Blues from a Gun

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}} {{Use British English|date=June 2014}} {{Infobox song | name = Blues from a Gun | cover = Jesus--Mary-Chain-Blues-From-A-Gun.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = The Jesus and Mary Chain | album = Automatic | B-side = Shimmer | released = September 1989 | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = *Alternative rock *blues rock *garage rock *glam rock<ref>{{Citation |title=Blues From a Gun - The Jesus and Mary Chain {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/blues-from-a-gun-mt0028637023 |access-date=2025-08-15 |language=en}}</ref> | length = 4:44 <small>(Edit)</small> | label = Blanco Y Negro | writer = William Reid, Jim Reid | producer = | prev_title = Sidewalking | prev_year = 1988 | next_title = Head On | next_year = 1989 }}

"'''Blues from a Gun'''" is a song by Scottish alternative rock band The Jesus and Mary Chain. It serves as the lead single to the band's fourth studio album ''Automatic'' (1989) and was released in four different formats, including a 3" Mini CD single in a paper gatefold sleeve.

The single reached number 32 in the UK single charts,<ref>[http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/blues%20from%20a%20gun/ www.officialcharts.com]. Retrieved 24 October 2015.</ref> and was also a hit for the band in the US, topping the Modern Rock charts for three weeks.<ref>[http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1990/alternative-songs www.billboard.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930061218/http://www.billboard.com/archive/charts/1990/alternative-songs|date=30 September 2015}}. Retrieved 24 October 2015.</ref> It is also one of the few singles by the band featuring lead vocals from William Reid, as opposed to Jim Reid.

== Reception == Denise Sullivan writing for AllMusic felt, "The Jesus & Mary Chain's song themes can be narrowed down to a couple: shooting drugs, shooting your head off, and shooting your mouth off. "Blues From a Gun" typifies all three in one great verse-chorus-verse song with a coda."<ref>{{Citation |title=Blues From a Gun - The Jesus and Mary Chain {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/blues-from-a-gun-mt0028637023 |access-date=2025-08-15 |language=en}}</ref>

==Track listing== All tracks written by Jim Reid and William Reid, except where noted.

;7" (NEG41) # "Blues from a Gun" - 4:43 # "Shimmer" - 2:45

;10" (NEG41TE) Gatefold # "Blues from a Gun" - 4:43 # "Shimmer" - 2:45 # "Penetration" - 2:46 # "Break Me Down" - 2:23

;12" (NEG41T) # "Blues from a Gun" - 4:43 # "Shimmer" - 2:45 # "Penetration" - 2:46 # "Subway" - 2:04

;CD3 (NEG41CD) # "Blues from a Gun" - 4:43 # "Shimmer" - 2:45 # "Penetration" - 2:46 # "My Girl" (Smokey Robinson, Ronald White) - 2:31

==Personnel==

===The Jesus and Mary Chain=== *Jim Reid – guitar, synthesizer, drum programming, producer *William Reid – vocals, guitar, synthesizer, drum programming, producer

===Additional personnel=== *Alan Moulder – engineer (track 1) *Andrew Catlin – photography

==Charts== {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Chart (1989–90) !Peak<br />position |- {{singlechart|UK|32|date=19890923}} |- {{singlechart|Billboardalternativesongs|1|artist=The Jesus and Mary Chain}} |}

==References== <references/>

Category:The Jesus and Mary Chain songs Category:1989 singles Category:Songs written by Jim Reid Category:Songs written by William Reid (musician) Category:1989 songs Category:Blanco y Negro Records singles