Car Seat Headrest's The Gun Song: A Musical Conclusion

A discussion, analysis, and visual presentation of Car Seat Headrest's "The Gun Song". While I may use Will's name, this is not at all speculative of his real life personality or life story, this is an incredibly personal work of art, and I am simply analyzing it as far removed from reality as I possibly can while acknowledging the personal experience behind it.
Please do not use this video as a substitute for actually listening to this music. Go listen to Car Seat Headrest like anywhere you can find music.
This is part 3 in a series analyzing the Twin Fantasy narrative, the other 2 videos can be found on my channel.

[@isthatzo7703]

Ive always felt like the flow of the twin fantasy storyline is like I'm obsessed with you (3) -> But the relationship failed (mirror to mirror) -> because it was a bad idea (monomania) -> bad for me (gun song) -> and bad for you (face to face)

[@SKELETON_HANDLE]

I had no idea what This song was about like at all so thank you now I can listen to it on repeat 70 more times and not get bored

[@quoteth]

I do this sometimes but the no trigger version on spotify is so annoying I wish he'd been able to clear the sample

[@SKELETON_HANDLE]

@@quoteth is there a difference between the two( I didn’t even know there was two)

[@quoteth]

@@SKELETON_HANDLE The spotify version doesn't have the outro "I shot my baby!!" because of a copyright issue. It instead plays a sped up + reversed version of the outro (like how i opened this video)

[@SKELETON_HANDLE]

@@quoteth yep I am literally listening to it right now and noticed right away and came to edit my message

[@CardinalWest]

An interesting analysis of what may very well be Will’s magnum opus, and also possibly my all-time favorite song (I'm still split between this and "Time" from DSotM). I’m glad you used the original version and not the “no trigger” version with the altered ending (changed to avoid copyright on the cover of Neil Young’s “Down By the River” used in the coda, which is ironic given Will specifically complains about copyright law in this song lol)-to me, this section is crucial to getting a sense of catharsis for the narrative. On the “one shot two shots” lyric, I always interpreted that not just as a reference to murder, but to a murder-suicide, especially given the repeated thematic motif of mutual destruction through clinging to a toxic relationship, present not only in this song, but on TF and Monomania. Also I know you were focusing on the lyrics, but *my goodness* is the guitar solo near the end absolutely phenomenal! (Or I guess “pseudo-solo" since he also interposes lyrics in it). Honestly rivals Gilmour’s solo on Time IMO. On the topic of future content, I think it’s a great idea to do a combined remaster of all of these (I’m currently in the process of remastering a bunch of my own old content, some of it even CSH-related). If you’d like some advice, I recommend speaking a little slower and more clearly, maybe doing multiple line reads if necessary (I know from personal experience that this takes a lot of getting used to, but it gets a lot more natural feeling with practice), and double-checking back through the upload before it goes live to make sure there isn’t anything out of place (for example, I noticed a line or two that you delivered twice on the Monomania video). Best of luck, and I’m looking forward to your future content!

[@quoteth]

Wait holy fuck I just realized you're the person who made those "Why I Love" videos about the CSH songs 😭 this is so wild to me lmao 1. Thank you for the comment. Wow. Happy Holidays to you! 2. The one shot, two shots thing is definitely something I looked over a little, and that's a great way to interpret it. I must confess, I've only been analyzing stuff for just about the duration of doing these videos. For too much of my life, I was only consuming like not very challenging media bc of censorship in my home life + the taste of people around me so I ended up a "the curtains are just blue" kind of person until lately, where I've been trying to get better at it, partially through these videos. 3. On the re-recording, yeah, I could probably work on my delivery a bit. I read every line at least twice when I record it, but I just naturally talk a bit fast, especially I think when it's something I'm this passionate about. I'll take it into account when I re-record though. Again, thank you so much for watching and leaving such a like thought out comment, I really love making these videos, and I love yours as well btw !!!

[@quoteth]

Oh and as for the repetition in the Monomania video? Yeah. That's really my own fault lol, just didn't watch it back after I finished editing it. It was late, which isn't an excuse, but I made sure not to repeat my mistake on this one!!

