a teenage boy who reminisces about the time when he was 17 and killed a boy with a guitar. He remembers the guitar he used, describing it as either a Telecaster or a Stratocaster with a heart of chrome and a voice like a horny angel. The boy recalls that he had to strike the guitar at the precise angle with the right power chords to achieve the perfect sound. The guitar bled for a week afterward, giving off a beautiful sound that he had never heard before.
However, after this, the boy destroyed the guitar by smashing it against various objects such as walls, floors, and even a Harley Davidson motorcycle. He then had a strange idea of going to his parents' bedroom, drawn by the sound of the guitar still ringing in his ears. He raised the guitar high above his head, prepared to bring it crashing down on the center of the bed until his father screamed at him to stop, telling him that he didn't know how to treat an expensive musical instrument. The boy then replies to his father, telling him that he loves him but has a lot to learn about rock and roll.
The song tells a vivid story of a young man's passion for music and the lengths he was willing to go to create the perfect sound. It portrays how music can be an obsessive passion, leading one to do the unthinkable. The lyricist uses imagery, metaphors, and symbolism in the verse, providing depth and meaning to the story. The song's message is about the sacrifices one makes to create beautiful music and the price one has to pay in the pursuit of perfection.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember everything!
Detailed recollection of a past violent event
I remember every little thing as if it happened only yesterday.
Vivid memories of a past event still remain fresh after a long period of time
I was barely 17 and I once killed a boy with a fender guitar.
Narration of a violent incident involving the use of a Fender guitar as a weapon
I don't remember if it was a Telecaster or a Stratocaster, but i do remember that it had a heart of chrome and a voice like a horny angel.
Specific details about the guitar used as a weapon
It required the perfect combination of the right power chords and the precise angle from which to strike.
Description of the skill required to attack with the guitar
The guitar bled for about a week afterwards and the blood was ooh... dark and rich like wild berries.
Metaphoric description of the marks left on the guitar after the attack
The blood of the guitar was Chuck Berry red!
Comparing the red color of the blood to the name of a known musician
The guitar bled for about a week afterwards and it rung out beautifully , and I was able to play notes that I had never even heard before.
Ability to play music on the guitar after the attack with a new skill level
So I took my guitar and I smashed it against the wall!!
Further damage to the guitar by smashing it against various surfaces
I smashed it against the floor!! I smashed it against the body of a varsity cheerleader!! I smashed it against the hood of a car I smashed it agianst a 1981-Harley Davidson...
Continued and violent damage to the guitar by smashing it on different objects
The Harley howled in pain, the guitar howled in heat!
Personifying the motorcycle and guitar based on their reaction to the attacks
I ran up the stairs to my parents bedroom Mommy and Daddy were sleeping in the moonlight slowly I opened the door creeping in the shadows right up to the foot of the bed.
Setting the scene of sneaking into a sleeping parent's bedroom
I raised my guitar high above my head and just as I was about to bring the guitar crashing down upon the center of the bed my father woke up screaming: "stop...wait a minute..stop it,boy" "what do you think you're doing??? That's no way to treat an expensive musical instrument"
Father interrupts the violent act to express concern for the guitar and disapproval of its use as a weapon
And I said "god damn it, daddy!!!You know I love you....." "BUT YOU GOT A HELL OF A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT ROCK AND ROLL!!!!!"
Response to father's disapproval, indicating a passionate connection between music and violent behavior
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christian Wheeler
Rest In Peace, Jim, and thank you for teaching us a hell of a lot about rock and roll.
Angie Barr
I still have the 45 that was given to me when I was 11. This BLEW MY MIND. I had never heard anything like it before or since. The flip side is Rock and Roll Dreams Come Through, which instantly became one of my favourite songs. My adolescence would have been very different without Jim Steinman and Meatloaf.
Melee Stormbringer
I thought The Storm was the flip side of the 45. Been so long since I owned that....
richard coburn
rock n roll dreams come through not true
woodrailking
"No Anchovies Please" by J. Geils Band is kind of like this.
da5idnz
Angie Barr Did the single (Rock and Roll Dreams) have the extended ending?
Rainbow Of Love.
give...Pandoras box a listen...gr8 too...Jim wrote/produced.
Denise Andrews
Man, I just found out about his death and it makes me sad. He was a musical genius. I will need to dig this vinyl out and listen to the whole thing back to back, including the 45 that came with it. RIP man.
Velton Conoley
I haven’t heard this for years ! Still a classic!
David Carlson
This is the perfect song to start a party playlist with!