The Wars, Part Eight

Part One is where it all begins. ~

So, I admit it: I did go a little overboard with the A7X songs. ~ However, they fit so perfectly with the theme that I couldn't resist. Stumbling upon this band was like uncovering a treasure trove of beautifully suitable gold to match the otherwise bland outfit. ~

"Gunslinger" helps illustrate my previous point in Part Two about A7X's music being "flexible." ~ This song begins in a near-country style, then transitions to rock. Both convey emotions of despair and anguish, but in distinct ways. ~ This contrast keeps the song interesting, as it does in so much of their other music. ~

After leaving the battlefield of war, individuals will initially be relieved at the prospect of returning home and filled with the hope that they can return to a sense of normalcy because they are unable to grasp the full extent of the war’s influence upon themselves.

Gunslinger, by Avenged Sevenfold:

Yeah, you've been alone
I've been gone for far too long
But with all that we've been through
After all this time I'm coming home to you

Never let it show
The pain I've grown to know
'Cause with all these things we do
It don't matter when I'm coming home to you

[Chorus]
I reach towards the sky I've said my goodbyes
My heart's always with you now
I won't question why so many have died
My prayers have made it through yeah
'Cause with all these things we do
It don't matter when I'm coming home to you

Letters keep me warm
Helped me through the storm
But with all that we've been through
After all this time I'm coming home to you

[Chorus]

I've always been true
I've waited so long just to come hold you
I'm making it through
It's been far too long, we've proven our
love over time's so strong, in all that we do
The stars in the night, they lend me their light
to bring me closer to heaven with you

(Bring me closer)

But with all that we've been through
After all this time I'm coming home to you

[Chorus]

And with all that we've been through
After all this time I'm coming home to you

Lyrical Content

In “Gunslinger,” the individual is coming home after the war has ended. Through this song, he is addressing a lover he left at home and is now returning to. He wants to forget the war and return to his civilian life, wanting to believe that “[his] heart [will] always [be] with [his lover] now,” and that he “won’t question why so many have died.” This belief that love can overcome the grim reality of war’s impact is unfounded, considering how the individual already exhibits thoughts about “never let[ting] show / The pain [he’s] grown to know” in war, thus foreshadowing his inevitable distancing from society as a result of concealing his memories and emotions. His fervent use of “it don’t matter” undermines the gravity of all that he has faced; his hope at finding happiness anew so simply is therefore based on the fact that he is lying to himself.

Auditory Elements

The song opens with a soft guitar accompaniment, in a near-country style, which hints at an image of a lone horseman riding home. The tone established with this calm accompaniment is a sad, mournful one, as appropriate for one returning from war. Furthermore, the sudden rise in pitch on each “all” sounds somewhat strained, hinting at the deeper pain that the individual has suffered in war.

Then, a rock style begins at end of third stanza as the individual begins to remember the war, as evidenced by his use of the metaphor “storm” to describe his grueling experience. His voice becomes more strained as he repeats the chorus, conveying a sense that he is trying to convince himself that he can readjust to civilian life despite his evidently lingering pain from the memories of war. He succeeds in part, as the tone becomes more hopeful in the sixth stanza, after the second rendition of the chorus. This is conveyed through the ascending melody line in both the vocal accompaniment, and then in the solo electric guitar from 2:59 to 3:22. These rising musical lines in the background subtly hint at the brighter future that the individual is hoping for.