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Love and Death and an American Guitar Lyrics by Jim Steinman

Bad for Good

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[Spoken/Screamed: Jim Steinman]
I remember everything
I remember every little thing as if it happened only yesterday
I was barely 17, and I once killed a boy with a fender guitar
I don't remember if it was a Telecaster or a Stratocaster
But I do remember that it had a heart of chrome
And a voice like a horny angel
I don't remember if it was a Telecaster or a Stratocaster
But I do remember
That it wasn't at all easy
It required the perfect combination of the right power-chords
And the precise angle from which to strike
The guitar bled for about a week afterward and the blood was-
Ooh...
Dark and rich like wild berries
The blood of the guitar was Chuck Berry red
The guitar bled for about a week afterward but it rung out beautifully
And I was able to play notes that I had never even heard before
So I took my guitar and I smashed it against the wall
I smashed it against the floor
I smashed it against the body of a varsity cheerleader
Smashed it against the hood of a car
Smashed it against a 1981-Harley Davidson
The Harley howled in pain, the guitar howled in heat
And I ran up the stairs to my parent's bedroom
Mommy and Daddy were sleeping in the moonlight
Slowly I opened the door, creeping in the shadows right up to the foot of their bed
I raised the guitar high above my head
And just as I was about to bring the guitar crashing down upon the center of the bed
My father woke up screaming
"Stop...wait a minute..stop it, boy
What do you think you're doing?
That's no way to treat an expensive musical instrument"
And I said "God damn it, Daddy! You know I love you
But you got a hell of a lot to learn about rock and roll"
Credits
Jim Steinman

Jim Steinman

About “Love and Death and an American Guitar” by Jim Steinman

Read the complete lyrics to "Love and Death and an American Guitar" by Jim Steinman from the album "Bad for Good". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock, Pop.

"Love and Death and an American Guitar" is performed by Jim Steinman. from the album "Bad for Good" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Love and Death and an American Guitar", explore more songs by Jim Steinman using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Love and Death and an American Guitar" is credited to Jim Steinman. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Love and Death and an American Guitar" appears on "Bad for Good".

Visit the Jim Steinman artist page at /artist/jim-steinman for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.