Bring A Gun is the fourth track on James’ 1992 album Seven.
Originally aired in May 1990 during the Gold Mother tour at the height of Greater Manchester Police’s clampdown on the rave culture thriving in the city, this song attacks the policy of the Chief Constable James Anderton who advocated arming the police.
The song did make a shortlived comeback at a couple of shows in 2010.
Details
LyricsListenReleaseAvailable OnGigsGuitar Tabs
There's a fight, there's a fight, there's a fight
And the rage is growing
You have pushed me through too many windows and too many doors
You have torn all the joy from my heart and the blood is showing
The only beat you allow around here is the beat of war
Let's have a party
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
Don't go out tonight with that smile or you might get arrested
Get a license for that grin or they'll lock you away
If you show that you're happy inside then you're gonna get busted
The only law we allow around here is an organised grey
Let's have a party
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
What are you going to do if the muscle won't move
They are blocking the light, blocking the light
How many words will you waste on a Terreblanche
Let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's have a party
What are you going to do if the muscle won't move
They are blocking the light, blocking the light
How many words will you waste on a Terreblanche
Let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's have a party
And you can bring your gun
And you can bring your dogs
And you can bring your shiny new helicopter
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
Let's have a party
Bring your gun
And the rage is growing
You have pushed me through too many windows and too many doors
You have torn all the joy from my heart and the blood is showing
The only beat you allow around here is the beat of war
Let's have a party
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
Don't go out tonight with that smile or you might get arrested
Get a license for that grin or they'll lock you away
If you show that you're happy inside then you're gonna get busted
The only law we allow around here is an organised grey
Let's have a party
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
What are you going to do if the muscle won't move
They are blocking the light, blocking the light
How many words will you waste on a Terreblanche
Let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's have a party
What are you going to do if the muscle won't move
They are blocking the light, blocking the light
How many words will you waste on a Terreblanche
Let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's have a party
And you can bring your gun
And you can bring your dogs
And you can bring your shiny new helicopter
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
Let's have a party
Bring your gun
| Song: | Bring A Gun |
| Released: | 17th February 1992 |
| Main Associated Album (or Single): | Seven |
| First Heard Live: | Brighton The Event – 14th May 1990 |
- Come Home Live :Live, VHS, 1991
- Seven promo album cassette :Promo, Album, 1992
- Seven promo box-set :Promo, Album, 1992
- Seven – Gardner Test/Master Pressing Disc :Promo, Album, 1992
- James 7 from Seven promotional tape :Promo, Album, 1992
- Seven – The Live Video :Live, VHS, 1992
- Seven (Japan) :Studio, Album, 1992
- Seven :Studio, Album, 1992
- Seven (reissue CDR) :Promo, Album, 2001
- Seven – The Live Concert :Live, DVD, 2005
- The Gathering Sound (full promo) :Promo, Box Set, 2012
- The Gathering Sound :Compilation, Box Set, 2012
- London Brixton Academy – 10th December 2010
- Salt Lake City The Complex – 5th October 2010
- Milan City Square – 5th May 1992
- Hamburg Grosse Freiheit 36 – 29th April 1992
- Paris Bataclan – 23rd April 1992
- Manchester Polytechnic – 8th February 1992
- Warrington Parr Hall (evening) – 20th December 1991
- Warrington Parr Hall (afternoon) – 20th December 1991
- Belfast Ulster Hall – 14th November 1991
- London Brixton Academy – 24th October 1991
- London Camden Underworld – 14th August 1991
- Belfort Eurockeennes Festival – 23rd June 1991
- London Brixton Academy – 6th December 1990
- Glasgow Barrowlands – 4th December 1990
- Paris La Cigale – 18th October 1990
- London Crystal Palace Bowl – 11th August 1990
- Blackpool Empress Ballroom – 4th August 1990
- Blackpool Empress Ballroom – 3rd August 1990
- Glastonbury Festival – 23rd June 1990
- London Kilburn National – 19th June 1990
- Norwich UEA – 17th June 1990
- Sheffield University – 14th June 1990
- Bristol Studio – 10th June 1990
- Exeter University – 9th June 1990
- Hull City Hall – 8th June 1990
- Lancaster University – 6th June 1990
- Glasgow Barrowlands – 5th June 1990
- St Andrew’s University – 4th June 1990
- Brighton The Event – 14th May 1990
James - Bring A Gun
Taken from the album Seven
Written and performed by James
Main Riff:
e----------3--------------------------------------------
B--6--53--3--------------------------------------------
G--7--53-----------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Riff 2:
e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G--------3-3--------------------------------------------
D----0h3------------------------------------------------
A--1----------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Chorus Riff:
e--11--11-11-11-11---8-8-8-8-8-8-8---6------------------
B--11--11-11-11-11---9-9-9-9-9-9-9---6------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Song Structure:
The two commercially available live versions of this available (on Come Home Live and Seven - The Live Video) are quite different to the album version.
