Aerosmith - Janie's Got A Gun I Singer Reacts I

[@pyrocore]

The word "jacked" is actually the word raped in the original version, and the lyric he uses in live shows. He wrote the song based on hearing stories of abuse when he was in rehab. A lot of the women were there because of sexual abuse. There is even a charity called Janie's Fund set up by Steve to help abused women.

[@Rob-eo5ql]

Yep. The record company wasn’t going to release the song until he changed it.

[@Tarlkov]

"Janie's Angels" I've been donating monthly for years,

[@sidrat2009]

Never heard of it. Wish it was more prominent.

[@JohnSmith-fm3pn]

Most likely the story genie wilder . a girl whos father kept her locked in a room from age 1 to age 14 . It was a huge story in the 70s when she was found and rescued

[@pyrocore]

@@JohnSmith-fm3pn he stated that the song was based on multiple instances of women sharing their stories at rehab. So, no not all that likely.

[@roninprofessor]

This isn’t “early days” Aerosmith, it’s more like mid-period height of their fame. They’ve been around since the 70’s

[@swedishguy83]

What do you expect? Kids today think Mozart was discovered by Simon Cowell on an episode of Idol.

[@stevengusenius7333]

Thank you. I actually winced at that one. Aerosmith was already an "old" band when I started listening. And that was pretty much the album.

[@VonBlade]

It's almost, arguably depending on how much you love Get a Grip, the last good thing they did.

[@HanMoP]

You could bend the truth to this is Aerosmith earlier MTV days but yeah, earlier Aerosmith is the seventies.

[@mneumonictowel]

you want a cookie?

[@jamesringler5287]

Lead singer, Steven Tyler started the charity, Janie's Home, which funds and runs shelters for battered women and girls.

[@swbigfan1]

It's stunning how many songs are SO DARK, while a lot of people don't realize & think they're just cool songs. Born in the USA (the unemployed veteran song) Every breath you take (the stalker song) One way or Another (the other stalker song) American pie (the tragic plane crash song) Bonus round: Look up the lyrics to the theme song of the old TV show MASH, the song is called "Suicide is Painless"! If you're old enough to remember watching it then I'll bet that song used to make you smile.

[@pfeilchen]

Frank Zappa - Bobby Brown the most brutal of all time is probably Tori Amos - Me And A Gun

[@fugawiaus]

Jeremy is another similarly themed song by pearl jam. Suicide is painless is from the mash film.

[@bamachine]

@@fugawiaus I think they play the instrumentals of the song in the TV series but only sing the lyrics for the movie. Probably was not allowed to play the lyrics for network TV.

[@robbherriman3302]

They sing the words to the song in the MASH movie before the show!

[@dannyberry8725]

you forgot the happiest sounding depressing song ever.....Semi-Charmed Kind Of Life by Third Eye Blind which is about meth addiction.

[@arturnienartowicz7213]

They're not alluding to anything. They're saying it straight.

[@mealburglar]

I know right, really nothing to overthink or not know what it was about. I was in 7'th grade at the time and I remember when saw I knew what was about...

[@c1ph3rpunk]

Lol. Early days. Funny. This video had a stronger cast than many movies of the period. Their collab with Run DMC on the remake of Walk Way Way, an earlier song of theirs, shot them back into the mainstream on MTV. It was their second act comeback and they really made it work.

[@kevinmclaughlin8975]

Joe's vocals at the end that everyone overlooks tells it all: Honey, Honey, what's the problem? Tell me it ain't right. Was it daddy's cradle robbin' That made you scream at night?

