van Zandt was born as Steven Lento in Winthrop, Massachusetts. His mother, Mary Lento, remarried when he was young and Steven took the last name of his stepfather, William Van Zandt. The family moved from Massachusetts to Middletown Township, New Jersey when he was seven.
Van Zandt subsequently became a songwriter and producer for fellow Jersey shore act Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes in the mid- to late-1970s, penning their signature song "I Don't Wanna Go Home", co-writing other songs for them with Springsteen, and producing their most-acclaimed record, Hearts of Stone. As such, Van Zandt became a key contributor to the Jersey Shore sound. Van Zandt then went on to share production credits on the classic Springsteen albums Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River, and Born in the U.S.A..
Van Zandt has produced a number of other records, including an uncredited effort on the Iron City Houserockers' Have A Good Time (But Get Out Alive). Less successful was his work on Lone Justice's second album Shelter, which was a career-ending flop for the Los Angeles cowpunk band.
In 2004, he contributed the song "Baby Please Don't Go" to Nancy Sinatra's self-titled album
Van Zandt officially left the E Street Band in 1984 (Springsteen's song "Bobby Jean" is said to be inspired by the split) and has been involved in numerous solo musical projects and collaborations since then, ranging from soul music to hard rock to world music. In particular, he released four albums in the 1980s and one in 1999, sometimes fronting an on-and-off group known as Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. Van Zandt has written that these albums are each elements in a five-part concept cycle. The first of them, 1982's white soul Men Without Women, earned the most critical praise (Jay Cocks of TIME magazine dubbed it one of the ten best albums of the year), while its follow-up, 1984's Voice of America, did the best on the U.S. albums chart, although none of them were much of a commercial success. With Voice of America, his music became explicitly political, with the central theme being opposition to Ronald Reagan-era American foreign policy.
Continuing his involvement in issues of the day, in 1985 he created the music-industry activist group Artists United Against Apartheid as an action against the Sun City resort in South Africa. Forty-nine top recording artists, including Springsteen, U2, Bob Dylan and Run DMC, collaborated on a song called "Sun City" in which they pledged they would never perform at the resort. The effort was modestly successful. In 1987 he released the album Freedom - No Compromise, which continued the political messaging in an even more strident fashion. Some U.S. appearances in that year as opening act for U2's arena-and-stadium Joshua Tree Tour continued in the same vein – Oliver North was labelled a "criminal motherfucker" – but were not well-received by audiences, who found the sound overbearing and the performances lacking musicality. Both the record and his concerts were more popular in Europe, however. Little Steven's fourth album, 1989's Revolution, attracted little attention.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Van_Zandt
Under the Gun
Little Steven Lyrics
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Whose name do you call
Ain't it funny how all the rest
Don't mean a thing at all
And baby where you been to
It's down to you and me
No more foolin' around the pressure's on now
What's it gonna be
Can you still deliver
After all these years
Don't you feel abandoned, let's see who's standing
After the smoke clears
And how does it feel baby
To taste your own sweat
Your skin is crawlin', your mama's callin'
But you ain't safe yet
You're under the gun
In the eleventh hour
You find out what you're made of
Gather your strength if you've got what it takes
To protect the things you love
We're runnin' out of heroes
So what you gonna do
Can't wait forever I got bad news
They're all waiting for you
You're under the gun
The song, “Under The Gun” by Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul, is a powerful anthem about the pressure and the sense of urgency that comes with difficult situations or decisions. The lyrics talk about being in the eleventh hour, which means the last moment before something critical happens, and that’s when one finds out what they're made of. The song's message is clear: at some point in our lives, we will all be put under pressure, and that moment will test us and show what we're capable of.
The song's lyrics also speak to the idea of accountability, responsibility and bravery. The line “Can you still deliver, after all these years” suggests that whatever the situation is, time does not change its importance. The notion of tasting your sweat, feeling your skin crawl and your mother calling out to you are all reminders that irrespective of our age, status, gender or race - we all respond same to challenges. The line “We’re running out of heroes” emphasizes the need for people to step up, take responsibility and not wait for others to solve problems. Finally, ‘Under The Gun’ speaks to the urgency of taking action, especially when the time is running out, and the stakes are high.
Line by Line Meaning
In the eleventh hour
In a moment of crisis
Whose name do you call
Who do you turn to for help?
Ain't it funny how all the rest
It's ironic how everything else is unimportant
Don't mean a thing at all
Completely irrelevant
And baby where you been to
Where have you been hiding?
It's down to you and me
We are the only ones left to face this situation
No more foolin' around the pressure's on now
It's time to get serious, there's no room for jokes
What's it gonna be
What decision will you make?
You're under the gun
You're in a high-pressure situation that requires action
Can you still deliver
Can you still come through and get the job done?
After all these years
After all this time has passed
Don't you feel abandoned, let's see who's standing
Do you feel alone? Let's see who's still around to help
After the smoke clears
Once the chaos has subsided
And how does it feel baby
How does it feel, my dear?
To taste your own sweat
To experience the physical and emotional stress of this situation
Your skin is crawlin', your mama's callin'
You're feeling anxious and even your mother is worried
But you ain't safe yet
The danger is still present
In the eleventh hour
Again, in a moment of crisis
You find out what you're made of
You discover your true character and strengths
Gather your strength if you've got what it takes
If you are capable, it's time to pull yourself together and act
To protect the things you love
To defend the people or things important to you
We're runnin' out of heroes
There are few people left to look up to
So what you gonna do
What actions will you take?
Can't wait forever I got bad news
There's no more time to waste, and the news is not good
They're all waiting for you
Everyone is counting on you
You're under the gun
Once again, you're in a high-pressure situation that requires action
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANABELLA MARINA LWIN, MICK RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind