Roy Buchanan's (September 23, 1939 - August 14, 1988) musical career began … Read Full Bio ↴Roy Buchanan's (September 23, 1939 - August 14, 1988) musical career began in Pixley, California. His father was a sharecropper (not a Pentecostal preacher as Buchanan himself had claimed). Buchanan told how his first musical memories were of racially-mixed revival meetings his family would attend. "Gospel," he recalled, "that's how I first got into black music". He in fact drew upon many disparate influences while learning to play his instrument (although he later claimed his aptitude was derived from being "half-wolf"). He initially showed talent on the steel guitar before switching to the standard instrument in the early 50's.

In 1957, Buchanan made his recording debut, playing the solo on Dale Hawkins' "My Babe" for Chicago's Chess Records. Three years later, Buchanan headed north to Canada, where he took charge of the guitar role in Ronnie Hawkins' band (a group later to gain fame as The Band). The group's guitar player, Robbie Robertson, studied guitar under Buchanan, and took over the lead guitar spot when Buchanan left the group.

The early 60's found Buchanan performing numerous gigs as a sideman with multiple rock bands, and cutting a number of sessions as guitarist with musicians such as Freddy Cannon and Merle Kilgore.

Buchanan's 1962 recording with drummer Bobby Gregg, "Potato Peeler", first introduced the trademark Buchanan pinch harmonics. An effort to cash in on the British Invasion caught Buchanan with The British Walkers. In the mid-'60's, Buchanan settled down in the Washington, DC area, playing as a sideman before starting his own groups. One of these groups was called The Snakestretchers, an allusion to Buchanan's disdain for the vagaries of the band experience. The Snakestretchers became a semi-permanent combo for Buchanan starting in this period, with whom he made his first acclaimed recording as a front man, Roy Buchanan & the Snakestretchers. Danny Gatton was another respected Telecaster master who lived in Washington, D.C. at that time. Both musicians gained reputations as under-appreciated guitarists.

In 1971, riding on word-of-mouth reputation that included praise from John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Merle Haggard, and an alleged invitation to join the Rolling Stones, Buchanan gained national notoriety as the result of an hour-long Public broadcasting television documentary. Entitled "The Best Unknown Guitarist In The World", the show rejuvenated a contract with Polydor and began a decade of national and international touring. He recorded five albums for Polydor (one went gold) and three for Atlantic Records (one gold), while playing most major rock concert halls and festivals. Finally, Buchanan quit recording in 1981, vowing never to enter a studio again unless he could record his own music his own way.

Four years later, Buchanan was coaxed back into the studio by Alligator Records. His first album for Alligator, When a Guitar Plays The Blues, was released in the spring of 1985. It was the first time he was given total artistic freedom in the studio. It was also his first true blues album. Fans quickly responded, and the album entered Billboard's pop charts and remained on the charts for 13 weeks. Music critics, as well as fans, applauded Roy's efforts with favorable reviews.

His second Alligator LP, Dancing on the Edge, was released in the fall of 1986. The album, featuring three songs with special guest, rock'n'soul vocalist Delbert McClinton, won the College Media Journal Award for Best Blues Album of 1986.

He released the twelfth LP of his career and his third for Alligator, Hot Wires, in 1987. In addition to Donald Kinsey (formerly with Albert King and Bob Marley), keyboardist Stan Szelest, and Larry Exum (bass) and Morris Jennings (drums), this album includes guest vocals by veteran soul singer Johnny Sayles and blues singer Kanika Kress.

Buchanan died August 14, 1988 in the Fairfax County, Virginia jail while being held after an arrest for public drunkeness. His death was ruled a suicide, although that finding has been disputed by friends and family.

Shotgun
Roy Buchanan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I said shotgun shoot 'em 'fore he run now do the jerk baby do the jerk now.
(Hey).
Put on your red dress and then you go down yonder.
I said buy yourself a shotgun now, were gonna break it down baby now.
We're gonna load it up baby now 'a then you shoot 'em 'fore he run now.

I said shotgun shoot 'em 'fore he run now do the jerk baby do the jerk now.
(Hey).

I said shotgun shoot 'em 'fore he run now do the jerk baby do the jerk now.
(Hey).
I said Put on your high-heeled shoes.
I said we're goin' down here and I listen to 'em play the blues.
We're gonna dig potatoes, we're gonna pick tomatoes.

I said shotgun shoot 'em 'fore he run now do the jerk baby do the jerk now.
(Hey).

Overall Meaning

The song "Shotgun" by Roy Buchanan is an upbeat rock 'n' roll tune that is often interpreted as a song about getting even with someone who has wronged you. The lyrics "I said shotgun shoot 'em 'fore he run now do the jerk baby do the jerk now" are particularly telling, as they suggest someone seeking revenge by using a shotgun to take out their target. However, the song is also often interpreted as being about dancing and having a good time, particularly due to the repeated "do the jerk now" lyrics.

The second verse, "Put on your red dress and then you go down yonder. I said buy yourself a shotgun now, were gonna break it down baby now. We're gonna load it up baby now 'a then you shoot 'em 'fore he run now" further reinforces the idea of taking revenge on someone who has wronged you. The use of the word "break it down" suggests a violent act, while the phrase "shoot 'em 'fore he run now" is particularly sinister.

The third verse, "I said Put on your high-heeled shoes. I said we're goin' down here and I listen to 'em play the blues. We're gonna dig potatoes, we're gonna pick tomatoes" serves as a contrast to the violent imagery in the first two verses. It suggests a more carefree and relaxed atmosphere, with the focus on enjoying music, dancing, and the simple pleasures of life. However, the repeated "shotgun" references suggest that violence may still be lurking beneath the surface.

Overall, "Shotgun" is a complex and multi-layered song that can be interpreted in different ways depending on the listener's perspective. It juxtaposes carefree images of dancing and picking tomatoes with dark allusions to violence and revenge, and the repetitive "shotgun" lyrics keep the tension building throughout the song.

Line by Line Meaning

I said shotgun shoot 'em 'fore he run now do the jerk baby do the jerk now.
I suggest using a shotgun to stop someone from escaping and then dance the jerk

(Hey).
An exclamation or attention getter

Put on your red dress and then you go down yonder.
Get dressed up and go down to the designated area

I said buy yourself a shotgun now, were gonna break it down baby now.
Purchase a shotgun because we are going to use it to stop someone and have fun doing it

We're gonna load it up baby now 'a then you shoot 'em 'fore he run now.
Load the shotgun and use it to stop someone from escaping

I said Put on your high-heeled shoes.
Put on high-heeled shoes

I said we're goin' down here and I listen to 'em play the blues.
We are going to a place to listen to blues music

We're gonna dig potatoes, we're gonna pick tomatoes.
We are going to do some farm work

I said shotgun shoot 'em 'fore he run now do the jerk baby do the jerk now.
Again, I suggest using a shotgun to stop someone from escaping and then dancing the jerk

(Hey).
An exclamation or attention getter

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AUTRY DEWALT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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