3 Warning Shots
(Rick Springfield/Matt Bissonette)

[John Lennon was brought into the emergency room just before 11:00 pm, he was dead on arrival]

Dear disillusioned boy
Who taught you to destroy
Everything that's beautiful
Everything that shines
You're the monster underneath your bed

And I'll, I'll give you one warning shot
I'll give you two warning shots
I'll give you three warning shots to the head

I know you
I give Lucifer his due
He promised you, you'd be legit
But everybody thinks you're shit
I hope every dream you dream you dream in red

And I'll, I'll give you one warning shot
I'll give you two warning shots
I'll give you three warning shots to the head

Yea you, you caught Johnny on the spot
But no one gives you a second thought
And I'll, I'll give you three warning shots to the head

Standing on a New York sidewalk with a loaded gun

Happiness is a warm gun....

Mommy's depressed little joy
Holden Caulfield's stable boy
Hey come on wake up you sleepy head
(gunshot)

And I'll, I'll give you one warning shot
I'll give you two warning shots
I'll give you three warning shots to the head

You've got empty brain and crazy thoughts
Your voices had you tied in knots
and I'll, I'll give you three warning shots to the head......to the head


Song Facts: This can be found on Venus in Overdrive.

Rick says: 3 Warning shots was a song I wrote after I saw the movie made about the guy that shot John Lennon.   And the song is about - is an open letter to this idiot that did this.  I hope he hears the song at some point. - Amazon.com promo video

According to US

“Dear Disillusioned Boy, 
Who taught you to destroy? Everything that’s beautiful. Everything that shines. You’re the monster underneath your bed!”This is an interesting way to start out a song like this! It begins as a letter to John Lennon’s killer, and from the first few lines, you KNOW it’s not going to be pretty. Rick is pissed. You can hear it in his voice, despite the words. 
I was a young girl when Lennon was murdered (12 years old to be exact) but I clearly recall hearing the news of what happened. My best friend and I had been singing along to Beatles tunes on the radio for years, long before we even knew who Rick Springfield was. I wasn’t “obsessed” with the Beatles, but I definitely knew who John Lennon was and how well-loved he was in music. I heard the dreadful news the following day on the radio, walking out to my favorite tree with my “boom box” in hand. I remember stopping in mid-walk. I was shocked to say the least and it sort of “ripped” me of some childhood innocence. I couldn’t believe someone would do that to someone so loved, someone so “big” and so talented (or anyone for that matter). What John’s killer did was unthinkable. But what state of mind the killer was in at the time of the killing is really between God and himself. No one will really know if it was “evil” or “mental illness.” I’m not sure the question will ever be fully answered in my mind…wouldn’t you HAVE to be mentally ill to commit such a crime? Or is it the act of the devil working in your head? Either way, I can definitely understand the angry feelings, even many years later. If that had been Rick??!! Wow. I’m pretty sure I would not be over it to this day. 
From the lyrics it seems Rick feels the murder was the act of the devil working in this man. “I know you. I give Lucifer his due. He promised you you’d be legit, but everybody thinks you’re shit. I hope every dream you dream, you dream in red.” Now, I realize this is a REALLY angry and bitter song, but Rick’s voice has a sexy tone going on here, almost a growl at points! 
Then, hands down my favorite part of the entire song is when the music gears up midway and Rick lets out a little, “Ohhh” and throws in the perfect Beatle lyric, “Happiness…is a warm gun.” I still find it cruelly ironic that Lennon wrote that lyric and then his very life was taken by gunshot some years later. The gunshot sound effect is also perfect in this song. 
Another favorite lyric is when he says, “Empty brain and crazy thoughts. Your voices had you tied in knots.” It’s said (or the killer claims) that John’s killer DID have voices in his head pushing him into this crime. It’s so unfortunate that he listened to them…
Supposedly one of Rick’s sons did the news voice at the start of the song. That actually surprised me when I learned that. It’s so realistic that when I first heard the song, I was sure Rick had dug up some actual radio audio from that time. That really sets the stage for the song! 
3 Warning Shots kicks butt in my book and gets a LOT of play around here. It’s one of my favorite tracks from Venus In Overdrive. Now, if we could get Rick to do this song live this year……Kelley Pearson

I have so much I could say about this song. First and foremost, the newscaster (Rick’s son) reading the news at the beginning, announcing John Lennon having been shot, sounds so professional and very well done. I love the way he put that in there. 

Then, we go on as if this is a letter written to the man who shot Lennon. I think that was brilliant. The way he sings it is supposed to be in anger, but it sounds so rough and sexy to me. The music that goes along with it is absolutely perfect. 

I like the way it starts up and slows down and he drags the words out when pronouncing them. Even though this song is not a happy one, I thoroughly enjoy it and the way it gets faster and slows back down and then back faster again. Words are really not enough to describe how much I like it.

My favorite part is where it crescendo’s up to the gun shot and then you hear it go off and it all begins up again. I absolutely love this song and often listen to it several times in a row because I can’t seem to get enough of it. - Amy L