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Andrew Montoya

Katie Feek

Honors World Literature

04 March 2019

Literary Analysis - “My Other Gun” - Ne-Yo

Romanticism is often confused with modern day romance. While romance usually plays

towards the feeling of love and affection, Romanticism deals with the abandonment of reason in

pursuit of true insight into the emotion and imagination of individuals. Although romance and

Romanticism are not the same, the expression of love is a very human emotion, and the way we

convey it can integrate the Romantic theme of the human experience. In Ne-Yo’s “My Other

Gun”, the speaker expresses his attachment to a woman through comparing her to a gun. This

piece is an example of modern Romanticism as it uses metaphors and tone to express the

importance of companionship.

At face value, metaphors are colorful ways to describe a person, place, or thing, but in

reality, metaphors reveal what is significant in the life of the author. The first metaphor used in

this song shows this trend. Ne-Yo proclaims, “That’s my other gun / That’s my other eye”

(Ne-Yo 9-10) which serves to show us two things about what is significant to Ne-Yo. This

metaphor clearly sets up the motif of guns which is present throughout the rest of the song.

While unclear at this point of the song, this set up implies a connection Ne-Yo shares with guns,

and, more importantly, how the gun and the woman share common features. The second part of

this section states that this girl is his other eye. Here, Ne-Yo is saying this woman is a part of him

and that she is capable of comprehending Ne-Yo’s point of view. Understanding the perspective
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of your partner is extremely important to be able to comfort people in times of need. At the

beginning of the song, Ne-Yo describes the pain of having “a thousand pounds on the shoulder”

(Ne-Yo 1). The reader can begin to grasp why this woman can act as a beacon of support,

capable of lifting Ne-Yo’s spirit “despite the stones, rocks, boulders” (Ne-Yo 2). Ne-Yo

continues to reveal how close he and the woman are by claiming that ‘she’s right there in the

holster by my side” (Ne-Yo 8) which fuels the motif of guns while providing the imagery of

proximity and the figurative meaning of a close bond. When the speaker calls the woman his

“other gun” (Ne-Yo 27) in the second chorus, the reader now knows more about how important

that relationship really is. Metaphors are dominant throughout the song and especially in the

bridge. The woman is seen as possessing a “Custom grip perfect fit / All she spits is heat”

(Ne-Yo 39-40). A custom grip for a weapon is mold specific to the owner’s hand which means

this woman is a perfect match for Ne-Yo, providing him maximum comfort and support. When

she is described as spitting heat, Ne-Yo is referring to ammunition but in this context, the

ammunition can be the words need to fend off against Ne-Yo’s own inner demons. By the last

time Ne-Yo mentions, “that's my other gun” (Ne-Yo 34), one can fully understand the

significance of that comparison. The utilization of repetition highlights the importance of both

the woman and a gun as emotional support in Ne-Yo’s life.

Tone is essential as it stimulates the audience to read a piece in a specific manner. The

tone in which you say something can completely change its connotative meaning. In this piece,

the tone has slight shifts throughout the intro, chorus, and bridge, which deepens the romantic

component of emotion in the life of the individual. In the introduction of the song, the tone is set

with a voice of reflection. When Ne-Yo recites the imagery of weight through the lyrics of “a
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thousand pounds” (Ne-Yo 1) of “stones, rocks, boulders” (Ne-Yo 2), the tone implies that there

is emotional baggage tied to that weight. This adds to the romantic theme of partnership as it sets

up the reason as Ne-Yo may not have been able to handle pressures from his own life. As the

song transitions into the chorus, the tone begins to develop a comforting atmosphere. This tone

sets precedence for the reassurance Ne-Yo feels when with his companion. When Ne-Yo is

questioning whether he should “go to war” (Ne-Yo 14) with the conflict in his life, his

companion is there, “Holding me down / That’s what she’s there for” (Ne-Yo 15-16). Ne-Yo

makes it clear, that with every issue he faces, this woman has “got my back / When the world

ain't on my side” (Ne-Yo 11-12). The last notable tone shift is from the chorus to the bridge. This

part of the song is where you hear the most of Ne-Yo’s appreciation for the woman as he

expresses gratefulness through statements such as, “I’m glad she’s on my team” (Ne-Yo 28) and

“Her and me, that’s all I need” (Ne-Yo 31). Without this clearly treasured relationship, Ne-Yo

could not have progressed through certain junctures of his life. With this last expression, the

tone tells its own story. It begins with reflection, then reassurance, and concludes with

appreciation. While the general tone of romance is present throughout the song, this benefits the

Romantic element of emotion while adding to the importance of companionship.

By the end of the song, there is enough evidence to prove that there is a Romantic theme

present throughout the piece. By using metaphors and tone, Ne-Yo is able to demonstrate the

importance of partnership in his own life. The metaphors in this song show the individual

experience of the writer and the tone shows their emotional identity. While romance isn’t a

common method of portraying Romanticism, both avenues share the common ground of a certain

infatuation for a subject, which gives way to overlap in the world of modern music.
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Works Cited

Ne-Yo. “My Other Gun.” ​R.E.D​, Names of other contributors, No I.D., 2012, track 15. AZlyrics,

www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/neyo/myothergun.html