Released: 2024
Features: K.Flay
“Son of a Gun” by Judah & the Lion, with a sprinkle of K.Flay’s grunge-pop attitude, comes out as a battle anthem for the underdogs. The song is a classic tale of navigating life’s struggles and unpredictability, where the bad guys often win and the good might bite the dust early. This theme rings out loud, threading through the reality that life can be a real son of a gun, a colloquial phrase used to express surprise or disbelief at how challenging life can be.
The “Misfits songs in a beat up truck / I got 24 ways of not giving a single –” lines lay bare the artist’s rebellious spirit. They’re embracing counterculture, taking the road less traveled, and masking their self-doubt behind not caring. “The bad guys win and the good die young” is an acknowledgement that life isn’t always fair, often favoring the wrong side, nut yet, they choose to make their own luck.
When they say “Broken heart in a broken glass/ I got 24 ways that you can kiss my –”, they’re letting you know that they aren’t strangers to heartbreak, disappointment, and cynicism. Yet, they approach these negative emotions with a certain irreverence, believing in their grit to overcome.
The line “The things you thought were lost they might get found” is an encouraging hit of optimism. Life can be a turbulent ride, but one has to hold on, lose the reins, and ride with it. Sometimes what we assumed as irrevocably lost might reappear, as life comes back full circle, hence, “It all comes back around and around.”
When they say “It’s a son of a gun,” they’re essentially accepting life’s constant ups and downs, acknowledging the hard truth that life can be capricious. This phrase acts as the track’s central mantra, the chorus, capturing the song’s mood perfectly.
So, “Son of a Gun,” in its distilled form, is a raw, brutally honest ode that embraces life’s ironies and setbacks. It’s about cars, music, heartbreak, resilience, and the many ways life can make you feel like you’re face-to-face with a real son of a gun. But hey, the battle-worn, carry on, not laying down arms, and who knows, one might even have a good laugh at the absurdity of it all. Yeah, life’s a son of a gun. For Judah & the Lion, and for all of us.
