West gained fame the world over during his long career as one of the most innovative and influential musicians in the history of rock music. He is most noted for his role as leader of the explosive hard rock trio, Mountain, which was named by VH-1 as one of the Top 100 Hard Rock Groups of all time. With Mountain, he climbed the heights of rock stardom on the strength of a unique, signature guitar sound and classic songs such as “Mississippi Queen”, “Never In My Life” and “Theme From An Imaginary Western”,and Nantucket Sleighride which are still staples of rock radio to this day. West earned the admiration of a long list of famous peers. During his career, he recorded or played with a litany of rock icons including Billy Joel, Van Halen, The Who, Mick Jagger and Jimi Hendrix, to name just a few. In fact, Eddie Van Halen, Michael Schenker and Richie Sambora have all cited West as an important influence on their own music.
West's bold, expressive and unique guitar style is really a mirror of his own personality. Spend a little time talking with this larger-than-life figure, and you’ll realize that he is as charismatic without a guitar in his hands as he is with one. Possessing a sharp sense of humor, he was at once gregarious and gruff while recounting stories from his legendary past. When discussing his music projects, he exuded an infectious enthusiasm and excitement. Such projects could take him outside his traditional roles of guitarist, singer and songwriter.
In 1986, he acted alongside Tom Hanks and Shelley Long in the hit comedy film, The Money Pit and has lent his distinctive voice to the popular animated series, Beast Wars Transformers which ran for three seasons on the WB network beginning in 1996 before going into syndication. He has also contributed the theme music to the new WB show, Mutant X.
West was a popular personality on the Howard Stern Radio Show and was Musical Director for the shock jock’s FOX series, as well as for the late comedian Sam Kinison. Most recently, he lent his production and songwriting skills to an album by Atlantic Records’ modern rock group, Clutch, and has just released his own instructional guitar DVD, Big Phat Ass Guitar.
Third Degree
Leslie West Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't see a thing.
Got me accused of petting,
I can't even raise my hand.
[Chorus:]
Bad luck,
Bad luck is killing me.
Got me accused of murder,
I ain't harmed a man.
Got me accused of forgery,
I can't even write my name.
[Chorus]
Got me accused of taxes,
I ain't got a dime.
Got me accused of children
And ain't nary one of them was mine.
[Chorus]
The lyrics of the song "Third Degree" by Leslie West and Joe Bonamassa revolve around being falsely accused of various crimes and misdemeanors. The singer is accused of peeping and petting, but claims ignorance and inability to perform those actions. He is also accused of murder and forgery, but again denies any wrongdoing. Finally, he is accused of taxes and having children, although he claims poverty and childlessness. Throughout the song, there is a sense of frustration and helplessness at being accused of such crimes, and the chorus reflects this sentiment with its repetition of "bad luck, bad luck is killing me" and "I just can't stand no more of this third degree."
This song may be interpreted in multiple ways, but one possible interpretation is that it reflects the anxiety, mistrust, and paranoia that can arise in a society where accusations are taken at face value and due process is not upheld. The singer's frustration at being falsely accused of so many crimes may reflect a deeper sense of injustice and vulnerability, as well as a fear of being labeled as criminal without any evidence or defense. Moreover, the use of the term "third degree" is a reference to a form of interrogation that involves physical and mental torture, further suggesting a theme of coercion and abuse of power in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Got me accused of peeping,
Someone has blamed me for watching or spying on them, but I can't see anything in the dark or from where I am positioned.
I can't see a thing.
Due to my physical limitations, it is impossible for me to see anything, let alone spy on someone.
Got me accused of petting,
Someone has accused me of touching them inappropriately, but I haven't done anything wrong.
I can't even raise my hand.
I am incapable of raising my hand or touching anyone, therefore, the accusation is false.
Bad luck,
I am experiencing a constant string of unfortunate events and circumstances.
Bad luck is killing me.
The continuous unlucky incidents are having a profound negative effect on me, causing stress and strain.
Well I just can't stand no more of this third degree.
I can no longer tolerate being accused and interrogated for things I didn't do. The stress and pressure are too much to handle.
Got me accused of murder,
Someone has falsely accused me of taking another person's life, but I am innocent.
I ain't harmed a man.
I can confidently state that I have not caused harm to any person, thus the accusation is incorrect.
Got me accused of forgery,
I have been accused of illegally copying or imitating someone's signature or document, but that is not the case.
I can't even write my name.
Due to some physical or mental condition, I am unable to sign or write properly, hence I would never forge anyone's signature or document.
Got me accused of taxes,
I have been blamed for evading taxes, but that is not true, as I have no money whatsoever in my possession.
I ain't got a dime.
I can confirm that I don't have any coins or cash with me, making it impossible for me to evade taxes or pay them.
Got me accused of children
Someone has accused me of fathering or having children, but that is not true at all, as I have none in my possession or care.
And ain't nary one of them was mine.
I can assert that none of the children that I am purported to have fathered, are indeed mine, which clears me of any such responsibility.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: EDDIE BOYD, WILLIE DIXON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind