Someone diaried last night about the lack of music threads on DKos recently, so I thought I's come up with one for people to ponder. Unfortunately, gun violence has become all too common in the USA, and while President Obama has commented that we should be ashamed at the amount of gun violence, too many people just go "meh" or worse yet, encourage even more of it with their reckless public display of weapons in public.
Of course, when a mass shooting happens, many people, particularly the right wing, blames the violence on violent movies, video games, and music. But just how much of that music is truly violent? Is it all glamorizing guns, or are some people missing the point? Let's take a look under the squiggly chalk outline.
One of the most famous songs about guns and violence was penned by the man in black, Johnny Cash. His song "Folsom Prison Blues" had a famous line which said "I shot a man in Reno/Just to watch him die."
Another song involved a young couple who got a little too intimate and resulted in pregnancy. In the past, this would involve a shotgun wedding, but in this case the angry father disposed of the wedding, with tragic results.
In the 1980's, actress, comedienne, and future MTV VJ Julie Brown put out a funny song about a murderous homecoming queen.
Ironically, while this was meant as comic parody, this scene seems a little too prophetic and tragically realistic these days.
But not all gun violence songs were about kitsch. Some of them were deadly serious and addressed societal issues like child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence.
And one of the most popular singles of a couple of summers ago featured some rather violent lyrics despite its peppy theme.
"All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run
Outrun my gun
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks
You better run, better run
Faster than my bullet"
So what are you favorite songs about guns. rifles, uzis, etc? Or do you have a favorite song with a firearm in the title or in the name of the artist or band? Please post here and discuss.