Elizabeth Clark Phair is an American singer and songwriter. Born in New Hav… Read Full Bio ↴Elizabeth Clark Phair is an American singer and songwriter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career in San Francisco, California, but returned to her home in Chicago, where she began self-releasing audio cassettes under the name Girly-Sound. The tapes led to a recording contract with the independent record label Matador Records.

Phair's 1993 debut studio album, Exile in Guyville, was released to acclaim; it has been ranked by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Phair followed this with her second album, Whip-Smart (1994), which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, and Whitechocolatespaceegg (1998). Ten years after the release of her debut, Phair's fourth album, Liz Phair (2003), released on Capitol Records, moved towards pop rock, earning her a mainstream audience but alienating critics.

After the release of her fifth album, Somebody's Miracle (2005), Phair left Capitol and released her sixth album Funstyle independently in 2010. In 2018, it was announced that Matador Records would be releasing a retrospective set for Phair's debut album Exile in Guyville which includes remastered recordings from her original Girly-Sound demo tapes. Phair released her seventh studio album, Soberish, in 2021.

Gunshy
Liz Phair Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Rifle in hand and
Two in the bush
Three-count delay
I may need a little push
Take out the garbage on Tuesday nights
Seems like the small things are the only things I'll fight
Seems like the small things are the only things I'll fight

Gun-shy
Gun-shy
Gun-shy
Gun-shy

See-monkeys, do-monkeys
Story of my life
Send three bucks to a comic book
Get a house, car, and wife
Send three bucks to a comic book
Get a house, car, and wife

(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy

(Wife) gun-shy
(Wife) gun-shy

Overall Meaning

The song "Gunshy" by Liz Phair contains several elements and themes worth analyzing. The song starts with "Rifle in hand and Two in the bush, Three-count delay, I may need a little push." This imagery evokes an image of someone who may be going hunting or preparing for a dangerous situation. The delay before taking action represents fear or hesitation before doing something difficult or dangerous. The line "Take out the garbage on Tuesday nights, seems like the small things are the only things I'll fight" reveals that the singer struggles with motivation and is prone to procrastination. The song expresses the ideas of fear, apprehension, and indecisiveness.

The next part of the song contains the refrain "Gun-shy", implying emotional and psychological trauma. The line "Send three bucks to a comic book, Get a house, car, and wife" speaks to the idea that happiness can be bought, but at what cost to the person's sense of identity? It's a commentary on consumerism and the American Dream. The final repetition of "Gun-shy" with "Wife gun-shy" suggests that love or relationships are something that the singer is scared of.

Line by Line Meaning

Rifle in hand and
Holding a gun, ready for action

Two in the bush
Possibility of more than what is present

Three-count delay
Needing a moment to steady oneself before acting

I may need a little push
Lacking the confidence to act alone

Take out the garbage on Tuesday nights
Menial tasks are a struggle for me

Seems like the small things are the only things I'll fight
Overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities

Gun-shy
Afraid to take action

See-monkeys, do-monkeys
Copying what others do

Story of my life
This is a pattern for me

Send three bucks to a comic book
Desire for escapism

Get a house, car, and wife
Idealized version of what a successful life looks like