Dave Matthews Band: Shotgun Meaning

Shotgun Lyrics

Strong man
Shotgun in his hand
Like rainbows
Broken by the glass
Always
You take me back home
And I stumble like a dead man
Runnin on his last breath
Rain rain

And the first time
You play me like a fool
You make me wanna
Rain rain...

1. anonymous

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   Oct 6th 2023 !⃝

   It's about suicide, not his sister being murdered by her husband. It's possible he includes his emotions from that, but the lyrics are about a different story.
2. anonymous

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   May 14th 2017 !⃝

   His sister Anne. Thats what i believe
3. anonymous

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   Feb 24th 2011 !⃝

   The song is actually about his sister Anne who was murdered by her husband and then committed suicide. The song has deep personal meaning for Dave and premiered in 2006 alongside of The Idea of You. He has spent the last few years developing it and it has really grown from its original which was much shorter and simpler to more recent versions. I personally think that the Charlottesville performance is the best but the version that appears on his summer sampler has the best quality that you can find on the internet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixmcEughut4 That's a link to his summer sampler version, enjoy!
4. anonymous

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   Feb 11th 2008 !⃝

   Alright, this one's rough, as it has no set lyrics yet, but based on the version released on the 8 track companion to piedmont park and a version from august 25, 2006, I'm pretty damn sure it's about a girl who kills herself because her relationship with her boy has grown rocky, and this is the guy dealing with that. It is EXTREMELY clear on the 8 track bonus disc version, "why did you not just talk to me girl?" "leaving patterns on the wall/(later) messed up fuckin' wall" the character's girl blew her brains out. also, the new intro "this photograph of you and me, when these boots of mine were still new" this implies the relationship lasted for quite a while. I'm the same jerk who opened a can of correctness on the grace is gone page.
5. DmbDreamer

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   Jan 21st 2008 !⃝

   This song is about the war in Iraq and maybe war in general. It seems that it is from a soldiers point of view and the feelings of seeing the destruction around you and wondering why. Having to get out sane and alive is like having a shotgun to your head, you either do or you don't. "What has become of us/ follow the avalanche down/ see what gets buried below it/ see what it busted up" is maybe about getting sucked in by the chaos and being a participant in it only to see the results of what your doing? It seems the beginning could be describing PTSD.

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