[@sumonjamal1653]

Aerosmith actually had a career resurgence in the 80's/ 90's that was bigger than their 70's heyday... Steven Tyler (vocals) had met Joe Perry (guitar) in the Boston rock scene and wanted to form a new band w/ him in 1970... Their explosive musical chemistry was Aerosmith's blessing and curse over decades... The 2 musicians were musically made for each other but were also very abrasive towards each other. Perry's friend Tom Hamilton (bass) joined Aerosmith... Tyler's friend Ray Tabano was the original guitarist. Joey Kramer (drums) knew Steven Tyler and joined the band; he named it Aerosmith after a book he had read - 'The Arrowsmith'... Steven Tyler played drums before Kramer came in so that he could be Aerosmith's lead singer & frontman. Not long after Aerosmith debuted in the local scene in Boston, the band met an 18 year old guitarist Brad Whitford... he replaced Tabano and formed a special guitar duo w/ Joe Perry... It wasn't like the typical lead/ rhythm guitar dynamic; Joe Perry was a prolific composer and had a raw style of playing... Brad Whitford was technical and proficient as a lead guitarist - the 2 balanced each other out perfectly and split the guitar work evenly between them. Debuting in 1973, Aerosmith did not take off right away... They worked the touring scene and built a fanbase from the ground up before their 3rd album 'Toys in the attic' went platinum-plus in 1975... followed by the 1976 classic album 'Rocks'. However, drugs, booze and drama derailed Aerosmith by 1979 as backstage feuds between Joe Perry and Steven Tyler led to Perry leaving Aerosmith for a solo career... Brad Whitford left by 1981... Without Joe Perry or Brad Whitford, Aerosmith tried moving forward w/ Jimmy Crespo (guitar)... Rick Dufay joined in '82 as a touring guitarist but their albums were failing commercially by then... Joe Perry was also doing worse by then. In 1984, Aerosmith finally reunited w/ Perry and Whitford to tour... but it took an extensive rehab program and a 1986 collaboration w/ rap group Run DMC to jump-start Aerosmith's career by 1987 and made them bigger than ever worldwide w/ 3 massive records - 'Permanent vacation' (1987)... 'Pump' (1989)... and 'Get a grip' (1993)... Aerosmith has not put out an exceptional record for a while (2001 was their last major record 'Just push play')... and the band is still massive and in demand on tour... however, the endless drama within the band has yet to abate.

[@craigreipold3931]

The 80’s were a decade that addressed some pretty dark subjects though song: My Name Is Luka, by Suzanne Vega-child abuse Voices Carry, by ‘Til Tuesday-domestic abuse. Runaway, by Bon Jovi - exploitation of street children. If you had never seen the videos, there would be that strange aha moment while listening to the radio, when it hit you what the song was really about. Sometimes it took much longer for me to realize what I was hearing than it should have. The innocence of youth.

[@Smoshy16]

Runaway Train by Soul Asylum was the one that got me and it was probably the video that made people stop and realise what the song was truly about.

[@coreydean6540]

Hell Is For Children - Pat Benetar

[@jamiemacdonald436]

At the end of the song, the background vocals spell it out. "Honey honey, what the problem? Tell me it ain't right. Was it daddy's cradle robbing that made you scream at night?"

[@alricaneshama]

When I first heard this. I 100% made the connection to what they were actually talking about about.

[@Imnottrainedforthis]

Ikr? It’s not exact subtle.

[@wassupinlasvegas9735]

Janie had a gun when Jeremy spoke in class today.

[@sidrat2009]

It's only recent that personal health and development has been taught in classrooms. I don't know the quality or depth of that teaching but at least it's a start.

[@jskyg68]

Hey man, nice shot😉

[@vrdragon12]

A strong combination

[@marvelcaptain3504]

They started in the 70's. Early doesn't describe it

[@joshuadeshaies7266]

This entire album, Pump, is fire! 🔥🔥

[@Antti79]

This is one of Aerosmith's greatest songs. I remember when this came out.

[@Cashcrop54]

It was 1973 when I first saw Aerosmith live in Columbus OH. They were opening for Robin Trower and Mott The Hoople. Had never heard of Aerosmith at the time. They blew everybody away from the first song. And, when I heard "Train Kept A Rolling" was epic. On top of it all Steven Tyler was unlike anyone I'd ever seen. I ended up seeing them more times than I will ever remember.

[@surferdjnj]

When music was about real life / social issues. Better Man, Jeremy, Daughter, the list goes on and on.

