#young guns ii
Blaze of Glory
Written and Performed by Jon Bon Jovi
One of the very first CDs I ever bought (or rather, had my mother get for me) was the soundtrack to the forthcoming movie Young Guns II. My friend and I were looking through the CD rack at KMart in our small town and found it.
“Wait, they made a second movie?”
“How have we not heard of this?”
“I have to have this CD. Mom…?”
Yeah, we were big fans of the first Young Guns. I watched that movie to death, and can still probably say every line of dialog including the voice overs right with the actors. Young Guns II was not as good, but it came with a tremendous soundtrack.
“William H Bonny… You are not a god.”
“Why don’t you pull the trigger and find out?”
And then it goes into this song. Vest and chaps clad Jon Bon Jovi at a drive in theater playing an acoustic and singing his Jersey Boy heart out. I was entranced. By this heavy rhythm and the images flickering on the screen in the background. “This is it,” 15-year-old me thought. “This is the new movie. And I have the soundtrack.”
I listened to this whole thing obsessively in the time prior to seeing the film. Mostly so that I could sing along when the songs came on in the movie. Not that I was the singing along type, but it was something I could do. If I wanted.
But so much changed for me that summer. First real girlfriend. First kiss. First make out sessions. First ‘Dear John’ letter. First heartbreak. Sometimes, I want to go back to that kid and say, “Don’t worry, it’ll be better soon.” Other times I want to go back and laugh in his face. “Hah! You don’t know SHIT. This is NOTHING!!” Poor me.
Life, okay. Summer, good. Song awesome.
Lyrics:
I wake up in the morning
And I raise my weary head
I got an old coat for a pillow
And the earth was last night’s bed
I don’t know where I’m going
Only God knows where I’ve been
I’m a devil on the run
A six gun lover
A candle in the wind
When you’re brought into this world
They say you’re born in sin
Well at least they gave me something
I didn’t have to steal or have to win
Well they tell me that I’m wanted
Yeah I’m a wanted man
I’m colt in your stable
I’m what Cain was to Abel
Mister catch me if you can
I’m going down in a blaze of glory
Take me now but know the truth
I’m going down in a blaze of glory
Lord I never drew first
But I drew first blood
I’m no one’s son
Call me young gun
You ask about my conscience
And I offer you my soul
You ask If I’ll grow to be a wise man
Well I ask if I’ll grow old
You ask me if I known love
And what it’s like to sing songs in the rain
Well, I’ve seen love come
And I’ve seen it shot down
I’ve seen it die in vain
Shot down in a blaze of glory
Take me now but know the truth
‘Cause I’m going down in a blaze of glory
Lord I never drew first
But I drew first blood
I’m the devil’s son
Call me young gun
Each night I go to bed
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
No I ain’t looking for forgiveness
But before I’m six foot deep
Lord, I got to ask a favor
And I’ll hope you’ll understand
'Cause I’ve lived life to the fullest
Let this boy die like a man
Staring down the bullet
Let me make my final stand
Shot down in a blaze of glory
Take me now but know the truth
I’m going out in a blaze of glory
Lord I never drew first
But I drew first blood
and I’m no one’s son
Call me young gun
I’m a young gun
