Johnny recorded as a member of the 1980's southern rock band The Johnny Van Zant Band which released albums in 1980, 1981 and 1982. The band shortened its name to Van Zant for the release of its fourth album in 1985, the eponymous Van Zant, which saw some chart success with "You've Got to Believe in Love" and "I'm a Fighter". However, this band was not the same as the current version of Van Zant and did not include brother Donnie.
Johnny released another album under his full name in 1990, but spent most of his time in that period singing for the Lynyrd Skynyrd reunion group. He joined up with Donnie, and they revived the Van Zant name to release an album in 1998, which led to a follow up album in 2001. They have also released two albums to the country music format: 2005's Get Right with the Man and 2007's My Kind of Country. Overall, the group has had two singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks charts (the prior incarnation of Van Zant also had two), and six on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
She's Out With a Gun
Van Zant Lyrics
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Bullets speak louder than words.
No tears, fallin' tonight,
Oh this time she's gonna be heard.
She's done, closin' her eyes,
To a stranger that he's become.
And as he flashes into her mind,
She's out with a gun,
She's gonna get even this time.
It's over and done,
She's layin' it all on the line.
For so long, she was his life,
As sure as the moon and the stars.
But he turned the fire into ice,
Now there's a new face in his heart.
Love kills as sure as it blinds,
But life swallows up the soul.
And once you cross right over that line,
It's gone forever, it's gone forever.
She's out with a gun,
She's gonna get even this time.
It's over and done,
She's layin' it all on the line.
The lyrics of Van Zant's song "She's Out With a Gun" depict a woman who has been deeply hurt and betrayed by a man she once loved. The opening lines of the song, "Cold steel, tucked out of sight, bullets speak louder than words", set the tone for what is to come, suggesting that the woman is embarking on a dangerous mission of vengeance. She has reached a breaking point and is no longer willing to suffer in silence. She has a gun and is determined to make him pay for what he's done.
The chorus of the song, "She's out with a gun, she's gonna get even this time, it's over and done, she's laying it all on the line", further emphasizes her intent. She's not afraid to take matters into her own hands and is willing to face whatever consequences come her way. The lines "For so long, she was his life, as sure as the moon and the stars, but he turned the fire into ice, now there's a new face in his heart" suggest that he was once deeply in love with her, but has now replaced her with someone else. The betrayal is compounded by the fact that he acted callously, extinguishing the flames of their passion and leaving her feeling cold and alone.
The song speaks to the powerful emotions that can be unleashed when love is betrayed. It is a powerful reminder that people can only take so much before they reach their breaking point. The ending line, "It's gone forever, it's gone forever", speaks to the finality of the decision that the woman has made. She knows that what she's doing is final and that there is no turning back.
Line by Line Meaning
Cold steel, tucked out of sight,
Her gun, a deadly weapon, is concealed and ready for use.
Bullets speak louder than words.
Violence is more effective than speaking when dealing with certain situations.
No tears, fallin' tonight,
She is no longer crying over the man who hurt her.
Oh this time she's gonna be heard.
She will not be silenced, she will be listened to this time.
She's done, closin' her eyes,
She has given up on the relationship with the man who has hurt her.
To a stranger that he's become.
The man she once knew is now a stranger to her.
And as he flashes into her mind,
Memories of the man come rushing back to her mind.
She feels the trigger, she feels the trigger.
She is ready to pull the trigger and make him pay for what he's done.
She's out with a gun,
She is on a mission to seek revenge.
She's gonna get even this time.
She will make sure the man who hurt her pays a price for his actions.
It's over and done,
Their relationship is over and there is no going back.
She's layin' it all on the line.
She is risking everything to make sure justice is served.
For so long, she was his life,
She was an important part of his life for a very long time.
As sure as the moon and the stars.
Their love was as unshakable as the celestial bodies in the sky.
But he turned the fire into ice,
He destroyed their love and left her feeling cold and alone.
Now there's a new face in his heart.
He has moved on and found someone new to replace her.
Love kills as sure as it blinds,
Love can be deadly and blind you to the truth of a situation.
But life swallows up the soul.
Life can destroy your soul and leave you empty inside.
And once you cross right over that line,
Once you reach a certain point, there is no turning back.
It's gone forever, it's gone forever.
Once something is lost, it can never be reclaimed.
Contributed by Daniel Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Chris Anderson
this whole album was a melodic masterpiece as the layerd intrumentals , vocals, lyrical content created haunting images of each piece. the musical structure allowed the space for a very flowing album that belending into each song and this song was the jewell in the crown
Vital Pharmacy
"you'got to believe in love" my No1 of the album..This is No2
anthonybay1
This is true AOR genius and should have been a million-seller worldwide hit!
Rock Melodic Radio - AOR MELODIC ROCK HARD ROCK
more amazing music on https://rockmelodic-radio.com/
Gabriel Ramos
Se você é brasileiro e curte esse som eu preciso dizer que tu é FODA e sabe o que é realmente música.
Como dizia o ditado: Clássico não é aquilo que é velho. Clássico é aquilo que é eterno...
Isso não vai morrer nunca! 2023.
Larvin might
35 years still sounds amazing
JohnRocks6368
this shows how old I am, my local Rock radio station in Dayton Ohio, WTUE, would play 'Midnight Theater' and showcase a new album at midnight. So being the cheap, on a budget guy I was, I would setup my tape recorder to start recording that station just before midnight. Little did I know what a gem I had just recorded. This entire album was great start to finish. Brings back great memories every time I hear it.
Barry Hetherington
This song IS TOTALLY 80’s ear candy! AOR from the heavens!!!
Rock Melodic Radio - AOR MELODIC ROCK HARD ROCK
more amazing music on https://rockmelodic-radio.com/
Ana Pais
4-4-2021 Still one of the best songs ever ❤️🇵🇹