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Production Credits:
Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun
Click for Lyrics
First Appearance: Paul's Boutique LP, July 1989
Written by: Beastie Boys & Dust Brothers
Performed by: Beastie Boys
Production Notes: Produced by Beastie Boys & Dust Brothers. Recorded at Mario G's, mixed at Record Plant. Engineered by Mario Caldato, assisted by Allen Abrahamson. Originally released on Capitol Records.
Behind the Beats and Lyrics...
Samples
- "Time" by Pink Floyd from the album Dark Side of the Moon (2004)
- "Put Your Hand in the Hand" by Ocean from the album Put Your Hand in the Hand (2001)
- "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain from the album Climbing! (1970)
- "Last Bongo in Belgium" by Incredible Bongo Band from the album Bongo Rock (1973)
References
- Chuck Chillout - a rap DJ and producer
- Ultra Violence - the mayhem caused by the protagonist of A Clockwork Orange (original novel by Anthony Burgess which was turned into a Stanley Kubrick-directed film)
- Rambo - a 1982 action film and the name of the title character, portrayed by Sylvester Stallone; also referenced in "Shadrach"
- Die Hard - an action film series, starring Bruce Willis
- Bruce Willis (1955- ) - a television and film actor, best known for his role in the Die Hard films
- Son of Sam - David Berkowitz (1953- ), a notorious serial killer who terrorized New York in 1976-1977
- Dave Scilken - a close friend of the Beastie Boys
Sample & Reference Breakdown
- Main beat is from "Last Bongo in Belgium" by Incredible Bongo Band
- Drum beat sample is from "Put Your Hand in the Hand" by Ocean
- Piano chord sample is from "Time" by Pink Floyd
- "Coordinator trim is my man, Dave Scilken" - refers to Beastie Boys friend Dave Scilken, who was hired as their "trim coordinator" for their Licensed to Ill tour
- Drum and guitar chord sample after "Gettin' paid, gettin' rich" is from "Mississippi Queen" by Mountain
Commentary:
Beastie Boys
"I read this review where the guy said that we still only use the same drugs and violence themes. I don't understand why people think [this song] is about us. We just get together and write stories." - Michael Diamond, August 1989
Press
"...nineteen-year-old Dave Scilken, a scrawny friend from Horovitz's Young and Useless days, has been hired as 'trim coordinator' for seventy dollars a week. His current position seems to entail two responsibilites: to find, outfit and train a hot dancer for the onstage cage, and to scout the crowd or local malls for pretty girls he can give backstage passes to" - Rolling Stone, 1987
"...another man's fantasy/nightmare, not theirs" - Spin, 1989
"...the one tune similar in style to the hugely successful rap-metal of the Beasties' debut, Licensed to Ill; it is, in fact, a funkier, more spohisticated doppelganger of the first album's 'Rhymin' and Stealin'" - excerpted from the 33 1/3 Series book Paul's Boutique by Dan LeRoy, 2006
Live:
Performed in 26 known Concerts.
First known Performance:
17-May-1992 : Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
Last known Performance:
31-Dec-1995 : Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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