Janie's Got a Gun

On the album, "Janie's Got a Gun" is preceded by a 10-second instrumental called "Water Song", which features the work of instrumentalist Randy Raine-Reusch, who uses a glass harmonica, wind gong, and bullroarers to produce the special effects heard at the start of the song.[6]

Tyler came up with the main riff using a low-tone setting on his keyboard. Hamilton created the bassline.[7] The guitars and drum parts were configured later and Tyler wrote the lyrics.[7] The guitar solo, by Joe Perry, is accompanied by the main riff and rhythmic clapping. The song also uses the Slap Bass instrument patch from the Korg M1. In a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, Tyler described the origin of the song:

I wrote the song in my basement, just fucking around. "Oh, Janie's got a gun." I got goose pimples. I sat for months, waiting for the oracle door to open. Then I looked over at a Time magazine and saw this article on 48 hours, minute by minute, of handgun deaths in the United States. Then I got off on the child abuse angle. I'd heard this woman speaking about how many children are attacked by their mothers and fathers. It was fucking scary. I felt, man, I gotta sing about this.[8]

The singer declared, "I got really angry that nobody was paying homage to those who were abused by mom and dad."[9] The line "He jacked a little bitty baby" was originally "He raped a little bitty baby," but Geffen Records A&R executive John Kalodner argued that the band should change it, explaining that he felt the song had the potential to be a hit and was certain it would not get played on commercial radio with the word "rape" in it.[7] Tyler often sings the original line when performing live. In addition, the line "...and put a bullet in his brain" changed to "...she left him in the pouring rain" for the radio version.

The music video was directed by David Fincher.[10] Janie is portrayed by actress Kristin Dattilo. Her parents are played by Nicholas Guest and Lesley Ann Warren.