Trigger Happy

[chris23]

In the song "Trigger Happy", are the Beach Boys the background singers? If not, they sure don't sound like Al.

[TMBJon]

Al's voice is a chamelion. He does almost all the voices you hear on the albums.
-jon

[Elvis]

Al usually handles his own background singing, but I'm not sure if there is any of him on background in this song. What do the liner notes say? And I don't think it was the Beach Boys either. If it was the Beach Boys, they weren't credited.

Jim Haas - vocals
One of the 'Beach Boys' soundalike singers on "Trigger Happy".

Jon Joyce - vocals
One of the 'Beach Boys' soundalike singers on "Trigger Happy".

Gene Morford - vocals
One of the 'Beach Boys' soundalike singers on "Trigger Happy".

Jerry Whitman - vocals
One of the 'Beach Boys' soundalike singers on "Trigger Happy".

Dave

[TMBJon]

well i guess i learn something new every day...

[themariomaniac]

I just got into htis song. I would listen to it, but never really pay attention to the lyrics. I decided to really listen today, and found it hilarious. Does anyone else like it?

[WEIRDALexis279]

I love Trigger Happy! Probably my favorite original on Off The Deep End

[algonacchick]

I like Trigger Happy, too! He's got the whole Beach Boys vibe going there.

[jilly7902]

I love how political it is. And how sarcastic, especially that line "well you can't take my guns away I've got a constitutional right...I've gotta be ready if the Commies attack us tonight" I did a project on gun control and when I listen to the song it seems to reinforce every good pro-gun control point...in a hilarious way.

[weird_el]

A couple years ago I had an interesting exchange with Bermuda about the meaning of this song. It's still archived here in Ask Bermuda

FWIW, I agree with Al's take on the song as he mentioned in the liner notes of Permanent Record.

[scottidog]

I love how political it is.  And how sarcastic, especially that line "well you can't take my guns away I've got a constitutional right...I've gotta be ready if the Commies attack us tonight"  I did a project on gun control and when I listen to the song it seems to reinforce every good pro-gun control point...in a hilarious way.

I don't think you can figure out Al's point of view on gun control from this song. Partly because Al's songs aren't autobiographical (except for Albuquerque,) and you can really interpret it on either side. Admittedly, I haven't read the PR liner notes recently, but I don't remember Al saying it was pro-gun control song. I do remember him saying something about a gun rights person calling in on some talk show thinking that the song was pro-gun rights, but I don't remember him saying that the opposite was actually true. And given Bermuda's response in the link above, I'd say that it really isn't making a case either way. But I do like El's response in a discussion we had many moons ago

Paranoid people should not be heavily armed.

Oh, and... (putting on Mod Hat) let's not get into the political discussion of gun control.