Common to both live versions is Riff 2, which on Come Home Live is played over both verses. On Seven Live it is played over the first verse only, and on the album version it doesn't appear at all. The Main Riff appears in the album version and is the only clearly audible riff, playing over the two verses and the choruses. On Seven Live it is played over the second verse (and may actually be slightly different; it's certainly played with a lot more distortion) only, and perhaps over the choruses.
Right at the end of the Come Home Live version appears the Chorus Riff.
In the live versions Larry plays a chord of Bb (occasionally ) during the jam bits. Anything else should be loosely based on anything already mentioned.
The chords are relatively straightforward. When doing the chord change in the chorus try playing Eb, F slide-to F#, Ab slide-to Bb.
Lyrics/Chords:
Bb
There's a fight, there's a fight, there's a fight
And the rage is growing
You have pushed me through too many windows and too many doors
You have torn all the joy from my heart and the blood is showing
The only beat you allow around here is the beat of war
Let's have a party
Eb F# Bb
Bring a gu-un-un
Eb F# Bb
Bring a gu-un-un
Don't go out tonight with that smile or you might get arrested
Get a license for that grin or they'll lock you away
If you show that you're happy inside then you're gonna get busted
The only law we allow around here is an organised grey
Let's have a party
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
What are you going to do if the muscle won't move
They are blocking the light, blocking the light
How many words will you waste on a Terreblanche
Let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's have a party
What are you going to do if the muscle won't move
They are blocking the light, blocking the light
How many words will you waste on a Terreblanche
Let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's have a party
And you can bring your gun
And you can bring your dogs
And you can bring your shiny new helicopter
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
Let's have a party
Bring your gun
Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001 (with frequent interference from John Murray).
alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk
Taken from the album Seven
Written and performed by James
Main Riff:
e----------3--------------------------------------------
B--6--53--3--------------------------------------------
G--7--53-----------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Riff 2:
e-------------------------------------------------------
B-------------------------------------------------------
G--------3-3--------------------------------------------
D----0h3------------------------------------------------
A--1----------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Chorus Riff:
e--11--11-11-11-11---8-8-8-8-8-8-8---6------------------
B--11--11-11-11-11---9-9-9-9-9-9-9---6------------------
G-------------------------------------------------------
D-------------------------------------------------------
A-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------
Song Structure:
The two commercially available live versions of this available (on Come Home Live and Seven - The Live Video) are quite different to the album version.
Common to both live versions is Riff 2, which on Come Home Live is played over both verses. On Seven Live it is played over the first verse only, and on the album version it doesn't appear at all. The Main Riff appears in the album version and is the only clearly audible riff, playing over the two verses and the choruses. On Seven Live it is played over the second verse (and may actually be slightly different; it's certainly played with a lot more distortion) only, and perhaps over the choruses.
Right at the end of the Come Home Live version appears the Chorus Riff.
In the live versions Larry plays a chord of Bb
The chords are relatively straightforward. When doing the chord change in the chorus try playing Eb, F slide-to F#, Ab slide-to Bb.
Lyrics/Chords:
Bb
There's a fight, there's a fight, there's a fight
And the rage is growing
You have pushed me through too many windows and too many doors
You have torn all the joy from my heart and the blood is showing
The only beat you allow around here is the beat of war
Let's have a party
Eb F# Bb
Bring a gu-un-un
Eb F# Bb
Bring a gu-un-un
Don't go out tonight with that smile or you might get arrested
Get a license for that grin or they'll lock you away
If you show that you're happy inside then you're gonna get busted
The only law we allow around here is an organised grey
Let's have a party
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
What are you going to do if the muscle won't move
They are blocking the light, blocking the light
How many words will you waste on a Terreblanche
Let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's have a party
What are you going to do if the muscle won't move
They are blocking the light, blocking the light
How many words will you waste on a Terreblanche
Let's, let's, let's, let's, let's, let's have a party
And you can bring your gun
And you can bring your dogs
And you can bring your shiny new helicopter
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
Bring a gun
Let's have a party
Bring your gun
Transcribed by Alex Carter 2001 (with frequent interference from John Murray).
alex@shandy3000.fsnet.co.uk
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