4 Facts About Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 4th Studio Album, “Gimme Back My Bullets”

Fair Use via Wikimedia Commons

A Successful Fourth Album For Southern Rockers

Lynyrd Skynyrd was at the top of the world in 1974. Their third studio album, Nuthin’ Fancy, broke into the Top 10 on the U.S. Albums chart the year prior. After such a successful release, Skynyrd followed it up with another album that made history.

That album was titled Gimme Back My Bullets. Released on February 2, 1976, the album eventually peaked at the 20th position on the U.S. albums chart. Five years after its release, Gimme Back My Bullets was certified Gold by the RIAA, marking the sale of 500,000 copies.

Gimme Back My Bullets is known for containing some of Skynyrd’s most recognizable songs, including the title track and “Double Trouble.” But there are some lesser-known details about the album that only the most devoted members of Skynyrd Nation have any clue about.

We’ve put together a list of a few fun facts about Gimme Back My Bullets for y’all to enjoy! 

1. It Was Originally Named Something Else

Gimme Back My Bullets just flows right off the tongue, doesn’t it? While Skynyrd hasn’t always named their albums after one of the tracks, they do so more often than not.

But before Gimme Back My Bullets earned the name we all know and love, it was originally going to be called something else. 

It turns out that the band had planned to title the album Ain”t No Dowd About It, in honor of their producer, Tom Dowd. We have to admit, that was a clever play on words!

2. A “Dinosaur” Covered One Of The Tracks

Alright, we know what you’re thinking. No, a T-Rex has never performed a cover of Skynyrd’s songs. But how cool would that be?

The track “Every Mother’s Son” was one of the hidden gems on Gimme Back My Bullets, which a fellow rocker recognized. In 1996, the song was covered by J Mascis, the frontman of the alternative rock band Dinosaur Jr.

Mascis loved “Every Mother’s Son” so much that he included his version of it on his solo album, Martin + Me. Check out Skynyrd’s original version below!

3. All Tracks Written By Ronnie, Gary, & Allen, Except…

Anyone who’s a fan of Skynyrd knows that the band rarely covers anyone else’s material. In the pre-crash days, lead singer Ronnie Van Zant penned the majority of the songs that appeared on their albums.

Except for one, all of the tracks on Gimme Back My Bullets were written by Ronnie. Guitarist Allen Collins co-wrote several songs with him for the record, and the duo joined forces with guitarist Gary Rossington on the rest of the material.

But one of the songs on the album is a cover. It’s called “I Got the Same Old Blues,” and was written by the legendary J.J. Cale. It wasn’t the first time Skynyrd had covered one of his tunes either. They had previously recorded his song “Call Me The Breeze” for their second album Second Helping.

4. There’s A Huge Difference Between It & Other Albums

With such iconic songs, Gimme Back My Bullets quickly earned a secure spot in Skynyrd’s history. So we bet you won’t believe what we’re about to tell you.

Out of Skynyrd’s first five albums (the albums from the pre-crash lineup), Gimme Back My Bulletsis the only one that has not been certified Platinum or higher by the RIAA. (pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd), Second Helping, and Street Survivors have all been certified Double Platinum, while Nuthin’ Fancy has been certified Platinum.

Still, Gimme Back My Bullets is one of Skynyrd’s best-performing albums on the charts. Since RIAA certifications change all the time, we have no doubt that Bullets will eventually reach the one million sales mark to earn that Platinum status!