Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gimme Back My Bullets

Because of where I live I have heard this band…a lot. Some songs though I still like and this is one of them. The guitar riff is mean and dangerous… The bullets Ronnie Van Zant is referring to are bullets in the music charts…as in #1 with a bullet. It had been a while since they charted and he wanted more.

Fans started throwing bullets and other objects on stage when they performed this song. They had to take it out of their setlist because they were afraid someone was going to get hurt.

Ronnie’s voice is on point in this one. He was a very good songwriter and used his voice well. He didn’t have the best voice around BUT…he knew his limitations and got everything out of it with more feeling than many singers with a richer voice.

The song was off of the album Gimme Back My Bullets which peaked at #20 in 1976.

From Songfacts

This song was about regaining dominance on the music charts, but Gimme Back My Bullets was the weakest selling album of Skynyrd’s career to that point. It was their fourth release, and the first produced by the famous Atlantic Records engineer Tom Dowd, who was allowed to produce two bands outside of Atlantic every year (Skynyrd was on MCA).

This was never released as a single. The only single from the album was the non-charting “Double Trouble.”

Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded this with only two lead guitarists: Allen Collins and Gary Rossington. Third lead guitarist Ed King had left just before making this album. When this album didn’t sell as well as expected, another guitarist, Steve Gaines, was brought in.

Gimme Back My Bullets

Life is so strange when its changin’, yes indeed 
Well I’ve seen the hard times and the pressure’s been on me 
But I keep on workin’ like the workin’ man do 
And I’ve got my act together, gonna walk all over you 

[Chorus] 
Gimme back my bullets 
Put ’em back where they belong 
Ain’t foolin’ around ’cause I done had my fun 
Ain’t gonna see no more damage done 
Gimme back my bullets 

Sweet talkin’ people done ran me out of town 
And I drank enough whiskey to float a battleship around 
But I’m leavin’ this game one step ahead of you 
And you will not hear me cry ’cause I do not sing the blues 

[Chorus] 
Gimme back, gimme back my bullets 
Oh, put ’em back…where they belong 

Been up and down since I turned seventeen 
Well I’ve been on top, and then it seems I lost my dream 
But I got it back, I’m feelin’ better everyday 
Tell all those pencil pushers, better get out of my way 

[Chorus] 
Gimme back, gimme back my bullets 
Oh put ’em back where they belong 
Gimme back my bullets

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player. View all posts by Badfinger (Max)