38 Special are a Southern rock band formed by Donnie Van Zant, the younger brother of Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie.
As Martin identified in last week's comments, loads of songs make mention of the Smith & Wesson .38 Special, and though he chose not to mention them "in the spirit of gun control", that didn't stop the rest of you! I was metaphorically blown away by the following fully-loaded suggestions from...
Rigid Digit:
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Saturday Night Special
And as a man's reaching for his trousers
Shoots him full of 38 holes
Mark Knopfler - 38 Special
Lynchie:
Warren Zevon - I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
I've got a .38 special up on the shelf
I'll sleep when I'm dead
If I start acting stupid
I'll shoot myself
I'll sleep when I'm dead
George:
Robert Johnson - 32-30 Blues
She got a 38 special but I believe its much too light
I got a 32-20, got to make the camps alright
And Brian, who explains...
All roads lead back to Nick Lowe. Going with "Me and My .38" by Carlene Carter off of 'Blue Nun' from 1981. This one was co-written and produced by then husband Lowe. She's backed by Lowe's band at the time... Paul Carrack, Martin Belmont, James Eller and Bobby Irwin. Love this album. Tough broad. When she leaves the key under the mat, you better show up or you'll have a double date with her and her .38.I wish I could find that somewhere online, Brian, because it sounds like a cracker. Sadly, the internet let me down. However, I'll see your Nick Lowe suggestion and raise you this...
Nick Lowe - Switchboard Susan
When I'm near you girl, I get an extension
And I don't mean Alexander Graham Bell's invention
Switchboard Susan, can we be friends?
After six, at weekends
Hey babe, your number's great
38-27-38
Oh you bring a smile to my dial
Oh you're great, operator's great
Sticking with the smut, here's C, who went all Gallic on us this week...
Charlotte Gainsbourg - Les Oxalis
Sa mère Marie-Camille
Repose à ses côtés
Elle survit à sa fille
Encore 38 années
I'm not putting that into google translate, but I bet it's mucky.
Back to Martin then, who clearly thinks he's identified a smart way of winning this game: just choose songs by my favourite artists. (Although Lynchie's still smarting that this tactic didn't work for him last week.)
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions - Her Last Fling
And now you're underweight
And overpaid
You will not be saved
And you're pushing 38
Billy Joel - Leningrad
I was born in 49
A cold war kid in the McCarthy times
Stop 'em at the 38th parallel
Blast those yellow reds to hell
Cold war kids were hard to kill
Under their desks in an air raid drill
Haven't they heard we won the war
What do they keep on fighting for?
Ooh... I tell you what, Martin, that came close. It really did.
Well, that almost takes care of your suggestions this week, so here's a few thrown up by my own hard-drive...
The Wonder Stuff - 38 Line Poem
Whiteout - Thirty Eight
ELO - 10538 Overture
(Yeah, I know that last one would get quickly disqualified if one of you suggested it, but it's still a belter if you like Jeff Lynne shamelessly ripping off the Beatles.)
And a couple of lyrical drops...
Johnny Cash - The Wreck of the Old '97
They give him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
Sayin', "Steve you're way behind time
This is not Thirty-Eight, but it's old Ninety-Seven
You must put her in Spencer on time"
Donald Fagen - Planet D'Rhonda
She’s from a small town somewhere upstate
I guess she’s somewhere between 19 and 38
She stays up all night – she drives too fast
I say easy baby- baby slow down
It’s never gonna happen
On Planet D’Rhonda
And finally, because I have no shame...
Bon Jovi - Social Disease
She's full of high grade octane
She could run the bullet train on 38 Double D's
Now you know for sure, she know the cure
To make a blind man see
But, I'm sure it comes with great relief that Douglas saved you all from having to listen to Jon Bon Jovi's boob-inspired lyrics this week by suggesting this cracking story song from his oft-requested Canadian heroes, The Tragically Hip. I have a weakness for story songs, particularly when they involve breaking out of prison.
37 next week. Any ideas?
