Topic: a little help with examples of gun as metaphor in blues , ala 32/20

[stevedenver]

on another forum I have propounded that sometimes in blues lyrics, a gun is a sexual metaphor.

I believe it is used this way in 32/20, but, while I know ive heard this metaphor elsewhere in blues and or jugband/hokum I have, I cannot for the life of me think of any songs.  now that ive started a brief search, alas, I can come up with no fairly obvious examples.



any thoughts?

[alyoung]

Can't agree that Johnson's 32/20 (or its precursor, Skip James 22/20) is a sexual metaphor. This is a guy who is seriously PO'd because his girl has been running around on him. The gun he is planning to use on her is a literal bang-bang-you're-dead-that'll-teach-you weapon. Same in Big Maceo's 32-20 and Wolf's 44 Blues. And Robert Lockwood's Easy Rider (he's going to kill the man that stole his gal, and in at least one version, also kill "everybody who ever done me harm"). Yank Rachel wants his 38 Pistol because his woman is riding around in a V8 Ford. In his 45 Blues, Walter Roland carries his weapon for self-protection in Third Alley. Funny Papa's Smith's Forty Five Blues makes its meaning quite clear in the last verse -- "Soon as I do what I want to do, then I'll be satisfied/That's kill my woman walk into the police and hand in my 45". I suppose there are blues where the gun is a metaphor for a different bang-bang, but I can't call too many to mind -- Walter Taylor's Thirty Eight and Plus?? Overall, it's like Freud said -- sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

[frankie]

I agree that it seems to be rare in general....  how about this one? "Ramrod" being fellatio... does double-entendre "count" as metaphor?

Ramrod Blues - Mississippi Sheiks

I wonder where is the ramrod belongs to my gun
I wonder where is the ramrod belongs to my gun
My brother got one but I can?t use it none

What good is a house without a back yard
What good is a house without a back yard
What good is a gun without a ramrod

I rammed my gun every morning ?fore day
I rammed my gun every morning ?fore day
When I woke up this morning my ramrod was gone away

I took you baby when you was hand to hand
Telling everybody that I was your loving man
Now I?m down, times is hard
You want to give some other girl your ramrod

Now how you think that I can have my fun
Now how you think that I can have my fun
When I ain?t got the ramrod belongs to my gun

[Rivers]

Sometimes a sexual metaphor, and often clearly not. See also the 'guns' tag:

http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?option=com_smf&action=tags;tagid=483

[stevedenver]

thanks for the links

[Bald Melon Jefferson]

I Always liked Jimmie Rodger's Pistol Packing Papa. No double-entendres here folks....
I'm a pistol packing papa, and when I walk down the street
 You can hear those mamas shoutin': Don't turn your gun on me!
 Now girls, I'm just a good guy, and I'm goin' to have my fun
 And if you don't wanna smell my smoke, don't monkey with my gun!
  I swing aboard some freight train, and I shoot my pistol off
 Sometimes one shot will do me, sometimes takes four or five
 Sometimes I shoot all around, before I'm satisfied
 When you hear my pistol poppin', you better hide yourself some place
 'Cause I ain't made it for stoppin', and I come from a shootin' race
 My sweatheart understands me, she says I am her big shot
 I'm her pistol packin' daddy, and I know I've got the drop.

[frailer24]

Jimmie stated of that song to his wife, "If they love it when you're nice, they'll like you when you're naughty."

[stevedenver]

thanks