“Right”

Why would you want a gun? Why would any sane person want a gun?

When I go shopping to get, let’s say, milk, the reason I’ve decided to get milk is because I intend to drink it. There’s purpose behind the purchase.

So when you decide to buy a gun, surely the intention behind it is that you intend to use it. They only have one use.

To be fair, you could be a revolutionary war fanatic with a specific interest in rare, antique weaponry that you put on display as a kind of haunted artefact of days long gone. But let’s face it, if you’re buying the latest handgun or semi-automatic rifle, you’re not exactly keeping it in the display cabinet, are you?

You can tell yourself it’s for self defence, but that just means you half expect someone to attack you first with a gun. And if you’re in a position where the prospect of getting shot at is met with same casual anticipation of whether or not it might rain later, that’s a shit way to live.

Other than actually intending to shoot it at some kind of target – living or otherwise – and other than holding onto it for self defence (even though any nerd will tell you that shields are better for defence, while weapons generally have a higher attack power), what actually do you need it for? And for that matter, if you really need one, surely one’s enough, right? Why do you need seventeen more?

Because it’s your right? You have a right to own one?

Well, you call it your “right” all you want.

I prefer to call it “wrong”.

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I’m not sure whether Beck is one of those artists who makes music without aiming for any particular genre beforehand, or if he’s actively trying to be a pop star after working his way through the more alternative rock sphere (otherwise known as “the Coldplay route”).

Either way, it’s been raised to my attention that this song comes across as a bit of a Justin Timberlake cast-off than a genre hopping bit of alternative-y-ness. I don’t really give one though. I find it fun enough and it’s found itself stuck in my head so many times without causing too much irritation, so it’s certainly got that going for it.

Beck – Up All Night