“Guns of Noank”

Lyrics

I get high
I stop thinking about you
I get low
I stop thinking at all
No, don’t take me downtown
Oh I need to get all shook down

When I’m low (and)
I’m faded to the floor
Oh you know
I just need a little more
Oh
Here comes the shakedown

Fire the guns (The guns of Noank)
Shake it down baby
Yeah you better shoot me down
I forgot you so don't come around

I get (so) high
I don't dream anymore
I get higher
So much higher than before
Oh
Here comes the shakedown

Copyright © 2019 Karl Ward

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“When they kick at your front door / How you gonna come?”

“Guns of Brixton” is a Clash song, and not one of my favorites. I asked someone who has been to Noank/Mystic what she thought the guns of Noank would be, and she said, pretty straight: “I don’t know, heroin?” I had this little snippet of lyric that I had scribbled in my notebook: “I get high / I stop thinking about you / I get low / I stop thinking at all.” That, combined with the idea that someone might run right toward the most dangerous thing at hand, was where this song came from. “Guns of Brixton” is a tough guy pose, “When they kick at your front door / How you gonna come?” This song is more tough guy surrender, you know: bring it on, I don’t want any help, I know I’m going down and it’s gonna be ugly. “Visit Lovely Noank, CT.”

“All Shook Down” is a reference to the Replacements record, a band that maybe owned the tough guy surrender thing. But you knew that.