Machine Gun Kelly
Carole King feat. James Taylor Lyrics
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Do you understand what happened to Machine Gun Kelly?
I'll tell you about Machine Gun Kelly
He rode along the outlaw trail
Machine Gun Kelly was a simple man
But the woman was as hard as hell
Don't let her run you round
Don't let a woman put you six feet in the ground
Machine Gun (yes indeed)
I'll tell you about Katherine Kelly
Tired of being such small time, now
Figured they'd kidnap a rich man's son
Make it in the world of crime
Watch out Machine Gun
Don't let her run you round
Don't let a woman put you six feet in the ground
Machine Gun
You'd better watch out Machine Gun Kelly
Careful of what you do, now
If you keep listening to your old lady
Ain't no telling what'll happen to you, now
Machine Gun
The government boys they came for Machine Gun
Took the poor boy away
They stuck him in a hole in a Leavenworth prison
Where he lived until his dying day
Watch out Machine Gun
Don't let her put you down
Don't let the woman make you out to be a clown
Machine Gun
Watch out, Machine Gun
The song "Machine Gun Kelly" by Carole King and James Taylor is a cautionary tale about not letting a woman control and ruin your life. The song starts by warning the listener that this is not a time for levity, setting up the serious tone of the song. Then, the lyrics describe the infamous outlaw, Machine Gun Kelly, and his partner in crime, Katherine Kelly. The song explains how Katherine convinces Machine Gun to kidnap a wealthy man's son to make a name for themselves in the world of crime.
The chorus repeats the warning to Machine Gun, advising him not to let Katherine "run him round" and "put him six feet in the ground." The song concludes by warning that if Machine Gun continues to listen to Katherine, he will end up like Machine Gun Kelly, in prison until his death. The song is a cautionary tale against letting someone else control your actions and make decisions for you, leading to negative consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
This is not a time for levity
This is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly.
Do you understand what happened to Machine Gun Kelly?
Do you comprehend the fate of Machine Gun Kelly?
I'll tell you about Machine Gun Kelly
Let me enlighten you about Machine Gun Kelly
He rode along the outlaw trail
He followed the path of an outlaw
Machine Gun Kelly was a simple man
Machine Gun Kelly was a straightforward man
But the woman was as hard as hell
But his partner was exceptionally fierce
Watch out Machine Gun
Be cautious, Machine Gun
Don't let her run you round
Don't allow her to manipulate you
Don't let a woman put you six feet in the ground
Don't let a woman lead you to your grave
Machine Gun (yes indeed)
(repetition of the chorus)
I'll tell you about Katherine Kelly
Let me tell you about Katherine Kelly
Tired of being such small time, now
Katherine Kelly was bored with petty crimes
Figured they'd kidnap a rich man's son
She and Machine Gun Kelly decided to abduct a wealthy boy
Make it in the world of crime
They wanted to be successful criminals
You'd better watch out Machine Gun Kelly
You should be careful, Machine Gun Kelly
Careful of what you do, now
Be cautious of your actions
If you keep listening to your old lady
If you keep following your partner's advice
Ain't no telling what'll happen to you, now
There's no way to know what could happen to you
The government boys they came for Machine Gun
The government officials came to arrest Machine Gun Kelly
Took the poor boy away
They took him into custody
They stuck him in a hole in a Leavenworth prison
They incarcerated him in Leavenworth prison
Where he lived until his dying day
He stayed there until he died
Don't let her put you down
Don't allow her to belittle you
Don't let the woman make you out to be a clown
Don't let the woman make you look foolish
Watch out Machine Gun
Be alert, Machine Gun
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Danny Kortchmar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind