Plugged 16 shells from a thirty-aught-six
And the black crow flew through
A hole in the sky
And I spent all my buttons on an old pack mule
And I made me a ladder ftom a pawn shop marimba
And I leaned it up against a dandelion tree
Leaned it up against a dandelion tree
Leaned it up against a dandelion tree
Well I cooked them feathers on the iron spit
And I filled me a sachel full of old pig corn
And I beat me a Billy from an old french horn
And kicked that mule to the top of the tree
Kicked that mule to the top of the tree
Blew me a hole ’bout the size of a kickdrum
And I cut me a switch from a long branch elbow
I’m gonna whittle you into kindlin’
Black crow 16 shells from a thirty-aught-six
Whittle you into kindlin’
Black crow 16 shells from a thirty-aught-six
Well I slept in the hotter of a dry creek bed
And I tore out the buckets from a red corvette
Tore out the buckets from a red corvette
Lionel, Dave and the butcher made three
You got to meet me by the knuckles of the skinny bone tree
With the strings of a washburn
Stretched like a clothesline
You know me and that mule scrambled right through the hole
Me and that mule scrambled right through the hole
I’m gonna whittle you into kindlin’
Black crow 16 shells ftom a thirty-aught-six
Whittle you into kindlin’
Black crow 16 shells from a thirty-aught-six
Now I hold him prisoner in a washburn jail
And I strapped it on the back of my old kick mule
Strapped it on the back of my old kick mule
Bang on the strings just to drive him crazy
And I strum it toud just to rattle his cage
Strum it loud just to rattle his cage
Strum it loud just to rattle his cage
Strum it loud just to rattle his cage
I’m gonna whittle you into kindlin’
Black crow 16 shells from a thirty-aught-six
Whittle you into kindlin’
Black crow 16 shells from a thirty-aught-six
Unpacking the Imagery of “16 Shells From A 30-6”
“16 Shells From A 30-6” is a song rich in surreal imagery and gritty storytelling. The lyrics weave a tapestry of rural Americana, blending wild metaphors with vivid, almost dream-like scenes. The recurring mention of the black crow and the thirty-aught-six rifle conjures a sense of confrontation and survival, while references to makeshift ladders, pawn shop marimbas, and dandelion trees create a world where resourcefulness is key. The protagonist’s journey—with a mule, a pack of pig corn, and musical instruments repurposed for unconventional needs—feels both mythic and grounded in hard reality. The refrain about “whittling you into kindlin'” suggests a relentless, almost obsessive determination, possibly aimed at overcoming obstacles or adversaries, symbolized by the black crow.
Song Credits
Songwriter: Tom Waits
Please note: While the lyrics are referenced here for analysis, “16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought-Six” is originally written and performed by Tom Waits, not Bob Seger. Release Year: 1983
Label: Island Records