Bop Gun (Endangered Species)
Encyclopedia
"Bop Gun" is a song by the funk
band Parliament
, the lead track on their 1977
album Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome
. It was released as the album's first single
. The song's lead vocal is performed by Glen Goins
, his last performance on a P-Funk
record.
The Bop Gun is an imaginary weapon
that makes whatever it shoots funky. It was used as a stage prop
in Parliament's late-1970s concerts. George Clinton
is depicted wielding it on the cover
of the Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome album. It is also featured on the cover of Funkadelic
's 1979 album Uncle Jam Wants You
.
developed in the earlier albums Mothership Connection
and The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein
, "Bop Gun" is based on the metaphor
of using funk music as a weapon against the political and economic oppression of the predominantly white
society of the United States. The lyrics prominently feature the warnings "On guard!" and "Defend yourself!", as well as the well known civil rights
rallying cry, "We shall overcome
".
While the oppressive forces are not explicitly identified in the song, they are described as "spoiling the fun"; the singer seems to identify himself as part of an "endangered species" and repeatedly laments, "I got to get over the hump". The necessary response: "Let's shoot them with the bop gun". In a more defensive light, the song counsels, "To dance is a protection / Funk is your connection".
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
band Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
, the lead track on their 1977
1977 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1977.-January–February:*January 1 – The Clash headline the gala opening of the London music club, The Roxy....
album Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome
Funkentelechy vs. the Placebo Syndrome
Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome is a funk album by Parliament, released in 1977 .The album is considered to be one of the best in Parliament's catalog...
. It was released as the album's first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. The song's lead vocal is performed by Glen Goins
Glen Goins
Glen Lamont Goins was a singer and guitarist for Parliament Funkadelic in the mid-1970s. Goins is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with fifteen other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. His first recordings were as part of the group "The Bags"...
, his last performance on a P-Funk
P-Funk
P-Funk is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective and the distinctive style of funk music they performed...
record.
The Bop Gun is an imaginary weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
that makes whatever it shoots funky. It was used as a stage prop
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
in Parliament's late-1970s concerts. George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
is depicted wielding it on the cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
of the Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome album. It is also featured on the cover of Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
's 1979 album Uncle Jam Wants You
Uncle Jam Wants You
Uncle Jam Wants You is the eleventh studio album by American funk band Funkadelic. It was originally released by Warner Bros. Records on September 21, 1979, and was later reissued on CD by Charly Groove Records and Priority Records. It was produced by George Clinton under the alias Dr. Funkenstein...
.
Meaning
Building on an elaborate mythologyMythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
developed in the earlier albums Mothership Connection
Mothership Connection
In 2003 the TV network VH1 named Mothership Connection the 55th greatest album of all time.In 2003, the album was ranked number 274 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time....
and The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein
The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein
The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein is an album by funk band Parliament, released in the summer of 1976. The album is notable for featuring horn arrangements by ex-James Brown band member, Fred Wesley. The album charted at #20 on the Billboard pop chart and became Parliament's second album to be...
, "Bop Gun" is based on the metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
of using funk music as a weapon against the political and economic oppression of the predominantly white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
society of the United States. The lyrics prominently feature the warnings "On guard!" and "Defend yourself!", as well as the well known civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
rallying cry, "We shall overcome
We Shall Overcome
"We Shall Overcome" is a protest song that became a key anthem of the African-American Civil Rights Movement . The title and structure of the song are derived from an early gospel song by African-American composer Charles Albert Tindley...
".
While the oppressive forces are not explicitly identified in the song, they are described as "spoiling the fun"; the singer seems to identify himself as part of an "endangered species" and repeatedly laments, "I got to get over the hump". The necessary response: "Let's shoot them with the bop gun". In a more defensive light, the song counsels, "To dance is a protection / Funk is your connection".