[@Imnottrainedforthis]

Oh, it still is. Depends on the music you listen to. 🤔

[@kylebrooks338]

Imagine just rocking out to Aerosmith and loving the song but then one day you actually listen to the song and everything changes

[@jimspetdragons3737]

This song was well used hilariously w/ Chris Evans (Yes, Captain America's Chris Evans) singing the melody in the movie Not Another Teen Movie. (Clip available, but it needs more context).

[@chrismaverick9828]

Wait.....Did I f-ing miss that was Chris Evans?!!?! GAAAAH!!! I never made the connection! It was!!! Awesome movie! Everyone in it was awesome, even the guy with the camera... And his bag.

[@jimspetdragons3737]

@@chrismaverick9828 To tell the truth, I didn't catch that right away either, though the movie did come out a decade before his MCU role. Loved the movie.

[@amymbeauty8765]

Haha, glad I'm not the only one who immediately thought of that too!

[@Darth_Lunas]

This song is so emotional. The subject matter is so sad. Things like this should never happen. 😔 Unfortunately, I can relate. I've seen Aerosmith 3 times and each time was better than the next.

[@williamyates694]

I would rather you be HAPPY that you can't relate!!! But have sympathy for sure...

[@atumfritu]

Their early days is dream on. And to be honest the "new version" of dream on (from 2007) is the best version of this song, imo.

[@jenniferfoster1692]

I don't know what it says about Gen X, but we understood it from the 1st scene when he was sneaking a creepy look at her while she was sunbathing, and mom was looking suspicious. Besides the dark message, I think the music & Steven's vocals are some of the best of this 80s era of Aerosmith. This isn't their early stuff, this is their midway stuff, lol. Their iconic stuff from the 70s is where they became rock icons, then drugs took them over and they popped up again for 2 huge albums in the late 80s. Then the 90s they did a lot of power ballads, movie stuff. I really like their song 'Pink' from their later era, it's still nasty & funky and tongue in cheek, not sappy. They're definitely one of the most successful rock bands ever, with new original music being very successful over multiple decades.

[@lauriivey7801]

It's amazing how many people never really listen to lyrics, just losing themselves in the music ... I've always been into lyrics, and always understood

[@D1M2STARK]

You have no idea how hard I laughed when you said "His early stuff" !! Cmon girl do you want us to take your opinion seriously.

[@I_ll_beer_back]

It's good when music videos occasionally deal with really dark topics that happen in the world every day. That's my opinion. After all, it's not all sunshine and roses, as is so often suggested in music videos. Another beautiful, but also deeply sad song was created when Kylie Minogue and Nick Cave worked together: "Where the Wild Roses Grow" is a song by the Australian band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in a duet with Kylie Minogue from 1995. It tells the story of a man who kills his lover and generally about the passing of beauty ("all beauty must die").

[@JohnCullati]

Great reaction to one of their darkest and most powerful songs. The subject of child molestation is portrayed beautifully. Sad reality of the world we live in. Wishing you continued success.

[@Rob-eo5ql]

Biggest 1970s Aerosmith fan in the world. 1989’s PUMP (which this song is on) is one of the greatest rock albums ever made. They were one of the first bands to video the making of the album (The Making of PUMP). The arguments they had with the Geffen Records over using the word “r*ped” in this song were pretty intense. Steven was pissed and eventually changed it to “jacked” and Geffen approved it….which imo is a far more brutal description than “r*ped”. No wonder the record companies all went out of business.

[@Ken-pr3rs]

Aerosmith their self debuted album came out in 1973......Dream On was on it. And is what got their album famous.....'73, FIFTY years ago. This was 17 years later in 1990. I went to this concert. It was my first of three.....all 90's. Best Decade EVERRR......

[@Starlesslight]

This album came out in 89. This was actually the second song released and that was in November 1989. Love In An Elevator was the first track and that came out August of 89.

[@Ken-pr3rs]

@@Starlesslight thanks

[@jonlate4581]

'Earlier days' Honey dear, you don't know their early days. That's when they were really good. 75 to 79.

[@bamachine]

Their best songs come from the 70's and their first album after they were "reborn", Permanent Vacation.