[@CardinalWest]

@@quoteth You're welcome! And don't worry about it, little things like these are all part of the learning process. I myself spoke *way* too fast when I first started, and didn't really project my voice at all - speaking into a microphone is one of those skills that most people don't even consider a "skill" before trying it, but that you get comfortable with over time. And I know I've missed a typo or two in my own uploads that still haunt me lmao

[@joahfaria2077]

I have watched A LOT of video essays, primarily BreadTube. I have watched a decent amount of philosophy tube, all of contrapoints, most of big Joel, some renegade cut and second thought, jacob geller, and many others. I can say hands down this is the best video essay I have ever watched period.

[@coolaboutnothing]

this is my first time hearing the original version since i listen on spotify and omgg the conclusion is sooo much better than the end of the no trigger version wtf 😭

[@immortalizk]

yeah, it sucks that it had to get changed. theres copyright in the normal gun song, so they had to change it up

[@davidarchives7872]

This was fucking awesome! I previously understood the idea behind The Gun Song well enough, but only really the beginning part ("What Joe said"). This has been great and I'm very glad to understand the bit from Will's ex's perspective and the weird referential thing with Macbeth and Mariamme, thank you :) Hope you have a merry Christmas 🎄

[@quoteth]

Thanks for watching all of these vids and commenting + merry Christmas to you too !!!!

[@saintlouievhs]

what an amazing christmas gift

[@quoteth]

I grinded until about 4AM last night to finish this thing out in time lol

[@saintlouievhs]

@@quoteth i appreciate ur hard work (((:

[@HeyThereBeachKitty]

I wish I saved my breath for this video instead, would've been way more fitting as this is the conclusion to the whole Twin Fantasy storyline. However, I just had to write something down to just say that you beautifully and brilliantly analyzed The Gun Song in such nice detail!! Great job as always! On a side note, I didn't know you were going to re-record your Twin Fantasy and Monomania video, however I'm excited to hear that! Hope that all goes well! (Definitely a bit dated, but the point stands!)

[@quoteth]

I have a camera now too so I'm planning once I'm finished up with this semester of College to really sit down and record something with way better production value. Possibly just an all-encompassing video for Tf, monomania, and the gun song + the beach trilogy and maybe a couple of other songs relating to the narrative scattered throughout the discography.

[@HeyThereBeachKitty]

Woah, that sounds absolutely amazing! Sounds like a lot of work too, haha. I'm pretty confident you'll be able to manage that out pretty well. Until then, I cannot wait to see what you've got in store! Best of luck to you as always!!

[@fourthstrongest]

one thing you didn't mention is that at the "now you can never use the same chord changes again" line, the follow up chord progression is the same as the verse of stop smoking

[@quoteth]

Yeah I read that but don't know music theory so had no idea if it was true or not so I just left it out

[@ben_hoyce]

this video essay is only slightly longer than the song itself lol

[@pissguzzler9604]

great video! really good analysis as always. i do wish you had mentioned more about the whole "gun" in "the gun song" because i think it really enriches your interpretation. for example, you mentioned the "one shot two shots" part, but imo thats as much about drinking as about firing the metaphorical gun (the fact its two shots might be saying how he's tried to kill the relationship before but failed) and the kind of throwaway line "guns are loaded; silver bullets tonight" becomes far more meaningful when we consider the dog metaphor for Cate Wentz in Twin Fantasy, because what is a werewolf but a human and a dog combined? still great though :3

[@quoteth]

Oh yeah true I didn't even think about the dog motif combined with the werewolf thing - I just skipped those lines cause I thought they were pretty self explanatory

[@willowmello7856]

best video on youtube ever actually

[@quoteth]

Appreciated 🙏 now I can finally talk about something other than csh for a bit lol (before I go back and do FtF and ToD in the future)

[@holysoup2954]

whole family gathered around the fireplace to watch the new quoteth video best christmas gift evr ly and ur vids always and congrats on all the subs woo yay!!

[@quoteth]

Thank you!!!

[@crowlikethebird]

thank you for doing justice to my favorite song ever.... you're so epic

[@notghosty8864]

this video is the biggest present under the tree

[@quoteth]

So real

[@tuvanystrom3956]

i love this song and this video does an amazing analysis on it. also the guitar solo at the end just hit jesus christ its so good

[@koalabear0844]

this is amazing man, i just finished watching all your analysis vides and they were really cool and in depth with the narrative you explained. i hope you continue :)

[@bencrouch4230]

this series of videos was amazing man, you did incredible work and i’m excited to watch the face to face video when that comes out

[@rexisnervous]

te quiero mucho persona que analiza canciones de Car Seat Headrest

[@toby614]

I love this video so much I always come back to it

[@jamieking685]

your analysis is amazing thank u so much. this song was really really important to me in terms of investigating my own codependency but u still touched on things i hadn’t even considered. thank u so much

[@eurydice2322]

i was rlly hoping your next video was gonna cover nym or this song specifically (this being my favorite song ever) and im so glad you did, great video and spot on analysis imo. ily have a merry chrimas!

