5 Bryan Adams songs you had no idea were about his thirst for murder

Canadian rock icon Bryan Adams is known around the world for his dozens of classic hit songs, but did you know the 18-time Juno award-winner is also obsessed with unlawful, premeditated killing? Here are five Bryan Adams tunes you simply had no idea were about his thirst for murder.

1) Summer Of '69

Adams wrote this worldwide hit as a tribute to the Zodiac Killer, who murdered three of his seven victims that summer. Written from the hypothetical perspective of the unidentified serial killer, the Canadian hitmaker spun some of his catchiest lyrics, including the immortal verse "Standing on your momma's porch / I decided to commit some murders / And then when I was done / I'd write about it in some cryptic letters / Those were the best days of my life".

Despite its unusual subject matter, the song would go on to be a rock radio staple.        

2) (Everything I Do) I Do It For You

While most casual listeners assume this international chart-topper is about romantic love, Adams has confirmed he wrote it as an ode to Pazuzu, the demon possessing the body of his next-door-neighbour's dog.

"I was living next door to David Foster at the time," said Adams in a 1992 People Magazine interview. "And his lab retriever, who was the earthly vessel for the demon Pazuzu, would scream directly into my brain that he needed the blood of the innocent."

"It was my open and vocal devotion to his wishes that inspired the whole song," he continued. "Pazuzu would sort of roll around in the grass in response, but I could tell he appreciated it."

3) Run To You

Though it would eventually become a Top 10 smash, Adams initially tried to pull the song after A&M record executives made extensive changes, including editing down its 11-minute runtime and shortening the title from I Feel A Compulsion To Run To You In The Middle Of The Night, Break Into Your House, And Watch You Sleep. In a recent television interview promoting the 30th anniversary re-release of Reckless, Adams said of the disagreement that he will "never, ever forgive them for ruining my song" before tearing off his shirt in frustration.

4) I, Songwriter Bryan Adams, Took The Life Of A Drifter I Met Outside Winnipeg The Night Of February 9th, 1987

Featuring an underrated guitar solo by longtime collaborator Keith Scott, the up-tempo jam I, Songwriter Bryan Adams, Took The Life Of A Drifter I Met Outside Winnipeg The Night Of February 9th, 1987 painstakingly details an encounter Adams had with a vagrant while touring in support of his Into The Fire album. While popular with fans, Adams' step-by-step description of that deadly night received little radio airplay. A subsequent cover by Toni Braxton would eventually top the R&B chart in 1996.              

5) Cuts Like A Knife

This song is about Bryan Adams' beloved pet axe "Rusty Pete".

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