What do Clint Eastwood and Bad Company have in common?
The idea for a post on renegade rebels came when I caught one of my favorite songs on the car radio on my way home last night: BAD COMPANY, by Bad Company. Whenever I hear this song it reminds me of Clint Eastwood's masterpiece The Outlaw Josey Wales. I always liked these verses, but found it strange that those long-haired 70’s English rockers were able to capture so well the essence of renegade rebels such as the James-Younger gang. I suppose Bad Company were rebels in their own way.
This studio version of BAD COMPANY by Bad Company kicks ass:
Company . . . Always on the run
Destiny is the rising sun
I was born 6-gun in my hand
Behind a gun I'll make my final stand
That's why they call me...
Bad company
And I can't deny
Bad company
Till the day I die
Till the day I die
Till the day I die
Rebel souls
Deserters we are called
Chose a gun and threw away the sword
Now these towns
They all know our name
6-gun sound is our claim to fame
I can hear them say...
Bad company
And I won't deny
Bad, Bad company
Till the day I die
Till the day I die"
Bad, Bad company
I can't deny
Bad company
Till the day I die
And I say it's
Bad company Oh Yeah -Yeah
Bad company
Till the day I die Oh Yeah
Tell me that you are not a thief
Oh But I am
Bad Company
It's the way I play
Dirty for dirty
Oh Somebody Double-crossed me
Double-cross
Double-cross
Yeah we're Bad company
Kill in cold blood
This post was crafted by V.A. Shepard - (Charter Member of Team STORMBRINGER and recipient of the coveted Order of Suvorov for actions in the Russo-Japanese War, decorated by both sides) - S.L.
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V.A. Shepard was one of those not-so-rare Victorians that made an appearance at almost every conflict of his age, occasionally on both sides. The Japanese awarded him the Order of the Sacred Treasure for actions in the same war in which the Russians bestowed upon him the Order of Suvorov. It's even rumored Shepard was at the Little Big Horn.
ReplyDeleteNot to nit pick too much but the actual line is "Chose a gun and threw away the SUN." Not threw away a sword.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite film of all time!
ReplyDeleteBest part of the movie was Chief Dan George as 'Lone Watie': "I'm glad you stopped me when you did. I might have killed her."
ReplyDeleteCheers
You're RIGHT Joel - it IS:
ReplyDelete"Chose a gun and threw away the sun . . . "
I always thought it was
". . . threw away the sword . . ."
as in, they have abandoned military purpose and honor, and became total outlaws.
It made more sense to me that way. What does;
". . . threw away the sun . . . "
MEAN anyway?
Thanks - S.L.
"threw away the sun" could mean that being outlaws they can't come out in the light, they have to live in the shadows. Or perhaps it means that they've gone over to the dark side.
ReplyDeleteI thought "threw away the sword" was a better choice of words to describe those who went from soldiers to outlaws, and I made the switch. Didn't think anyone would catch it, but at least one person was awake!
Side note - there is a very cool cover of that I heard used for a youtube video put together for the USMC birthday by Five Finger Death Punch with a much harder rock vibe.
ReplyDeleteJosie Wales wasn't a cold blooded killer though. He killed to survive and to save his friends and only when he had to.
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty noble. He was a rebel no doubt but an honorable man. Not so much the Younger types.
Didn't intend to pee in your corn flakes just sayin' is all.
They named the band Bad Company, after a 1972 western film of the same title starring Jeff Bridges and directed by Robert Benton.
ReplyDeleteThe Lyric is "Threw away the son" That ties back to religion. Throwing away the son is an old sang for giving up on Jesus/Christianity. It isn't an anti-religious statement, but more of a Gods gonna sit this one out if you know what I mean.
ReplyDelete