By: Teresa Mull
Summer is just around the corner, and that means driving with the windows down, long road trips, and outdoor concerts – in other words, all the best things!
Music is an essential aspect of nearly every activity, except for actual shooting at the range. Which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t crank up some tunes on your way to and from target practice!
GPM has compiled five great songs that celebrate the gun which every gun lover should have on his or her playlist. And be sure to comment below and tell us what your favorite gun-themed songs are!
Marty Robbins – Big Iron
Of course Marty Robbins made the list. Front and center. In fact, his entire Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs album could really be a list of its own.
“Mr. Shorty” and “Running Gun,” are must-listen-to songs about the benefits and downfalls of packing heat, and all of Robbins’ western-themed songs, with the exception of the ultra-drippy Cool Water, are great. If you haven’t listened to the lyrical genius and dulcet voice of this amazing singer, do yourself a favor!
But seriously, skip Cool Water. It’s a song about … water…
Corb Lund –The Weight of the Gun
Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans – Canadian, I know, but cut them some slack! Corb is something of a cowboy poet, eccentric old-timer in a young man’s body who sings about ranching, drinking, fighting, and sundry other themes of a western, folksy, country, down-to-earth nature, guns included.
He’s hard to explain, so just listen to the “Cabin Fever” and “Things That Can’t Be Undone” albums and you’ll be hooked.
The Turnpike Troubadours –The Bird Hunters
The Turnpike Troubadours are a country/folk band who sing a lot about Oklahoma – their home state – imparting in their songs a sentimental mood that nevertheless transcends the states.
“The Bird Hunters,” for instance, my personal favorite Turnpike song, reminds me so much of Pennsylvania in the fall – I can smell the dying leaves, the scent of gunpowder, feel the cool air, the wood of the gun stock…ahh.
I challenge you to listen to this song and not feel nostalgic:
Cody Jinks – Fast Hand
Cody Jinks has no pretentions and has a really neat voice. His honest, what-you-see-is-what-you-get attitude adds to his allure, and you get a sense all of his songs – with, perhaps, the exception of “Fast Hand,” – are from first-hand experiences.
Give this haunting song a listen, and you’ll be hooked on Cody Jinks!
Frankie Laine – Wanted Man
OK, talk about cool voices! I think Frankie Laine probably smoked two packs a day, but man! the result was something gravely, manly, and really fun to listen to. Let’s not let Frankie Laine be lost to historical obscurity! Listen now:
Teresa Mull is editor of Gunpowder Magazine. Contact her at [email protected].
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons: Turnpike Troubadours photographed by Cal Quinn in San Fransisco on 8/1/17 before the release of their 5th Studio Album