Nancy Sinatra recorded ”Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” for her 1966 album How Does That Grab You?. While she didn’t release the song as a single, it became one of the best-known versions of the song. However, Sinatra is not solely responsible for the song’s resurgence in popularity decades after its initial release. Instead, Quentin Tarantino can take the lion’s share of the credit. The song caught millions of ears when he put it over the opening credits in Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003).
The opening scene of Kill Bill Volume 1 is intense. The film opens with a black screen and Uma Thurman’s character’s pained breathing. Then, the audience sees what they believe is her murder. After the scene fades to black, Sinatra’s version of “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” plays as the opening credits roll.
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Sinatra’s voice and the hauntingly beautiful guitar work are a soothing combination after a surprisingly intense opening sequence. As a result, the song impacted several moviegoers, and they wanted to hear the tune again and again after watching the film.
Nancy Sinatra on Getting a Boost from Kill Bill
Nancy Sinatra wasn’t a fan of Kill Bill. However, she was pleased to see how the movie revitalized her career in the 21st century. “That was a gift, wasn’t it? Quentin, I guess, had wanted to use ‘Bang Bang’ for a while, and he finally found a way to do it,” she said in an interview.
Sonny Bono wrote “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down”) and Cher recorded the song for her album The Sonny Side of Cher. The song was a hit for her, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Sinatra didn’t release her version of the song as a single. As a result, she didn’t know why Tarantino chose to use her rendition of the track. “I guess it was the guitar, the lonely sound of Billy Strange’s guitar,” she said.
“It caused a resurgence for me. People were stunned when they saw my name on the screen, they didn’t know it was my recording,” Sinatra recalled. “Quentin really gave me a new start.”
“The film was…interesting,” she said when asked if she enjoyed Kill Bill Volume 1. “Not my cubba, but it was interesting.”
Featured Image by Unimedia/Shutterstock
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