To state the obvious, how we each perceive what songs ‘say’ is clearly informed by our attitudes and perspectives – in the case of “I Hung My Head”, this of course applies to such in regard to our familiarity with firearms.  So in how I close this post and look back on our series, take it all for what it’s worth.  It’s just my way of seeing it.

In the end, it seems to me that for a good song that’s ‘about a gun’ to be effective as more than just a piece of political art, it must rise above the gun.

The first song in our series, Dave Carter’s “41 Thunderer“, clearly does so – indeed to the point that it approaches the level of poetry.  But Ellis Paul’s “Autobiography of a Pistol“, our second song, neither aspires to nor achieves such transcendence.  It’s well-written, but meant wholly to be about the politics of guns.  So it misfires for me, and I imagine would for many who own firearms and know that their ‘totemic’ power can be managed with intelligence and serious responsibility.

I don’t need artists to wag their fingers and tell me that I’m accountable for every shot I fire – my Mom taught me that, with the help of ten birds.

No, I need artists for *much more*.

Steve Earle’s “The Devil’s Right Hand“, our third song, is different.  In responding to his audience, early in the song’s life he denied that it had anything to do with the politics of guns.  Then, after a disturbing personal experience, later in the song’s life he told his audience that it was a gun control song.  It’s not my song, so who am I to say?  But doesn’t that ‘inherent instability in meaning‘ suggest that the song is about more than the gun, despite Earle’s (or his audience’s) compulsion to define it as such?  It’s a great song because, as in “I Hung My Head”, the gun is the spark but not the burning fire of the art.  We can all relate.  Why make it political and, thus, divisive?

Take Cash’s version of Earle’s song, to which Ken introduced us last week.  Good God, what a performance!  Is he singing it to be pro-gun or anti?  In my humble opinion, that’s an absurd question.

Johnny sings what needs to be sung about the human experience, with firearms, love, death, rhythm, or whatever.  Injecting our personal politics into all that is, truly, missing the bull’s eye.