Cleaning This Gun (Come On in Boy)

"Cleaning This Gun (Come On in Boy)" is the title of a song written by Casey Beathard and Marla-Cannon Goodman, and recorded by American country music artist Rodney Atkins for his 2006 album If You're Going Through Hell. The album's fourth single, it is also Atkins' fourth consecutive Number One hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, tying a record for most Number Ones from a country album since Tim McGraw's Set This Circus Down in 2001-2002.^[1]

Content

The song begins with the narrator's recollections of his teenage years. In the first verse, he states that although he cannot recall anything else that he learned in high school, he does remember the speech given to him by his girlfriend's father after meeting him for the first time — a speech meant to instill fear in the boy so that he does not misbehave when with the girl, ending with: "I'll see you when you get back; bet I'll be up all night (pause) still cleanin' this gun."

In the second verse, the narrator tells of how he may someday find himself in the same situation as the father (i.e., meeting his daughter's boyfriend, who "seems to have just one thing on his mind"), and need to give that same speech to the boyfriend.

In a short bridge later in the song, the narrator notes that the approach is merely to intimidate the young suitor at that it is extremely effective:

The song concludes with the narrator speaking to the young boyfriend: "Yeah, son, y'all buckle up and have her back by 10 — uhh, let's say about 9: (slight pause) 30. Drive safe!"

Chart performance

References