Bad Company’s “Shooting Star” Lyrics Meaning

Even now in the 2020s, we occasionally come across songs by rock musicians which speak to the less-than-ideal reality that drug abuse tends to be part and parcel of the ideology which defines this genre. Many of these artists release these kinds of tracks because they have friends, bandmates and/or idols who fell victim to such addictions.

And of course, those of us familiar with the music industry know that this is not some type of new phenomenon. For instance, when “Shooting Star” was dropped in the early 1970s, the music industry was concurrently reeling from such departures on the part of luminaries such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, both of whom passed away before reaching the age of 30. 

So the Bad Company boys, themselves being full players in the game, knew even more than the us average folk that the reality of being a rock star can be a lot more dangerous than the dream of becoming one. And that is the purpose of this song, i.e. serving as some type of public-service announcement in that regard.

Johnny

And to illustrate the point, we are met with a character named “Johnny”. Johnny is not a real person but rather a personification or musicians in general. 

He starts off as essentially all of such professionals do, i.e. as a young fan, particularly in his case of The Beatles.

Johnny becomes so serious in pursuing his dream of musical stardom that eventually he leaves home in the name of pursuing it. Most aspiring musicians, to be totally honest, never make it big. But in his case, it reads as if Johnny’s debut single proves to be a “number one” hit, which does happen sometimes in the music industry. 

And those who are able to drop such songs are instantly granted celebrity status. So Johnny basically goes from being a striving guitar hero to a full-fledged music star, in like the blink of an eye.

Then, the next we hear of Johnny, he is found ‘dead in his bed’, having OD’d on “whiskey [and] sleeping tablets”. 

And even though the vocalist doesn’t get overly sentimental in relaying the subject’s fate, you can tell he is adversely affected. But that said, Johnny’s story is now over, i.e. the world only having his music to occasionally remember him by.

A Shooting Star

So it seems that the title of this song serves as an allegory. A “shooting star” in the real-life is an astronomical event that is basically an object that flashes across the sky. And likewise, in the grand scheme of things, musicians such as Johnny are ‘shooting stars’. This is because they do enjoy their moments in the sun, but said moments are short-lived as a result of the self-destructive tendencies they develop and/or feed along the way.

Conclusion

So in terms of what can be deemed the implicit warning interwoven into this piece, it’s sorta like Paul and the gang are warning other up-and-comers not to get too far ahead of themselves. Or another way of interpreting “Shooting Star”, all factors considered, is that along with the fame also comes the opportunity to get high as much as want since, as alluded to earlier, rock stars and the like are expected to behave in such a manner. 

So the further message may be along the lines of, if that temptation isn’t something that a person can handle, then it may be better he or she avoid the game as opposed to potentially losing their lives.

Simon Kirke talks about “Shooting Star”

Simon has referred to this song as homage to the dangers and challenges of adventuring into “the rock world”. According to him, the fame and wealth you achieve in the said industry can easily lead you into addiction which in turn can end up claiming your life.

Bad Company

Bad Company is a band from the 1970s, being defined as a supergroup upon formation since its members were formerly associated with other acts. Vocalist Paul Rodgers and drummer Simon Kirke were from a crew called Free which eventually disbanded in 1973. 

Guitarist Mick Ralphs was down with Mott the Hoople, until he left that group in 1973. And bassist Boz Burrell was formerly a member of an act known as King Crimson, making his way out in 1972. 

That was Bad Company’s lineup, consisting of its original members, at the time “Shooting Star” was released through Island Records as part of their second album, “Straight Shooter”. 

When was “Shooting Star” released?

The song itself was not issued as a single. It was released along with its album (“Straight Shooter”) in April of 1975.

The album in question was a big hit, i.e. reaching third place on both the UK Albums Chart and the Billboard 200.

Who wrote “Shooting Star”?

This song was written by Paul Rodgers, and the entire Bad Company crew produced it.

Appearance in TV, Movies and Video Games

• Soundtrack of 2003 American crime drama movie, “Wonderland”. 
• 2007 American science-fiction romance series, “Journeyman”. The track was featured in its 5^th episode.
• 2008 music video game, “Rock Band 2”.
• The 2017 American biographical black comedy movie, “I, Tonya”. The song plays when Tonya (Margot Robbie) fixes Jeff’s (Sebastian Stan) car at his place.
• 2021 American crime drama series, “Hightown”. “Shooting Star” is featured in the 7th episode of the 2nd season when Mary turns on the stereo as the group starts smoking crack.

Cover Versions

“Shooting Star” has been covered by a wide range of recording artists, including the following:

• Bon Jovi (who featured this song in one of your concerts between 1988 and 1989).
• Between 2005-2006, Queen + Paul Rodgers had their first world concert tour after the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury. This was one of the songs they covered on their setlist.

Bad Company’s “Straight Shooter”

English supergroup, Bad Company, had “Straight Shooter” released on April 2 of 1975 as their second studio album. The album is a cocktail of songs from the blues, arena rock and hard rock genres.

“Straight Shooter” consists of 8 songs, two of which were released prior to its official release date as singles for promotional purposes. The album has a combined runtime of 38 minutes and 17 seconds.

Recording was done in September of 1974 at Clearwell Castle located in Gloucestershire, South West of England.

“Straight Shooter” was produced by the band itself. It was officially released through two record labels in the US and UK. Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song Records was responsible for the album’s US release while Universal Music Group’s Island Record took charge of its release in the UK.

Performance wise, the album was undoubtedly a commercial success. It peaked at No. 3 on both the Billboard 200 and the OCC in the US and UK respectively. It ranked top-10 in other parts of the world including the following countries:

• Canada – 3
• Australia – 8
• Norway – 6

Within its first month of release in the US, it recorded sales of over 500,000 units, earning it a gold certification from the RIAA there. It eventually attained 3x platinum status in the US. Aside from the US, “Straight Shooter” has received a number of certifications in other countries including gold in their home country, UK as well as Canada.