[@80s_kid]

A masterpiece not only in terms of musicianship, songwriting and creativity but also in terms of production (mixing, sound engineering, sound image). It can be a new/different experience when years later, at an older age, you sit down with premium headphones to listen to these records that we used to listen to from tape recorder at high volume at home, at parties, in the car, etc. It's simply on a different production-level than today's records (in general.) You can argue this but music productions of this level will never return.

[@SunShine-qk4rb]

Tragic story.great song.great reaction

[@Benjifan2000]

The vocals in this song are probably Steven Tyler's best.

[@rayrussell7182]

also the scarves on Steven Tyler's mic stand started as a way for him to take drugs while on stage... he used to sew little pockets into the scarves that he'd stash uppers into

[@Lorinda212]

I enjoy your reactions......very genuine ))

[@Flum666]

this was my favourite song for years back in 1989-1991

[@charliemac64]

Saw these dudes in 1983 on "Night in the Ruts" tour without Perry. Saw them twice in the span of two weeks in early 1986 on the "Done With Mirrors" tour after Perry had rejoined. The second of those two shows was the night before the space shuttle blew up. After partying HARD at the show, woke up to a rather sobering moment.

[@susanlindner8626]

Early Aerosmith is the best! Check out Train Kept A Rollin, Toys In The Attic, Back In The Saddle, Kings and Queens, Nobody's Fault, Last Child, Mama Kin. In one of the band's biographies, Steven talks about the scarves on his mic stand. The scarves had little pockets where he would keep drugs to use during their shows.

[@waderegan6168]

Every time I hear this song, it reminds me of "Not Another Teen Movie " , & it makes me laugh. 😂

[@amymbeauty8765]

It's ALL I hear!! 😂

[@modelsclameater]

Ok, if you truly just found out the meaning of this song while filming this, I'm going to subscribe to your channel. That was priceless and authentic reaction.

[@gearheadmn]

After thinking up the title (which was originally “Danny’s Got A Gun”), four months later Steven Tyler wrote the lyrics inspired by two different stories he read in Time and Newsweek: one involving gun violence within the US towards the end of the 1980s and the other involving sexual abuse of children in well-off suburban communities. The latter story (a young teenager being sexually abused by her father) became a motive for the former (Janie killing someone, in this case her father).

[@scottclark3761]

This was a very controversial song when it came out. You have to understand the time period....such things weren't talked about aloud...they were whispered. Aerosmith brought it to the limelight, and some folks weren't thrilled. This was before the internet, before MeToo, before it was acknowledged. We live in a very woke era. It wasn't always so. Have we gone too far? Maybe. But these kinds of things needed to see the light of day. It didn't come from nowhere.

[@thunderspike1892]

Check out Aerosmith from their 1976 album Rocks. Nobody's Fault. Very heavy.

[@josephst.george7841]

Been singing along to this song on the radio for months now and only today did I realize what it’s about and I needed to see someone else’s reaction to confirm that I’m not the only one who had this experience with the song

[@robertrodriguez787]

No I pretty much knew when they Called Her Daddy a Sleaze

[@sly7390]

I listened to sang to this song BUT never got the actual years until the last 10 years ago. Makes me appreciate the song more especially when it came out because songs didn’t cover the hurt or type of survival as in this song.

[@ronaldsanders9464]

go back to the early-mid seventies and hear the REAL Aerosmith. You will really fall in the rabbit hole!!!

[@markhenry8669]

The first time I saw Aerosmith was in my HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM TICKET $5.oo in1975 in Massachusetts

[@The_Deaf_Aussie]

I'm not a heavy metal listener, as I never listen to any of it. But every now and then, you get one or two songs from this genre, that stands out. This, is one of the few iconic songs that's so good, I actually appreciated it, and the artist. This song, is in my top 100 must listen to song list.

[@pontiacfan76]

Technically Aerosmith is not heavy metal. They are more like hard rock.

[@cherylmontgomery9753]

I've always believed that this song was about Jamie's father molesting her. So she shot him to death. Love Aerosmith ❤️ Great song, it happens a lot more then people know. It happened to me and I totally am on page with Jamie.

[@Darth_Lunas]

That's exactly what's it about.

