Renegade
Smut Peddlers Lyrics


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Rigid chopper
Six gun at his side
All he has to live for
Is another place to ride
Hasn't got a home or a family
Doesn't hold a regular job
He's living off the land
And the people that he robs
Lawless rebel
Outlaw renegade
Burning up miles of black top
Hoping to get laid
Here comes another one horse town
There goes another bank
Only a few had to be put down
And he's still got half a tank
Nights about Tennessee whiskey
Days are all bathtub crank
His pockets are bulging with money
And the good Lord gets all the thanks
Lawless rebel
Outlaw renegade
Sailing along on the open road
By sundown he'll get paid
Wind whips through his hair
In the high plains desert sun
Headed he cares not where
With two fifths, a bindle and his gun
One place he does not care to go
Is a place called life in jail
His iron cross rear view mirror
Shows a state trooper on his tail
He shoots it out with the copper
And he empties his. 44
He's runnin' low on bullets
But the cops got plenty more
He takes cover behind the fat bob tanks
Of his '53 panhead
But a round ricochets of the S&S carb
And leaves him on the highway dead
Lawless rebel
Outlaw renegade




The universal truth is that
The piper must be paid

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Smut Peddlers’ song ‘Renegade’ depict the life of a lawless rebel who lives outside of society's norms. He is described as a biker with a rigid chopper and a six-gun at his side, who has no home, family, or regular job. He steals from people and banks, and lives off the land. He is constantly on the move, burning up miles of blacktop, hoping to get laid. The renegade is portrayed as someone who is free and unburdened by societal norms, but also facing the constant threat of danger, given his outlaw status.


The song is written in a narrative style, allowing the listener to picture the renegade’s life and journey in their minds. The lyrics also highlight the renegade’s fatalistic outlook on life. He lives for the moment, and his only concern is to avoid life in jail. He is willing to shoot it out with the police and even dies at the hands of the law enforcement officers.


The song’s lyrics reflect the life and times of American motorcycle culture, and the romanticized image of the renegade biker. It captures the spirit of rebellion, the yearning for freedom, and the recklessness and danger that come with it. Overall, ‘Renegade’ is a tribute to renegades and outlaw culture and serves as a window into the world of people who live outside of society's expectations.


Line by Line Meaning

Rigid chopper
He rides a motorcycle manufactured before the 1960s


Six gun at his side
He carries a revolver as a weapon


All he has to live for
His life only consists of finding new destinations to ride to


Is another place to ride
His only pleasure in life is riding his motorcycle to new places


Hasn't got a home or a family
He is homeless and has no family


Doesn't hold a regular job
He doesn't have a regular job


He's living off the land
He obtains his food and shelter through the means of the environment


And the people that he robs
He sometimes steals from people to get what he wants


Lawless rebel
He is a rebel who doesn't follow any laws


Outlaw renegade
He is a person who lives as a fugitive from the law


Burning up miles of black top
He rides his motorcycle across the roads and goes to different places


Hoping to get laid
He goes to different places with the hope of finding a sexual partner


Here comes another one horse town
He enters another small town, which doesn't have much going on


There goes another bank
He robs another bank of its money


Only a few had to be put down
He killed a few people while robbing the bank


And he's still got half a tank
He still has half a tank of gasoline left in his motorcycle


Nights about Tennessee whiskey
He drinks Tennessee whiskey at night


Days are all bathtub crank
He takes drugs, likely methamphetamines, during the day


His pockets are bulging with money
He has a lot of stolen money in his pockets


And the good Lord gets all the thanks
He thanks God for his well-being


Sailing along on the open road
He rides his motorcycle across the open roads, enjoying it


By sundown he'll get paid
He expects to make money before the end of the day


Wind whips through his hair
The wind blows through his hair while he's riding his motorcycle


In the high plains desert sun
He is in the sunny high plains desert


Headed he cares not where
He is indifferent to his destination


With two fifths, a bindle and his gun
He carries two forty ounce bottles, a small bag containing drugs, and his revolver as essential items


One place he does not care to go
The person does not want to go to jail


Is a place called life in jail
He expresses his hatred towards being in a jail


His iron cross rear view mirror
He has an iron cross decorated rearview mirror on his motorcycle


Shows a state trooper on his tail
He sees a state trooper following him in the mirror


He shoots it out with the copper
He exchanges fire with the police officer


And he empties his. 44
He fires all the rounds of his revolver (.44 caliber)


He's runnin' low on bullets
He has almost used all of his revolver bullets


But the cops got plenty more
The police officer has more bullets left in his gun


He takes cover behind the fat bob tanks
He hides his body behind the fat bob tanks of his motorcycle


Of his '53 panhead
He rides a 1953 panhead model motorcycle


But a round ricochets of the S&S carb
A bullet from the officer's gun bounces off the S&S carburetor of his motorcycle


And leaves him on the highway dead
He dies on the highway


The universal truth is that
It is a general truth that


The piper must be paid
He must face the consequences of the crimes he committed




Contributed by Thomas R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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