The biggest Sons Of Anarchy fans probably know all the lyrics to “The Life” by Curtis Stigers, Velvet Revolver, Dave Kushner, Bob Thiele Jr. and series creator Kurt Sutter. This is the song that plays during the opening credits. Those who don’t know the lyrics probably enjoy humming along anyway.
The song is impossible to miss but the same can’t be said of other details that pop up during the opening credits. There is a quick montage of pictures and clips that all link to important themes and parts of the show. The fact that the credits last less than a minute also makes it hard for viewers to spot some of the following things.
John Teller’s Tombstone
Though Jax’s father John “JT” Teller appears only once in the series through a flashback scene, his presence is felt in all seasons. In the opening credits, JT’s grave is briefly captured.
The tombstone reminds viewers that the former club president was once a law-abiding citizen who fought for his country. It indicates that he was a corporal who served in the 25th infantry in Vietnam. Interestingly, there’s no mention of him being the founder of the club. His date of birth is also indicated as May 5, 1940 while the fateful day he died is indicated as May 13, 1993.
Riding In Formation
To the casual viewer, it might appear as though SAMCRO members just hit the road and get going. That’s not the case and one of the first shots in the opening credits proves this. Just as ancient soldiers had the cavalry, infantry, and generals in different formations, SAMCRO members occupy different positions on the road. There is a Road Captain to make sure this rule is followed.
When out on a mission, the President and Vice-President basically lead the troops by riding in front. There is a tail gunner too who rides in the back and ensures they aren’t being followed. The tail gunner also carries a first-aid kit in case anyone gets an injury.
Happy Lowman’s Smiley Tattoos
Kurt Sutter is big on tattoos and it shows throughout the series. It’s hard to think of a character without ink. One particular character’s tattoos are quite interesting. In the opening credits, a mysterious person lifts up his shirt to show smiley face tattoos in his abdomen. This is Sergeant-at-Arms Happy Lowman. Though normally quiet, Happy has one of the highest kill counts in the series.
Happy is said to enjoy murdering people so much that he makes sure to get a smiley face tattoo for every life he takes. Despite his murderous tendencies, he has proven to be a very reliable club member. He rarely fails in his missions and executes all orders without asking any questions.
The Door Of A Cell Locking
The opening credits also show the door of a jail cell locking. Prisons serve as significant locations throughout the series. with most of the club members finding themselves behind bars at some point.
The jail cell door is a reminder that in much as criminals are the kings in this show, the law won’t always let them have their way. It’s also worth noting that the jail cell door also appears together with Dayton Callie’s name. Callie plays Unser, the police chief who actually does a great job of keeping the Sons out of jail.
A Crow Tattoo
Right before Katey Sagal’s name appears, a crow tattoo can be spotted on what looks like Gemma’s chest. The crow is an important symbol in the series. Crows often appear before there is a major tragedy. Club members are also thought of as crows since they tend to take advantage of other people’s misfortunes.
In the series, women who date or sleep with club members are referred to as Crow Eaters and Gemma is perhaps the most important of them all. She manages to date and get married to two club presidents in her life.
The American Flag
Speaking of JT’s time in the military, the American flag is shown briefly This might be a reference to the military career of other characters. First 9 members Clay Morrow, Piney, and Keith McGee are all war veterans. Hardened by war, the First 9 came together as a group of rebellious men who wanted to live by their own rules.
While their intentions were initially good (to protect Charming from criminal elements), they soon became criminals too. The flag is probably also a reference to America as a land of opportunity—both good and bad opportunities.
Jax’s Back Tattoo
The opening credits end by showing a tattoo of SAMCRO’s logo on Jax’s back. The logo consists of a Grim Reaper with an M-16 rifle and a scythe blade. The Reaper also appears to be holding a crystal ball with the letter A on it, meaning Anarchy. Every patched member is required to have a tattoo of the logo. The jacket of every member also has the same image.
Whenever someone gets booted from the club, he is required to have the tattoo removed. This was the case with Kyle, who got booted after abandoning Opie during a heist. Kyle was given the option of having his tattoo either cut off or burned off. He chose burning but the pain was too much that he passed out.
Redwood Original Jacket Patch
Sons Of Anarchy is a global motorcycle club consisting of 48 charters. There are 36 charters in the US alone, with the state of California (where the series is based) boasting of a whopping 9 charters. Members of each charter have a patch on their jacket that indicates their charter as well as their rank.
Sons Of Anarchy, Motorcycle Club Redwood Original (SAMCRO) is the name given to the mother charter. Each SAMCRO has a patch written “Redwood Original” on the front of their jacket.
Pictures Of Soldiers
Though the faces are not so clear, the pictures are definitely those of the First 9 members who served in the Vietnam War. The pictures are part of JT’s documents that Jax eventually gets his hands on. The most important of those documents is the letters that detail JT’s concerns about the direction the club was going.
The letters play the crucial role of influencing Jax to be a better leader. They also open up a huge can of worms. Jax eventually learns that Clay was responsible for his father’s death.
Guns
Guns are the source of most of the disputes in the series. Clay kills JT because JT wants to get out of the gun business. Jax clashes with Clay because he doesn’t like being in the gun business. SAMBEL and SAMCRO also become enemies because of guns. Not to forget that two of the best villains (Gallen and Jimmy O) clash with Sons because of guns.
A good number of the recurring characters in the series also die from bullet wounds. The gun problem is real. There is hardly a character without a weapon and the opening credits would be dull if they didn’t showcase the source of all problems