Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Gun Song
The Lumineers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't own a single gun
But if I did you'd be the one
To hold it, aim it, make all of the bad men run
But I don't own a single gun

I don't have a sweetheart yet
But if I did I'd break my neck
To please her, make her want to stay, in my arms, she'd rest
But I don't have a sweetheart yet

I can't believe what I found in daddy's
Sock drawer, sock drawer today
It was a pistol, a Smith & Wesson
Holy, holy shit

La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la

One, two
One two three

Things I knew when I was young
Some were true and some were wrong
And one day, I pray, I'll be more than my father's son
But I don't own a single gun

La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la
La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la

Overall Meaning

The Lumineers' song "Gun Song" is a powerful track that deals with themes like masculinity, responsibility, and family legacy. The song is about a man who doesn't own a gun but feels like he should to protect the people he loves. He imagines a scenario where he owns a gun, and his sweetheart is in danger. In that hypothetical situation, he would do whatever it takes to keep her safe. He juxtaposes this need for protection with his lack of a sweetheart and a gun, which leaves him feeling incomplete.


The song takes an interesting turn when the singer finds a gun in his father's sock drawer. The use of the phrase "holy, holy shit" implies that he was shocked and surprised that his father would keep a gun. The discovery of the gun adds another layer to the singer's reflections on masculinity and responsibility. He realizes that the gun represents a family legacy that he will have to carry forward. He hopes that one day, he'll be able to be more than his father's son and break free from this cycle of violence.


Line by Line Meaning

I don't own a single gun
The singer doesn’t possess firearms, but if they did, they would give it to the person they trust most.


But if I did you'd be the one
The person the singer trusts the most becomes their protector if they had a gun.


To hold it, aim it, make all of the bad men run
The person the singer trusts the most will defend them and make bad people run using the gun.


I don't have a sweetheart yet
The singer doesn’t have a lover at this moment.


But if I did I'd break my neck
The singer will do everything and anything to make their lover happy.


To please her, make her want to stay, in my arms, she'd rest
The singer will put in the effort to keep their lover happy and secure in their arms.


I can't believe what I found in daddy's Sock drawer, sock drawer today
The singer is shocked by what they found in their father's sock drawer.


It was a pistol, a Smith & Wesson
The object the singer finds is a type of firearm.


Holy, holy shit
The singer is stunned and amazed by their discovery.


Things I knew when I was young
The singer reflects on what they knew when they were young.


Some were true and some were wrong
The singer acknowledges that not all of their beliefs and knowledge from their youth were correct.


And one day, I pray, I'll be more than my father's son
The singer hopes to achieve something significant in their lifetime.


La-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la
These lines are the chorus of the song with no specific meaning.


One, two
This line is part of the transition from the chorus to the next verse.


One two three
This line continues the transition before the next verse.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Wesley Schultz, Jeremy Fraites, Jason Van Dyke

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

More Versions