[@Ranadicus]

That moment @3:33 when she realizes what the song is about. The cleaner version with alternate lyrics that plays on the radio in modern times absolutely ruins the impact. It's supposed to hit you hard like that. That's the point.

[@markroberts1283]

Watch any live performance of this song. This is the edit for commercial release. He leaves no doubt live.

[@dannyberry8725]

Earlier days? they started in the 70's, had a whole career, broke up in the early 80's, and then got back together in the 90's. This is their second career as a band. not earlier days.

[@juanpabloluengasrestrepo9152]

Thanks for the reaction!!!!!

[@shadowangel3995]

I haven’t heard this song in forever and yes Rachel, it’s one of the darkest songs I’ve heard.

[@davidspalten1304]

Saw them in 73 in New York, opening up for one hit wonder Focus. Weren't much of a thing then. Who remembers Focus now?

[@Ace-v3t]

Love this song

[@patrickwilder6492]

I had to laugh at “their earlier days” comment ... I bought their first album to play in my 1st car on 8-track !! It was either ‘73 or ‘74 !! Lol

[@tmontgomery7592]

As a survivor of childhood SA they are saying it youre just not hearing it at first.

[@stlouiscomics]

Great David Fincher directed Video!!

[@daviddarko5837]

I remember listening to this and watching the video on MTV when I was 11 or so. Me and my friends called it the rape song. They weren't afraid to tell these kinds of stories back then. "Jeremy" by pearl Jam was another one of those type songs that came out like two years later.

[@joshMitchell-xt7pu]

There isn’t love like this anymore

[@amymbeauty8765]

I'm forever cursed to think of the scene from Not Another Teen Movie when I hear this song 😂

[@De5O54]

Brilliant song, brilliant video. I thought “dog days just begun” was ‘dope fiend just begun’.

[@michaelthornton311]

I don't think you're alone. Many Aerosmith lyrics go over your head when you're younger, then as you get older, they click. One of few Aerosmith songs in story form, tho.

[@tcov22]

The song sounds so cool, it’s easy to just go with the sound and not listen to the lyrics too carefully, but yeah … Janie’s not going to be a child forever, some day Janie’s going to get a gun. It’s a song of justice and empowerment, in my mind.

[@Drahculia]

The scarves hanging from his mic stand? In the 1970s, the mic stand scarves had pockets in them, where he'd hide drugs, to keep them handy for while he was performing. Not kidding!

[@thenihilisticphilosopher2957]

Saviour Machine, “Carnival of Souls”, or “Legion”, or “Jesus Christ” all can be found live.

[@pontiacfan76]

They put out a Album full of Blues covers called Honking on Bobo..

[@jdwoods2008]

when you had that moment about what they are alluding to, it reminded me of when I had that moment before, and then laughed because the only answer is "what did her daddy do tho?"

[@maxterbait4438]

I went to the same high school in Yonkers as Steven Tyler. Kinda cool.

[@Pugiron]

This was the peak of their career, they started in the 70's

[@markc-fb2hj]

Check out, Uncle Salty from the ,Toys in the Attic album. Aerosmith pointed out child abuse when this album was released.

[@AdamDobbs-j5k]

I can never listen tk this song the same way any ore after "Not another teen movie" he sings janies got a gun then they yell at school oh no run janies got a gun lol

[@williamyates694]

New subscriber. This isn't early Aerosmith by any means. And I seriously don't want to come off as insulting to anyone. But how does anyone, NOT know the meaning in the first listen? I got it the first time I heard it without the video! People really are blind. Not just visually, but with their ears as well!!! "Early" Aerosmith dealt with a bit of this with the song Uncle Salty way back in 76 on Toys In The Attic. People need to listen much better than they do. Thanks for pointing that out. Not insulting I swear. But the disease of not listening or hearing is an age old problem. And your video I believe will help. 🤟🍻

[@leonwood5760]

" From his early days" Bwaahaaa how damn young are you lady????

[@alexharbison4411]

Nice reaction. The story is Tyler read an article on gun violence in Time or News Week and then read another on child abuse. He combined the to stories for this idea.

