Another Elton tune. Not really about guns, but guns have become used as metaphors in all sorts of ways in our language. Much of language is sourced in metaphors and cultural references and expressions that have (d)evolved into words or shorthand. The more common or the more powerful an item or reference is, the more it’s used and the further expressions are stretched. Here it is yet another oblique reference.
Robert Ford was an old west outlaw that killed his gang leader, a guy by the name of Jesse James.
Robert Ford…
He was that dirty little coward who shot Mr. Howard, wasn’t he? Always knew he was up to no good…
Those are some fairly insightful lyrics, as far as lyrics go. Very similar to Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb”, Ozzy’s “Crazy Train”, Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin'” and others IN THAT they all openly recognize the same problem, but are unable to pin it down in such a way that the solution can present itself.
Hey; that looks like the Remington New Model (Army or Navy) of the 1860s, built on the patent of 1858.. Cool.