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TL;DR:

  • Paul Stanley discussed the meaning of Kiss’ “Love Gun.”
  • He revealed his attitude about making political statements.
  • He said his attitude about politics differed from Gene Simmons’.
Kiss' Paul Stanley holding a brush during the "Love Gun" era
Kiss’ Paul Stanley | Tom Hill / Contributor

Kiss gave the world classic rock songs about many different subjects. Paul Stanley once revealed the meaning of Kiss’ “Love Gun” and it isn’t about guns. In addition, he discussed his feelings about making political statements.

Kiss’ Paul Stanley said his 1st experiences with intimacy changed his life forever

In his 2014 book Face the Music: A Life Exposed, Stanley discussed losing his virginity to a woman named Sandy. “My sexual technique was nonexistent, but I’m sure Sandy appreciated my enthusiasm: I was a human jackhammer,” Stanley opined. “Or a love gun. At that age, just taking my pants off got me excited. Having someone else there was a bonus.”

Sandy’s husband, Steven, left her. “Up until that moment when I slept with Sandy, sex had seemed like something that would be impossible to find,” Stanley recalled. “This changed everything. Luckily for me, Steven didn’t have a change of heart about leaving her, so I started to drop by Sandy’s house more and more. Her door was only a few steps from my own.”

Paul Stanley said Kiss’ ‘Love Gun’ had a sexual meaning rather than a political meaning

In 1980, Kiss went on a tour of Europe. Stanley said the group caused controversy. “We consciously avoided espousing any political views, and yet to them we represented all the evils of American capitalism,” he remembered. “That was the first tour where people asked us about politics.” Stanley felt that Europeans were more concerned with world events and politics than Americans were.

Stanley was apolitical. “I had no intention of making political statements,” he wrote. “At the end of the day, ‘Love Gun’ wasn’t about guns — I was just singing about my dick.” Stanley said Gene Simmons was far more willing to talk about politics on the tour than he was.

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How ‘Love Gun’ and the album of the same name performed on the charts in the United States

“Love Gun” became a modest hit in the United States. It peaked at No. 61 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for seven weeks. Considering Kiss was never as successful on the Billboard Hot 100 as The Beatles or Elvis Presley, “Love Gun” was one of their bigger successes.

“Love Gun” appeared on Kiss’ album of the same name. Love Gun reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200. It remained on the chart for 27 weeks. The band’s following studio album, Destroyer, was an even bigger hit on the Billboard 200.

“Love Gun” became one of Kiss’ most famous songs — even if it has scatological origins.

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