[@rayrussell7182]

the actor who plays the father in this video is the guy who does the voiceover of john teller on sons of anarchy

[@JasonBamford-x6i]

Bizarre that this younger didn't have older cousins, brothers or sisters to explain older music, film etc...you can almost see the light bulb going off above her head...glad to see she finally got there in the end...;) RIP Steven Tyler's voice though his retirement might save him from falling off another stage...

[@bidwell13]

1:31 when I first heard this part I thought they found Janie hiding under the train. After listening a couple more times I finally got that they arrested her and found the body under the train.

[@710blodgett74]

You should look at the back story of that song. It is interesting

[@TheHManShow]

I get why some people hate this song because it is very graphic but the music is just so damn powerful and sets the mood to the lyrics incredibly well.

[@jeanearle2350]

That moment when you get what the song is really about... yeah. Tyler really did a lot for abused women. Amazing man.

[@timlenard1646]

eluding to??? its pretty straightforward

[@LucasAndrade-vz6yb]

Ok, okay, let's go: I've always liked Aerosmith and this song that you reacted to is one of their favorite songs because of the sound and the lyrics, Steven Tyler has an excellent voice, it's an extremely good song and it's good in Rachael, now about you I must point out that you look very beautiful, the retouched purple color suits you a lot, if I could suggest a song recommendation I would recommend The Call of The Mountains by the band Eluveltie is an excellent song and I think you You'll like it and that's it, continue with the work you're doing and greetings from Brazil to you Rachael! 💚💛💚💛

[@stephenlackey5852]

This song had been in heavy radio and MTV video rotation for a while, when I finally gave it proper listen… paid attention to the lyrics. I thought it was just about a woman going crazy and X-ing her dad. That night it finally clicked *why* she did it. • *The very next day* the girl I was seeing at the time told me she had been SA’d by her father and uncle since she was a toddler. Not to compare to what *she* went through, but it f-ing broke me, man. Then I went down the rabbit hole reading about predator pathology, and it’s knowledge I can’t un-know. GFM- if you’re still off there somewhere, I’m so sorry that happened to you. I hope you’re OK.

[@chrismaverick9828]

This is from after Aero got back together following the rehab stint and falling out and make up with Joe Perry. There is a distinct different between pre-1980 Aero and Post 1986 or so. A lot of that is that they took on doing more songs written outside the band. Many of the true hits in the 90's that made MTv were written for them. Nothing detracts from the style they bring to their music though. It doesn't matter who wrote the lyrics, the music, delivery, and style is all Aero.

[@BillO964]

Great song

[@christopherking4932]

Awesome video.

[@cookypuss8603]

This song is based on a true story

[@timlenard1646]

his early days go back MUCH further then when this song came out...

[@0PsychosisMedia0]

Another dark catchy song..Tom Petty-Last Dance of Mary Jane..

[@jenBuruato]

Steven Tyler was reading so many stories about SA in girls by their Dads and Moms so he wrote this song. It's about Janie getting a gun and offing her Dad for the abuse.

[@darrenshanahan1777]

1989 from memory

[@walterleonard2489]

This song was a TRUE story and written by Tyler. He read about a story in the NY Times about a father raping his daughter and she eventually murdered him. He was also performing to address gun violence as well.

[@samusahlsten5948]

Great reaction. This really isn't a happy song. But such a classic it is indeed.

[@AlphariusDominatus]

I remember wgen this song came out it kicked up a bees nest

[@Ace-v3t]

Yes the song went “there”

[@fb-gj7yi]

It is about a man abusing his daughter. It is that simple, and yes of course obviously sick.

[@robertrodriguez787]

Yeah and she Killed him with a Gun

[@jamesdunn1857]

one thing about the 80/90s was they talked about real issues

[@Laura_Martin42]

I read that he was horrified by stories he saw in the paper of girls from well-to-do families who were abused by their fathers or family members and no one would believe them because the abuser was rich or powerful in the community and often the mother would know and just look the other way.

[@lostwhirley]

Pump was one of my first CD's. They don't play REAL music like this anymore.... wish they did.