StrangerInThisTown Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 (edited) I've been trying to get into this song, but I'm already failing at understanding the songtitle. I don't see how anything in the song relates to a Shotgun, and the term "riding Shotgun" which I'm familiar with would make no sense either as far as I can tell. I just don't get what it means, I never heard that phrase anywhere before, am I just someone with an IQ under 15? Can anyone explain it? Edited August 24, 2021 by StrangerInThisTown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvanG Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 Me... I just like to dance. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom-Ass Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 6 minutes ago, EvanG said: Me... I just like to dance. With your verbal masturbation? Always liked this song... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTJ80 Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 Dunno it’s exact meaning (the title) but I’ve always liked the song……proper rage in the lyrics and vocals and some cracking guitar. Never understood it’s lowly place in the lists of GNR songs! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerInThisTown Posted August 24, 2021 Author Share Posted August 24, 2021 30 minutes ago, Tom-Ass said: With your verbal masturbation? Always liked this song... Well thanks for your verbal masturbation, because I am none the wiser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bojan Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 Since it's supposedly about Vince Neil I reckon the title refers to Vince and his band riding shotgun to Guns (they are not in charge, not as important as Guns)... And they have the blues because of that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bojan Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 How's that for provocation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweersa Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 That song is like the IRS and Riad of that album. I enjoy them sometimes, but they are far from prefect. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackstar Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 I get it as feeling very angry or frustrated over someone or something and feeling like getting a shotgun. The expression has been used before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl20AdGecpQ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvH Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 7 minutes ago, Blackstar said: I get it as feeling very angry or frustrated over someone or something and feeling like getting a shotgun. The expression has been used before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl20AdGecpQ Yup, my understanding as well. Pretty straightforward song. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerInThisTown Posted August 24, 2021 Author Share Posted August 24, 2021 (edited) 52 minutes ago, bojan said: Since it's supposedly about Vince Neil I reckon the title refers to Vince and his band riding shotgun to Guns (they are not in charge, not as important as Guns)... And they have the blues because of that... I knew someone was gonna say that but that's fan speculation, I believe that's been such long running speculation at this point that people start to believe this lol. That was never even stated by anyone in the band. This song actually predates that whole Vince thing by like 4 or 5 years. According to Slash, the only one who ever gave info on it, like 1992 or sometime shortly after UYI came out, saying something like that's an 8 year old song and he won't make excuses for it because they were rowdy like that back then when they wrote it. 30 minutes ago, Blackstar said: I get it as feeling very angry or frustrated over someone or something and feeling like getting a shotgun. The expression has been used before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl20AdGecpQ But he talks about getting his actual Shotgun in that song. "You know a brand new twenty dollar bill Now if that don't bring her back I'm doggone sure my shotgun will" So having the "Shotgun Blues" title makes sense in that way, cause he has to get his Shotgun to make it right. There's no mention of getting a Shotgun in this song. Seems weird to me that's not included at all in the lyrics here. Edited August 24, 2021 by StrangerInThisTown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackstar Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 7 minutes ago, StrangerInThisTown said: But he talks about getting his actual Shotgun in that song. "You know a brand new twenty dollar bill Now if that don't bring her back I'm doggone sure my shotgun will" So having the "Shotgun Blues" title makes sense in that way, cause he has to get his Shotgun to make it right. There's no mention of getting a Shotgun in this song. Seems weird to me that's not included at all in the lyrics here. I think it's just implied, doesn't have to be specifically said in the lyrics. Axl probably used it as a reference to the Sonny Boy Williamson song or another one of the songs that had it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamillos Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 Plus there's an Axl pic (a poster even) with him holding a shotgun. Just saying. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerInThisTown Posted August 24, 2021 Author Share Posted August 24, 2021 (edited) Well damn I stand corrected, seems to really make sense. I believe it's not too far fetched Axl might even have been familiar with that old blues song and wrote his "own version" of it lol. I think that makes this whole song cooler actually. Edited August 24, 2021 by StrangerInThisTown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voodoochild Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 I like the song. Always fascinated me that Axl played the rhythm guitar on this one. It's a pretty good guitar work IMO. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cqleonardo Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 Always thought it was about a sadness and the shotgun in the name its like the guy was shot by a sad shotgun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MillionsOfSpiders Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 I’ve just always took the song to be about Axl fantasising about shooting people who piss him the fuck off with a shotgun. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGeneral Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 IMO Shotgun Blues fulfills its purpose as "fun little rocker" much much better than Absurd. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystery Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 (edited) 5 hours ago, Voodoochild said: I like the song. Always fascinated me that Axl played the rhythm guitar on this one. It's a pretty good guitar work IMO. I never knew this. To me Shotgun Blues is one of the weakest songs of both Use Your Illusion albums along with Get in the Ring. They both feel like album only songs that were never intended to be played live. Edited August 24, 2021 by mystery 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangerInThisTown Posted August 24, 2021 Author Share Posted August 24, 2021 25 minutes ago, mystery said: I never knew this. To me Shotgun Blues is one of the weakest songs of both Use Your Illusion albums along with Get in the Ring. That's true but that doesn't mean they're bad songs, they're just overshadowed and stuck with all these other great songs in the same place. I found it really rewarding to get into some of these songs I've neglected over the years. I really do like this one, it's interesting to find out more about the songs and get into Axls head a little bit. There are some great lyrics here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mystery Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 1 hour ago, StrangerInThisTown said: That's true but that doesn't mean they're bad songs, they're just overshadowed and stuck with all these other great songs in the same place. I found it really rewarding to get into some of these songs I've neglected over the years. I really do like this one, it's interesting to find out more about the songs and get into Axls head a little bit. There are some great lyrics here. There's some good guitar work but the vocals are all over the place to me. Get in the Ring is much better if you take out the rant. They both feel like filler for UYI 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LikeADog93 Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 I've always liked it. Just a great, straight ahead rock song. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkside259 Posted August 24, 2021 Share Posted August 24, 2021 i think if they would play this song in uyi tour it would be a classic real quick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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