Another example of Concrete Blonde combining menacing guitar growls with Johnette Napolitano’s diamonite vocals in social critique.
First track from the 1989 album Free.
Also appeared on 1996’s Recollection: The Best of Concrete Blonde.
First track on the first disc of 2002’s Live in Brazil recordi...
[Verse 1]
There's a green plaid jacket on the back of the chair
It's like a moment frozen forever there
Mom and Dad had a lot of big plans for their little man
So proud
Mama's gone crazy 'cause her baby's cut down
By some teenage car chase, war out of bounds
It was the wrong place, wrong time, wrong end of a gun
Sad
[Chorus]
(Shoot)
Shoot straight
(Shoot)
From the hip, y'all
(Shoot)
Gone forever in a trigger slip
Well, it could have been
It could have been your brother
(Shoot)
Shoot straight
(Shoot)
Shoot to kill, yeah
Blame each other, well, blame yourself
You know, God is a bullet
Have mercy on us everyone
[Verse 2]
They're gonna call me sir, they'll all stop picking on me
Well, I'm a high school grad, I'm over five-foot-three
I'll get a badge and a gun and I'll join the P.D
They'll see
He didn't have to use the gun they put in his hand
But when the guy came at him, well, he panicked and ran
And it's a thirty long years 'fore they'll give him another chance
And it's sad, sad, yes, sad
[Chorus]
(Shoot)
Shoot straight
(Shoot)
From the hip, y'all
(Shoot)
It's all gone in a trigger slip
Well, it could have been
It could have been your mother
(Shoot)
Shoot straight
(Shoot)
Shoot to kill, ya'll
Blame each other, blame yourself
You know, God is a bullet
Have mercy on us everyone
[Instrumental]
[Chorus]
(Shoot)
Shoot straight
(Shoot)
From the hip, y'all
(Shoot)
Gone forever in a trigger slip
Well, it could have been
It could have been your mother
(Shoot)
John Lennon
(Shoot)
Dr. King, yeah
Harvey Milk, and all for goddamn nothing
God is a bullet
Have mercy on us everyone
[Outro]
God is a bullet
Have mercy on us everyone
God Is a Bullet was written by James Mankey & Johnette Napolitano.
God Is a Bullet was produced by Concrete Blonde.
Concrete Blonde released God Is a Bullet on Sat May 13 1989.