Machine Gun
Jimi Hendrix攀 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tearing my body all apart
Machine gun
Tearing my body all apart
Evil man make me kill ya
Evil man make you kill me
Even though we're only families apart
Well I pick up my axe and fight lik a bomber
(you know what I mean)
Hey and your bullets keep knocking me down
Hey I pick up my axe and fight like a bomber now
Yeah but you still blast me down to the ground
The same way you shoot me down baby
You'll be going just the same
Three times the pain
And your own self to blame
Hey machine gun
Oooooooooo
I ain't afraid of your mess no more, babe
I ain't afraid no more
After a while your your cheap talk don't evern cause me pain
So let your bullets fly like rain
'cause I know all the time you're wrong baby
And you'll be goin' just the same
Yeah machine gun
Tearing my family apart
Yeah yeah alright
Tearing my family apart
Don't you shoot him down
He's about to leave here
Don't you shoot him down
He's got to stay here
He ain't going nowhere
He's been shot down to the ground
Oh where he can't survive no no
Yeah that's what we don't wanna hear any more, alright
No bullets
At least here, huh huh
No guns, no bombs
Huh huh
No nothin', just let's all live and live
You know instead of killin'
The opening lyrics of Jimi Hendrix’s song “Machine Gun” suggest a hauntingly violent image. The machine gun has not only the power to rip apart the singer’s body, but it is also being used to tear apart a family. The repetition of the lines “Evil man make me kill ya/Evil man make you kill me” reveal that the violence is senseless and that both sides are trapped in a cycle of violence that they are unable to break free from. The lyrics also suggest the futility of violence as the singer notes that even though they are families apart, the evil man has made them turn against each other.
However, the lyrics also display a sense of defiance against this violence. The singer picks up his axe, a symbol for his guitar, and fights back. The aggressor is just as vulnerable as the singer and will eventually face the same fate. The repetition of the line “Hey machine gun” is a call to arms, a way of asserting power and control over an otherwise hopeless situation. In the end, the singer declares that he is no longer afraid of the violence and his determination to live without it is clear through the last lines of the song.
Overall, Jimi Hendrix’s “Machine Gun” speaks to the violence and destruction that occurs in war, as well as the damaging effects it has on both individuals and society. The lyrics explore the cyclical nature of violence and the hopelessness it creates, but also display a sense of defiance and determination to overcome it.
Line by Line Meaning
Machine gun
The sound of gunfire that tears apart the singer's body
Tearing my body all apart
The bullets from the machine gun are causing the singer immense pain and bodily harm
Evil man make me kill ya
The singer feels forced to kill someone by someone they perceive to be evil
Evil man make you kill me
The other person is being similarly forced to kill by the same evil individual
Evil man make me kill you
The singer is once again stating that they are being compelled to commit violence by a malevolent figure
Even though we're only families apart
Despite the fact that the two individuals being coerced into violence likely share some kind of bond, it is not enough to overcome the manipulations of the evil figure
Well I pick up my axe and fight lik a bomber
The singer is arming themselves and going into battle in a manner befitting a bomber aircraft
(you know what I mean)
This is just an interjection to add emphasis to the previous line
Hey and your bullets keep knocking me down
Despite the singer's efforts to fight back, they are still being struck by bullets and losing the fight
The same way you shoot me down baby
The person the singer is fighting is being warned that they will meet the same fate
You'll be going just the same
The same doom awaits the person the singer is fighting
Three times the pain
The singer is predicting that the person they're battling will experience an even greater pain than what they've already felt
And your own self to blame
If the other person ends up experiencing pain, it is because they brought it upon themselves by engaging in violence
Hey machine gun
The singer is addressing the weapon itself as if it has agency
Oooooooooo
This is just a vocalization meant to convey emotion
I ain't afraid of your mess no more, babe
The singer is declaring their lack of fear in the face of violence
I ain't afraid no more
This is just a reiteration of the previous line
After a while your your cheap talk don't evern cause me pain
The other person's attempts to intimidate the singer with threats and bravado are no longer having an effect
So let your bullets fly like rain
The singer is daring the other person to continue shooting at them
'cause I know all the time you're wrong baby
The singer is convinced that their opponent is in the wrong
And you'll be goin' just the same
The singer is reiterating that their opponent will meet the same fate as anyone else who engages in violence
Tearing my family apart
The violence is not only harming the singer, but also their loved ones
Don't you shoot him down
The singer is pleading for someone not to be shot
He's about to leave here
This person is apparently trying to leave the situation behind
He's got to stay here
The singer is insisting that this person must stay and resolve the conflict
He ain't going nowhere
This person will not be allowed to leave
He's been shot down to the ground
The person the singer was trying to protect has been shot and wounded
Oh where he can't survive no no
The person is apparently in critical condition (or dead)
Yeah that's what we don't wanna hear any more, alright
The violence and pain caused by it has gone on for too long and must stop
No bullets
The singer is advocating for the cessation of violence by advocating that people stop resorting to guns
At least here, huh huh
The singer is clarifying that they are suggesting no bullets be fired in their own vicinity
No guns, no bombs
The singer doesn't want any weapons to be used at all
Huh huh
This is just a vocalization meant to convey a casual tone
No nothin', just let's all live and live
The singer is advocating for peace and the avoidance of violence
You know instead of killin'
The singer believes that people should work together and cooperate instead of resorting to violence
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOHN OSWALD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind