Videos by American Songwriter
“Gun”
Album: Still Feel Gone (1991)
Band: Uncle Tupelo
Co-Writers: Jay Farrar, Mike Heidorn
Key lyric: “Crawling back to you now, I sold my guitar to the girl next door. She asked me if I knew how, I told her ‘I don’t think so anymore.'”
If things had gone differently, this could have been Uncle Tupelo’s big hit single. It’s Replacements-like melody is catchy enough to make it a radio staple, the guitars are loud and crunchy, and the lyrics are cutting enough to fit into the early-90’s grunge aesthetic that was once so popular.
But instead, it’s just one of everybody’s favorite Tupelo songs, one that Tweedy still breaks out in solo shows to this day.
On it, Tweedy addresses an apathetic lover in a failing relationship. He feigns apathy as well, but the pained vocals suggest otherwise. After falling out the window, breaking his shins on a ladder, and waking up the neighbors, he sells his guitar to the girl next door in disgust. His heart was a gun, but it’s unloaded now. Oh well, whatever, nevermind.
Listen:
20.“The Long Cut”
19. “That’s Not the Issue”
18. “Promising”
17. “She’s A Jar”
16. “I Can’t Keep From Talking”
15. “Impossible Germany”
14. “Wilco (The Song)”
Really surprised this didn’t top the list. It would’ve if I’d compiled it, followed closely by “Via Chicago”, “Sunken Treasure” and his interpretation of Woody Guthrie’s “Remember the Mountain Bed”.