Don Williams – Shot Full of Love: The Sweet Surrender of a Honky-Tonk Desperado
Ah, now this one, “Shot Full of Love,” is a marvelous piece, isn’t it? It takes us back to a slightly different corner of the Don Williams catalog a little more playful, a little less purely introspective, but delivered with all the smooth, undeniable authority of the Gentle Giant. Released in 1986 on his album New Moves, this track arrived deep into his illustrious career, but it shows he still had that touch for capturing a universal feeling with a deceptively simple lyric.
While “Shot Full of Love” wasn’t released as an A-side single, it was given the prominent position as the B-side to “We’ve Got a Good Fire Goin’,” which itself peaked at Number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. In those days, the B-side often had a life of its own, an album track that radio DJs and fans alike would flip the vinyl over to enjoy, cementing its place as an enduring favorite among the faithful. Its success, therefore, wasn’t measured by a distinct chart run, but by its deep appreciation from the audience who had learned that with Williams, every track on the album was worth savoring. It was a song you had to know Don Williams to find, and once you found it, it became one of your personal gems.
The creative DNA of this track points directly to another titan of classic country songwriting: Bob McDill. McDill penned this tune, and when Don Williams sang a Bob McDill song, you knew you were in for something special something poetic, yet grounded in the dirt and reality of everyday life. Their collaboration created some of the genre’s most poignant and memorable moments, and “Shot Full of Love” is a sterling example of their chemistry.
The story it tells is a classic one, something we older folks can surely chuckle over and remember from our own wilder days. It’s the tale of a former “moonlight bandit” and a “heartbreak kid” a fellow who boasted a heart “cold as ice,” treating romance like a score-keeping game, making a “mark for each broken heart.” He was the desperado, the one who couldn’t be caught. But then, as all the best stories go, he met the one. The lyrics detail the sweet, ironic surrender of a confirmed bachelor who suddenly finds himself totally defenseless, his “bleeding heart there at your feet,” “shot full of love.”
What makes this song resonate so deeply, particularly with those of us who have lived a few decades, is its genuine warmth and its lighthearted acknowledgement of the transformative power of true love. It’s a wonderful, reflective piece. It’s about the memory of being young and foolishly invulnerable, and the humble joy of realizing that the only thing that could truly conquer you was the sincere affection of a good woman. Williams’s rich, comforting baritone lends itself perfectly to this narrative, delivering the confession of his former “heartless” ways not with regret, but with the quiet, satisfied understanding of a man who finally knows what truly matters. It’s a reminder that no matter how cynical you were, or how convinced you were that you were too cool for commitment, the right love can humble and heal you instantly. It’s the sound of a reformed man who wouldn’t trade his “meek as a lamb” status for all the notches on a gun. A beautiful sentiment, delivered by a man who knew how to make every word count.