The meaning of the lyrics of the song "A Sweet Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun" by the artist "Tom Waits"

Contents

1. The meaning of the lyrics of the song "A Sweet Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun" by the artist "Tom Waits"
2. The original lyrics of the song - "A Sweet Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun"

The meaning of the lyrics of the song "A Sweet Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun" by the artist "Tom Waits"

explanation:

This Tom Waits song paints a picture of despair and lost dreams against the backdrop of a rainy Los Angeles.

The lyrics tell a story of a young woman, likely a runaway or aspiring starlet, stuck on Hollywood and Vine, a place known for its broken dreams. She's caught in the rain, symbolizing her washed-up hopes. The "sweet little bullet" represents a tragic end, likely suicide, potentially mirroring Marilyn Monroe's fate.

The song is filled with dark humor and bleak imagery. The "Gilbert Hotel" with burnt-out letters on the sign, the "night clerk" who's heard all the sad stories, and the recurring phrase "It's raining, it's pouring" all contribute to the overall sense of hopelessness.

The lyrics play with contrasting ideas: "sweet dreams" and "pretty blue gun," "July" (a time for celebration) and the reality of a life extinguished. This juxtaposition highlights the tragic irony of a life cut short in a place known for making dreams come true.

The song ultimately serves as a cautionary tale about the dark underbelly of Hollywood and the dangers of chasing fame and fortune. The "sweet little bullet" is a stark reminder that not all dreams end happily ever after.

The original lyrics of the song - "A Sweet Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun"

Well, it's raining it's pouring,

You didn't bring a sweater,

Nebraska will never let you come back home

Now on Hollywood and Vine

By the Thrifty Mart sign

Any night i'll be willin' to bet

There's a young girl

With sweet little dreams and pretty blue wishes

Standin' there just gettin' all wet

Now there's a place off the drag

Called the Gilbert Hotel

And there's a couple letters

Burned out in the sign

And it's better than a bus stop,

They do good business every time it rains

For little girls with nothing in their jeans

But pretty blue wishes and sweet little dreams

And it's raining it's pouring,

The old man is snoring,

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I hear the sirens in the street,

All my dreams are made of chrome,

I have no way to get back home,

I'd rather die before I wake

Like Marilyn Monroe

And you could throw my dreams out in the street

And let the rain make 'em grow

Now the night clerk he got a club foot,

He's heard every hard luck story

At least a hundred times or more

He says: "Сheck out time is 10 am"

And that's just what it means,

Go on up the stairs

With sweet little wishes and pretty blue dreams

And it's raining it's pouring

And Hollywood's just fine,

Swindle a little girl out of her dreams

Another letter in the sign

Now never trust a scarecrow wearin' shades after dark,

Be careful of that old bow tie he wears,

It takes a sweet little bullet from a pretty blue gun

To put those scarlet ribbons in your hair

No that ain't no cherry bomb,

4th of July's all done,

Just some fool playin' that second line

From the barrel of a pretty blue gun

No that ain't no cherry bomb,

4th of July's all done,

Just some fool playin' that second line

From the barrel of a pretty blue gun

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