She's not a girl who misses much
Do do do do do do, oh yeah

She's well acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand like a lizard on a window pane.

The man in the crowd with the multi-colored mirrors on his hobnail boots.

Lying with his eyes while his hands are busy working overtime.

A soap impression of his wife which he ate and donated to the National Trust.

I need a fix 'cause I'm going down
Down to the bits that I left uptown
I need a fix 'cause I'm going down

Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun
Mother Superior jump the gun

Happiness is a warm gun (bang bang shoot shoot)
Happiness is a warm gun, mama (bang bang shoot shoot)
When I hold you in my arms (oh, yeah)
And I feel my finger on your trigger (oh, yeah)
I know nobody can do me no harm (oh, yeah)
Because, (happiness) is a warm gun, mama (bang bang shoot shoot)
Happiness is a warm gun, yes it is (bang bang shoot shoot)

Happiness is a warm, yes it is, gun
Happiness (bang bang shoot shoot)

Well don't you know that happiness (happiness) is a warm gun, (is a warm gun, yeah).



Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by MBriscoe

Track duration: 02:45

"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" as written by John Winston Lennon, Paul James Mccartney

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Happiness Is a Warm Gun song meanings
Add your thoughts

177 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment:How I see it, and I could well be wrong:

    A girl who has a life of wealth and is always busy (although clueless as to "like a lizard on a window pane"- could refer to some downside to her life

    A man who is poor but hides it. This makes his relationship with his wife suffer?

    They both need a fix

    Mother superior jumped the gun... She has it easy not dealing with the problems most people face in life? Possibly saying drugs provide people with an escape?

    And happiness is a warm gun John explained he saw on a gun magazine. Although is it literal? Sarcastic I'd say.
    Flag Rodgeron March 29, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:I know it's 3 parts that John put together to make one song.
    I also know Paul said this was his favourite on the White Album.
    It's definitely mine!! To me The White Album is more of a Lennon album.
    Sgt. Pepper & Magical Mystery Tour-- basically Paul's.
    John really did like the MMT album tho.
    I think that after all the acid & LSD, then Yoko came into the picture, John started really writing kick-ass songs like he did on Revolver & Rubber Soul. You can tell what albums that he really was into.
    I love songs that aren't quite as popular as the "big hits", "greatest hits" or what have you, that you hear over and over all the time on the radio. I like the deep cuts.
    "Happiness..." is a deep cut. But is one of the best songs on the White Album.
    There's a few crappy Paul songs that really shouldn't be on "The Beatles"!!

    AllsIknow is when it gets to the lyric:
    "I need a fix cuz I'm goin down".... I freaking lose it! I jam on it. That fuzz guitar gets me goin.
    love that song sooooo much!
    Flag tesladudeon March 21, 2013   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning:According to Lennon, the title came from the cover of a gun magazine that producer George Martin showed him: "I think he showed me a cover of a magazine that said 'Happiness Is a Warm Gun.' It was a gun magazine. I just thought it was a fantastic, insane thing to say. A warm gun means you just shot something."[1] The reference, whether or not intermediately from the magazine, was one of many 1960s riffs on Charles M. Schulz's culturally popular saying, Happiness is a Warm Puppy, which began in the Peanuts comic strip and became a widely sold book.
    Flagged lolguy23on May 13, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The middle and the end of this song have been discussed thoroughly in this thread.

    I can possibly add to the meanings of the first amazing part, along 3 themes:

    a. clever girl
    b. junkie
    c. naive girl

    She's not a girl who misses much, Do do do do do do- oh yeah!

    a. She's good at noticing things
    b. She's good at hitting veins
    c. She's good at getting sex

    She's well acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand, Like a lizard on a window pane

    a. She recognizes creepy men, who give you the creeps like a lizard on a windowpane
    b. She knows the heroin's high where you are looking in from above
    c. She is NOT acquainted with the velvet hand (control), like a lizard in not well acquainted

    The man in the crowd with the multicoloured mirrors, On his hobnail boots

    a. She'd recognize this man anywhere. He means to deceive with his demeanour/exterior (multicoloured mirrors) but his intent is to trample you (with nailed boots)
    b. "The" man is reference to a drug pusher. She sees him in the crowd with his fantastic drugs, for a price (nails).
    c. The innocent nymphomaniac sees this fancy dude and thinks she can score


    Lying with his eyes while his hands are busy, Working overtime

    a. His eyes betray him, while he undresses/caresses/strokes her
    b. The Man gives her the wrong drug, deliberately
    c. His eyes do not betray him, while he undresses/caresses/strokes her

    A soap impression of his wife which he ate, And donated to the National Trust

    a. He buys her favours as a substitute for his wife, who is no longer worthy. ["Soap" used as slang for bribe money]
    b. Under the influence of the drug [soap], he proceeds to treat her like he really wants to treat his wife. ["Soap" is reference to Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid, a date-rape drug in use since the early 60s]
    c. She's a perfect/cleaner version of his wife, who he defiled and abandoned
    Flag Samroskion April 06, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:Happiness is a warm gun, if you don't take the phrase literally, is a metaphor for conversation and how people say things. The Nirvana song In Blooms talks about a guy that likes to shoot his gun. I believe both reference how people shoot off ideas, zingers if you will. So maybe happiness is a really good comeback. My finger on your trigger to me talks about how someone can understand a person so well that, with a word, they can set off their temper.
    Flag ClayKid89on April 03, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The line, "When I feel my finger on your trigger," is definitely referring to Yoko's g-spot. Fun.
    Flag GlimmerOfSoapon March 24, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I've read that on the lyric sheet John wrote "dirty old man" by the first section, "the junkie" by the second, and "the gunman (satire of '50s R+R)" by the third.

    Sex, drugs and rock + roll!
    Flag gearguitarguyon January 20, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I feel like if this song was about drugs, the title would be "Happiness is Getting Shot"

    Ya know?

    The "Warm Gun" part makes me think that it's about sex.
    Flag hanwaon December 18, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:THIS SONG IS MY OTHER HALF! I MEAN, MY GOG! THIS IS...AMAZING!!! OH MY...GOD! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS SONG! THIS IS MY JAMMM!
    Flag megallion October 22, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:MobiusDick, I am completely blown away by the way you explain your interpretation [in that everyone sees what they see in the lyrics and that's ok too) and your interpretation itself. I do agree with you that you underestimate your own talent, don't let me down, I want to see you write more. For the record, the way you explained it reflected a past relationship (not in the literal sense, obviously, I wouldn't be alive to type this otherwise). My ex and his mates used to call me Mother Superior ...I have no idea why.... recently I'm being compared to a fairy with wings that should spray everyone with fairy dust ....I don't get that either ..,,,...maybe you can explain .. touché on not seeing ourselves the way others do
    Flag acameoon August 29, 2011   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain