Shooting Shark

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"Shooting Shark"
UK 12" single cover
Single by Blue Öyster Cult
from the album The Revölution by Night
ReleasedFebruary 1984[1]
Length4:20 (single edit)
7:07 (album version)
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Bruce Fairbairn
Blue Öyster Cult singles chronology
"
Take Me Away
"
(1983)
"Shooting Shark"
(1984)
"Perfect Water"
(1985)
Music video
Shooting Shark on
YouTube

"Shooting Shark" is a song by American hard rock band Blue Öyster Cult, appearing on the band's ninth album The Revölution by Night. Written by guitarist/vocalist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser with lyrics inspired by a Patti Smith poem, the song features a synthesizer-heavy pop sound mixed with rock elements. The song features Randy Jackson, of future American Idol fame, on bass.[2]

The song tells the story of a man in a bad relationship, who wants to be done with the woman. Each time he breaks up with her, everything he sees reminds him of her, and he eventually returns. This has happened three times, and at the end of the song he's returning for the fourth, which he says will be the last.

"Shooting Shark" was a modest success, peaking at #83 on the Billboard Hot 100,[3] as well as #16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.[4]

Reception

AllMusic reviewer William Ruhlmann picked the song as an Allmusic reviewer's pick.[5] Errol Somay of Rolling Stone noted the song's saxophone solo, stating it "remind[s] us that Blue Öyster Cult are capable songwriters at both ends of the rock & roll Richter scale".[6]

Track listing

American 7" single
Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Shooting Shark"Roeser, Smith4:20
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dragon Lady"Broadway Blotto, Roeser4:04
American 12" single
Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Shooting Shark" (Edit)Roeser, Smith4:20
2."Shooting Shark"Roeser, Smith7:07
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Take Me Away"Eric Bloom, Aldo Nova4:26
2."Eyes On Fire"Gregg Winter3:54
European 7" single
Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Shooting Shark"Roeser, Smith4:20
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Feel the Thunder"Bloom5:47
UK 12" single
Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Shooting Shark" (Extended Version)Roeser, Smith7:07
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dragon Lady"Blotto, Roeser4:04

Charts

Chart (1983-1984) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[7]
97
US Billboard Hot 100[8] 83
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[9] 16

Personnel

Blue Öyster Cult
Additional musicians

References