[@quoteth]

You too!!

[@ec0gnate292]

Holy fucking shit best gift I'm gonna receive for christmas

[@hikaritheninth]

once again a great analysis, keep up the good work and merry christmas

[@quoteth]

Thanks & you too !!!

[@cadence9157]

ur csh videos always hit spot on

[@Feebowl]

Please do a video on all of NYM!!!

[@martinchocoo]

i love this video and the song so much

[@lowengeist]

Thank you ! This video rocks :)

[@kendrapersephone6231]

i think i'm in love with you

[@kuniso]

i was literally in a call with my friend yesterday and saw you uploaded this and started yelling with excitement LMAO

[@quoteth]

omg really?? 😭 i'm happy i can be so exciting, then

[@jacksonladik2705]

YES

[@itsguidry8125]

MERRY CHRISTMAS, NERD ❤

[@sleepy.cat119]

thank you, i absolutely love this song

[@elkstra99]

my fav csh song easily

[@goodnightgirl]

fantastic. audio tip tho: check your levels on a phone speaker, the songs sound much louder than narration, even tho the narration is otherwise clear. if you start clipping, use a compressor 😉

[@quoteth]

Appreciate the tips!!

[@eleyaculadordelaverno1502]

Amazing video friend!

[@pisslord2000]

a christmas miracle!!

[@dumb5308]

loving these videos, subscribed!!! really like your analysis!

[@june-juniper-]

love your analysis

[@hucklebucklin]

I subscribed - 994 subscribers you're so close to 1000!!!

[@tobiasrat693]

When are you going to record a video about the album Living while starving ?

[@girlhag]

though, I think you missed one of the most crucial points of “the gun song”, and in turn, kind of missed the point of the whole title. You always referred to “the gun” as Will killing/ending his relationship. While, neglected to mention when he says “guns are loaded with silver bullets tonight, but it’s useless, you kept me waiting until it was light.” I believe this is the role credits moment of this song, the meaning of the title. The lover was a werewolf, silver bullets are the only thing that could defeat them, but the silver bullets are useless at this point, because it’s already light, and the full moon is already gone

[@quoteth]

I've always taken that more as Will contextualizing that it's taken him forever to get around to actually ending things. That over and over, he loads his gun with silver bullets, but they manage to keep him hooked on by a thread, just until the morning comes. This could also doubly mean a number of things with the "until it was light" given that I explained that the relationship seemed to only be sexual, being that Will goes to end things but gets wrapped up in a late night hook up, and is satiated until morning. Or it could tie into the Day/Night and Sun/Moon metaphor, being that the night or the moon represents a lie, the falsehood of their relationship that Will clings onto. So he latches onto this as the other person leads him on, but then when the morning comes, and the truth that they are not in love comes, it's already too late and said silver bullets are useless. Could be both as well!!! Either way, the end of the song implies Will finally making the decision to end things with the "I SHOT MY BABY!!" outro, so I think that line was just there to show the listener that Will has been wanting to end things for a long time, but is always unable to, using silver bullets and werewolf mythology as a creative way to show it.

[@girlhag]

godly vid 🙏🏻 Thanks 😸 you held the north, while i conquered the south

[@bkvbypsycko4140]

You’re now at 444 subs:)

[@membrenoix49]

Can you put english subtitles please ??

[@quoteth]

I'm still a small channel rn handling college and a job and stuff but I will try !!!

[@dixel2047]

Great video

[@brendanhird2299]

please post more

[@matiusi107]

yay

[@biesyfiodora9312]

I love your videos but please speak a little slower. I can't understand what you're saying half the time, I'm not a native speaker. Other than that great analysis.

[@quoteth]

I'll try and keep this in mind for future videos! Or I can try and implement some subtitles if that would help?

[@biesyfiodora9312]

@@quoteth That would be great! Thank you :3

[@girlhag]

please, Make music, or at least, write Poetry 😸