Outlaw Pete is not Bad to the Bone

If I am going to be honest, I don't like the pony either.

Pony: any of several breeds of horse that are small at maturity.

Outlaw don't ride Ponies. Little Joe rides a pony. Outlaws ride stallions.

But little Joe is, like his name says, little, so he needs a little horse. A big one wouldn?t fit !

So, is Outlaw Pete little.
Little is not scary (well except for Mrs. Gob).
Baby Outlaw Pete might ride a pony,
but I think the pony comes much later in the legend.

Yes, but Gob raisies a point of accuracy--not that accuracy should be overly applied to a song where a baby robs a bank, lol.

However--a "Mustang," isn't a pony.

A Mustang is a horse.

A "Mustang Pony," as it is stated in the lyrics--is a car!

Maybe he's using Mustang to mean feral or wild?

Mustang Pony is a car, but this is not Outlaw Pete .... maybe the Navajo girl.

Now there's something to ride 40 days and nights for!

Is that the Jack Rabbit Special?

No, she?s Rosies sister. Jack the Rabbit and Weak Knees Willie are sitting inside the Pony and they are waiting .....

. . . for Sloppy Sue and Big Bones Billie?

This is gonna' be one crowded ride!

No. They are waiting for the one legged man whose faith is in the broken bones

Ya know, there really is that "I was made for lovin' you" vibe (lick?), in this song. I honestly, after reading the threads about it in general, didnt think there was much too that discussion (most of what we all write here is bullshit, right?).
So I gave the album a good listen. 3 or 4 times in a row. Headphones. Loud. CD not MP3. Gave it a great chance to impress me.

But...

EVERYTIME that riff comes on, all I can hear is "I was made for lovin' you" (in Paul's voice), and I half expect it to continue from there. As well, when Patti and the girls do their "do-do-do's", its in a VERY simular arrangement to KISS' hit. Spooky, kinda.

Was Bruce playing their album at the time he was writing this one? (Paging Earthsayer). Was Bruce on the tour bus at the time, and this tune was being blasted on the system? Did his kid "get into KISS" and influence him? Was Bruce trying to be more "hip" by ripping off an obvious riff from a "classic rock" band? I don't know, but it would be interesting if Bruce ever admitted an influence. The coincidence of this happening "by chance", is just too unbelievable.

In fact, I would be willing to bet that Bruce broke out the dusty vinyls, and played a number of older tunes that are certainly "heard" in this album. I could probably nail down a fairly strong influence for each tune (well, maybe not 'The Wrestler', as the history of the writing of that one is well known, and its also the strongest tune on the album) that borders on "copyright infringment", but thats for another thread.

[edit] Sorry Gobster, if I strayed too much from the original topic. My bad. I'm new at this OAN thing (2nd time ever I posted here, I think).

I think the only requirement in OAN is that discussion is serious.

Which song is it that sounds like Kiss?

uh... "Outlaw Pete".

The "song" itself is no KISS rip off, but the riff (you know, the begining guitar of "I was made for lovin' you", is present for sure. As well as the background "do-do-do's"). Seriously. Get the two trax and then play one right after the other (doesnt matter what order), and you will hear it. Trust me.

How can I not have this Kiss song.
Is that the right title?
I have the first four, plus the Elder and Unplugged.
Do I actually have to buy more Kiss CDs?

Gob...Gob...Gob...Gob... (sigh)

Here it is (LIVE!): (Album: Dynasty - I can't believe you don't have that one)



Right at the begining... check it out. Let me know your thoughts.

I don't hear it, but my Bruce Cd is in the car, so I'll compare them tomorrow.

I think I had that on LP when it came out.
Traded it in, along with Alive II, when Kiss got so big they weren't cool anymore.

In case it keeps you up tonight, here's Bruce's tune. (Note: The "chello's(?)" are basically playing the "riff", and the "do-do-do" parts are when the background singers chime in (you can really hear it in the second half of the song)).



I'm just saying, that to my ears anyway (and apparently I am not the only one), it's there. The subminial KISS influence.

I could never hear the Tommy Tutone, Radio Nowhere thing, but this I can hear.

I don't hear it so much in the "do do dos." And really no one can claim a copyright on a "do do do." Anymore than someone can claim a copyright on a "sha la la."

But, you can sing, "I was made for loving you," note for note with the riff in Outlaw Pete. It fits perfectly.

Oh well, these things happen. I still find Outlaw Pete to be a wild song.

As I said before, the harmonica riff in the song is lifted also. That's from a Sergio Leone movie.

Who knows what happened--maybe behind the scenes Bruce got permission to use the Kiss riff?

I can't imagine someone in Bruce's camp did't hear it as well.

there's also a very similar melody line to Janey Don't You Lose Heart at the end of Outlaw Pete, from about 7:27 min.

running short of new ideas Bruce?

Great song. Riff similar to Kiss song. No ripp off but Kiss should be proud that this question is asked

...and Springsteen should be embarassed.

It sucks.

I love the song as is and get a kick out of the first verse everytime i hear it; with so many other great riffs/changes in the song, the 9 notes that duplicate the Kiss riff is kind of incidental in the song to me - personally I don't hear it as the prevalent riff so it really doesn't bother me too much.

My friend is a songwriter and probably half the time when he writes a song I can tell him that this part sounds just like "so and so" - it can drive you crazy and is pretty difficult to not duplicate little pieces of songs here an there.

The mustang pony thing seems to fit to me. This description makes it seem like it works Mustang Pony

Excellent research. I withdraw my pony complaint.

Bad To The Bone...most over played song ever??? Outlaw Pete is an attempt at a musical short story, and is actually pretty good. Bad To The Bone absolutely sucks beyond anything imaginable.

It sucks.

It's Great.

Sucks.

Very interesting song, Bruce should be commended for taking chances. For all the blather about the album being pop schlock, whatever you think of Outlaw Pete, it's anything but pop schlock.

Good Eye as well

She?
I think "she" is a he, or was a "he"
Nice horse, she/he has.

"He was born a little baby" is a TERRIBLE line. Everyone is born a little baby.

Terrible.

I love the guy, but c'mon. That's some bad writing, Bruce.

quite a lot of people where born in the usa also ... so where is the point ?!

Some babies are born huge. Who'd be a woman? Even worse, who would ever videotape the birth of any baby, small or large?

Outlaw Pete is a great song, and from what I've heard of the tour so far, it's pretty great live.