Lyrics
Looking at baby's face I saw the plight of the human race
Dying to survive
Shaken by the irony the anger rose inside of me
And would not, would not subside
I thought you're too young to understand
That the fate of every mortal man
Rests in someone's mortal hand tonight
In the nuclear insanity there's a death watch on the land and sea
And I believe that we may never live our lives
We were born under the gun and just like every mother's son
We are hostage to the megaton and the world could die tonight
Under the gun, we live in fear that the end will come
But there's one place to run
Run to the Son
Everyone can see that the hour is late
And every soul on Earth got to demonstrate
Their loving if we're to survive
'Cos we're tired of living on the brink
Scared to death that our ship will sink
At the winking of an eye
This course we're on's a big mistake
'Cos we all lose in the nuclear race
It's time to show all the heads of state that we believe
Yes we believe that we're fighting for our lives
We were born under the gun and just like every mother's son
We are hostage to the megaton and the world could die tonight
Under the gun, we live in fear that the end will come
But there's one place to run
Run to the Son
There's a finger on the button but if it's pressed we're not forgotten
Millions speak, feel no fear
The mood to change is in ascendance here
There's a finger on the button but if it's pressed we're not forgotten
Millions speak, feel no fear
The mood to change is in ascendance here
There's a finger on the button but if it's pressed we're not forgotten
There's a finger on the button but if it's pressed we're not forgotten
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"Under the Gun" confronts nuclear fear through images of vulnerable children, threatened land and sea, and a world held hostage by destructive power. Its protest is not abstract: the lyric pictures ordinary lives shadowed by decisions made by those with authority over weapons. The repeated phrase “under the gun” captures both immediate anxiety and the larger moral danger of trusting violence to secure peace.
Against that fear, the song points to “the Son” as the one place of refuge. This Christian focus does not erase the call for human responsibility. The lyric urges love, public courage, and a change of course while rejecting the logic of a race in which every side loses. Its assurance that humanity is “not forgotten” places hope beyond political power without encouraging passivity. The result is a sober plea for peace that joins concern for human life with confidence in Christ amid circumstances that appear close to catastrophe.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 46:1 The psalm describes God as refuge and present help amid trouble.
- Matthew 5:9 Jesus calls peacemakers blessed.
- John 16:33 Jesus speaks of peace and courage in a troubled world.