Man with the Golden Gun Song

IcePak · June 2009

I love the soundtrack to TMWTGG, but the title song is very cringe worthy.

petrsvoren · June 2009

An assassin second to none
he's the man with the golden gun

I love this song

Higgins · July 2009

jetsetwilly wrote:

I'm disturbed by the very deep, very real misunderstanding of the nature of Bond themes evident in this thread. For some reason, people are discussing TMWTGG's theme in terms of its "lyrics" and its "music", and in terms of the calibre of the "artist" performing it. You should be addressing this song using the very real criteria of great Bond themes i.e. they are camp nonsense who are at their best when they are insane songs sung about men with unhealthy metal fetishes (Goldfinger), line after line of innuendo (Nobody Does It Better, For Your Eyes Only, All Time High), with a title which is just a variation on a well known phrase with something lethal shoved into it (Live and Let Die, You Only Live Twice) - all of which is performed by someone you've heard of, naturally, but who you would have to think about to name a hit that wasn't a Bond theme, and you wouldn't actually admit to owning their album before the film came out (Shirley Bassey, Chris Cornell, Rita Coolidge).

On these criteria, and so many more, The Man With The Golden Gun is a triumph - nay, a classic of modern music.

For starters, there's the intro:

BADABADA-BUM! (Dener, dener)
BADABADA-BUM! (Dener, dener).

Repeat, only with more groovy wah-wah guitar.

It's punchy, it's powerful, and it whacks you in somewhere that probably isn't your solar plexus. When replayed within the context of the film, it's sublime; that massive opener single handledly resurrects interest in that somewhat flabby car chase/AMC advertisement towards the end. There's a lot of silence, then a single overhead shot with that pounding away - suddenly you're convinced that something interesting is happening (then JW Pepper turns up, and reality kicks in, but that's not John Barry's fault).

Second: Lulu. To our American colleagues, yes, perhaps she was a nobody; To Sir, With Love, and maybe Shout at a pinch, but in the UK, the woman's a legend. In 1974 she was fresh off the back of a hit cover version of The Man Who Sold The World which was simultaneously amazing and quite baffling, one which featured the backing vocals of Dame David Bowie himself; plus she was the face of dozens of BBC TV specials with names like It's Lulu! and Happening for Lulu!, where she performed in polyester and brie nylon. She was Edina Monsoon's only client ("I P.R., sweetie. People! Places! Concepts! Lulu!") And the woman won Eurovision in 1969 (ok it was a four way tie, but we all know who the real winner was) by singing the deep, heartfelt ballad Boom-Bang-A-Bang. She has since continued to dominate the British arts scene, with her Scottish accent, passion for botox, and love of anything that gets her face on telly. The woman is a national treasure, though more that film with Nicolas Cage than one that people actually care about. She is more than deserving of her place in the Bond pantheon, as a legend of popular music - certainly far more than Rita "Who?" Coolidge, Sheena "Big Time" Easton, or Chris "I was very popular in the early 90s" Cornell.

The woman undeniably possesses a fine pair of lungs, and she belts out the song like a banshee possessed; it takes your breath away.

The lyrics: yes, they're unsubtle smut. What's wrong with that? At least they make sense. (Quick; a steak dinner will be awarded to the first person who can explain what the lyrics to The Living Daylights actually mean. No, really. Take your time - we have all night). Through powerful, evocative imagery, Don Black evokes the true inspirational theme of The Man With The Golden Gun. He is an ruthless killer, hoping to murder his victims with his lethal golden gun. Of course, by "murder", I mean, "have sex with", and by "lethal golden gun", I mean "enormous ****". It's hardly a first - come on, Thunderball?

The ending - quite rightly Alex has alighted on this majestic moment in Bond history (even if he got the lyrics wrong, but I'm willing to let that slide because I'm not obsessive compulsive. Oh no.) To whit:

Goodnight, goodnight
Sleep well, my dear
No need to fear
James Bond is he-e-e-e-e-ere!!!!

Amazing. Be honest: if that had been at the end of Casino Royale you'd have all wet yourselves with excitement. I know I would. Even OHMSS would have been a bit jollier with that playing over Tracy's perforated corpse.

To summarise: The Man With The Golden Gun is a great song, in a truly unique way, and it's just wonderful. I would listen to this song a thousand times over if it meant I never had to listen to another insipid Bond ballad like For Your Eyes Only or All Time High; I want a Bond theme to climb off the screen, grab you by the eardrums and shake you, while some naked girlies gyrate in front of your eyes. On all these fronts, TMWTGG scores, and scores again, and I salute all who sail in her.

WOW! JSW!

... I need a cigarette now

hegottheboot · July 2009

The song works for the film-what else should it do? It has grown on me, and I have no problems with it.
It isn't from the horrible bland collection: All Time High (Didn't know Bond had a taste for the reefer-must have done some in Jamaica.:)) and Licence to Kill.
The only song I cannot stand is FYEO. I mute the title sequence every viewing-it's like cheese graters on my skin. It is just horrible!!

Loeffelholz · July 2009

My sons and I love the TMWTGG theme. When we play my Bond mix-disc in the family minivan, we crank up the volume and sing along B-)

j.blades · July 2009

the song is not one of my favourites, further its not even in my top twenty. however i think the score is really good. each to his own. -{

Blackleiter · October 2009

Terrible song as sung by Lulu, but I think the instrumental version heard in various spots throughout the movie is lovely. Lousy movie, though.

Man with the Golden Gun Song

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