Raising Arizona Tattoo Meaning

Well, if you’re lookin’ for the lowdown on what them tattoos mean in that Raising Arizona movie, let me tell ya, it’s more than just a fancy picture. Now, I ain’t one for all that highfalutin talk, but let me try to explain it in a way that makes sense. I reckon, them tattoos in the movie got a deeper meaning than folks first thinkin’.
What’s All This About Raising Arizona Anyway?
First off, you gotta understand what the movie Raising Arizona is all about. It’s a crazy story, all about this feller, H.I. McDunnough, played by Nicolas Cage, and his wife Ed, played by Holly Hunter. They’re tryin’ to have a baby, but after a whole lotta trouble and, well, some bad decisions, they end up stealin’ a baby from a rich family who had more than they could handle.
Now, in the midst of all this mess, there’s this tattoo. Not just any tattoo, mind you, but one that’s all connected to the movie’s deeper meaning. It’s a symbol, and the tattoo ain’t just there for show. It’s there to tell you something about the character, his struggle, and the crazy stuff he’s goin’ through. So, let’s dive in and take a look at what this tattoo really means.
The Cigar-Smokin’ Bird Tattoo
One of the most noticeable tattoos in the movie is the one that’s on Hi’s arm. It’s of a bird, puffin’ away on a cigar, and that bird’s smokin’ like there’s no tomorrow. Now, you might think it’s just a quirky thing, but hold up. This tattoo actually comes from a logo that was used by Clay Smith Cams in the ’50s. Back then, it was the logo for a company that made high-performance car parts. The bird with the cigar was called “Mr. Horsepower,” and it represented power, strength, and that good ol’ American determination.

Now, this tattoo in the movie is a symbol for Hi. It shows that deep down, he’s got that same drive to get what he wants, even if it means breakin’ the law or makin’ some real bad decisions along the way. The cigar, well, that’s a bit of a symbol too. It represents the tough and gritty nature of Hi’s life—he ain’t no softy, that’s for sure.
Raising Hell and Raising Arizona
The title of the movie itself is a bit of a play on words. Sure, it’s about raisin’ a baby named Arizona, but it’s also about raisin’ hell. Now, when you think of raisin’ hell, you think of causing trouble, don’t ya? Well, Hi and Ed are doin’ plenty of that. The tattoo symbolizes that very same chaos they bring into the world, tryin’ to make things right, but always stirrin’ up trouble in the process. It’s a funny thing, ain’t it? They want a baby, but they sure ain’t livin’ a calm, peaceful life to raise one in.
The Dark Side of Hi
There’s somethin’ else too. See, Hi’s got this darker side to him. It’s like he’s got two sides to his personality—his good side, and the criminal side. His criminal side is represented by another tattoo that shows him as a younger man, the part of him that’s always lookin’ for the next thing to steal or the next way to break the law. It’s like the tattoo shows him as he really is—no better than the criminals he used to be.
The matching tattoos that him and Ed share, well, they ain’t just there to look cool. They’re part of the whole story of their love and their mess of a life. But they also show how Hi’s got a split personality, and that tattoo on his arm is a reminder of the bad stuff he’s done.

What the Booties Represent
Now, let’s talk about them booties. You know, the little baby booties Hi’s always carryin’ around. Well, them booties aren’t just for show neither. They represent the childhood Hi never had. You see, Hi grew up rough. He never had no one to take care of him, never had no real family. So when he wants to raise a baby, he’s tryin’ to give that baby everything he never had. The booties symbolize that innocence he lost and the chance to make things right for the next generation.
The Bigger Picture
So, when you put it all together, them tattoos in Raising Arizona ain’t just fancy pictures. They’re there to show you who these people really are, deep down inside. Hi and Ed are tryin’ to raise a family, but they ain’t exactly the best role models. They’re tryin’ to make a better life, but they’re still stuck in their past mistakes. The tattoos on Hi’s body are like a map of his life—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
At the end of the day, Raising Arizona is a funny, wild, and a bit tragic film about love, crime, and the search for family. And those tattoos? They tell you more than you might think about the characters and their struggle to make sense of their crazy world.
Tags:[Raising Arizona tattoo meaning, Raising Arizona, Nicolas Cage tattoos, Mr. Horsepower, Coen Brothers, Raising Hell, H.I. McDunnough, movie tattoos, Ed and Hi tattoos, baby booties symbolism]
