Song · Mission of Burma
“That's When I Reach For My Revolver” by Mission of Burma
From the EP Signals, Calls, and Marches (1981)
“That's When I Reach For My Revolver” by Mission of Burma appears on 10 radio countdowns from 7 stations between 1989 and 2026. It was first released in 1981 on the EP Signals, Calls, and Marches. Its best result is #55 on the WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #3,211 alternative song of all time.
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"That's When I Reach For My Revolver" comes off Mission of Burma's 1981 EP Signals, Calls, and Marches. Clint Conley wrote it and sings it, playing bass, while Roger Miller's guitar and Peter Prescott's drums batter away beside him and Martin Swope works tape into the din; Richard W. Harte produced. The title twists a famous, usually misquoted line about hearing the word "culture" and reaching for a gun. The original, from Hanns Johst, talks about slipping the safety off a Browning.
It's post-punk that won't sit still, taut and seething, with a chorus built to be shouted back from the floor. Catherine Wheel covered it on a 1992 B-side, and Moby took his own version onto the UK chart in 1996.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 55 | WFNX | WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989) | 101 |
| 2002 | 353 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) | 500 |
| 2003 | 363 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) | 500 |
| 2003 | 1178 | Fred (XM 44) | Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) | 2044 |
| 2005 | 281 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) | 500 |
| 2006 | 269 | WOXY 97X | WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) | 499 |
| 2019 | 445 | KEXP | KEXP Listeners' Favorite Songs of All Time | 627 |
| 2021 | 564 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '80s | 909 |
| 2023 | 661 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Songs of the 1980s | 850 |
| 2026 | 208 | WFPK | WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '80s | 498 |
Also listed as: That's When I Reach for My Revolver; That's When I Reach for my Revolver.
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