What is 'Prostitute' about?

[Jordan Rose]

Chinese: politics

Shacklers: Axl explained

Better: some bird ( someone in the Sorry thread suggested it's about Slash. ffs: 'you stole my heart'. it's about a bird, Axl doesn't have a boner for Slash)

Street of Dreams: some bird

If The World: Black Bond

There Was A Time: some bird, probably Steph lol

Catcher: Catcher/Salinger/Lennon as Axl explained

Scraped: Axl's personal struggles etc

Sorry: Slash/old band

Rhiad: old band/legal issues/lawyers (unlike Sorry the lyrics are quite open and general)

I.R.S: some bird and the legal mess she got Axl into

Madagascar: breakup of old band and resurrection of Axl's career (round 2, anyone?)

This I Love: some bird, probably Steph

Prostitute: no-i-friggin-dea

Some lines seem to be a general reflection on him preferring to choose his own path than prostitute himself the way people in the business would want him to for the sake of money and fame which you could read as getting back with the old band maybe. Other lines seem directed towards a female (love you, affections etc) and the two ideas don't seem to go together. I've never been able to get into the song because the lyrics are annoyingly obtuse and seemingly bad in places.

Seems like forever and a day

If my intentions are misunderstood

Please be kind

I've done all I should

I won't ask of you

What I would not do

Oh, I saw the damage in you

My fortunate one

The envy of youth

This sounds like he's talking to a bird about a relationship, it's certainly a specific individual.

Why would they tell me

To please those

That laugh in my face

When all of the reasons

They've taught us

Fall over themselves

To give way

Is he still addressing the same person here? What has this got to do with anything he was saying before? What do the last four lines even mean; they make absolutely no sense. And incidentally, I absolute hate the multi-layered vocal effects on his voice in these sections. Compared to his beautiful singing in the verses it sounds like a robot and that coupled with the nonsensical lyrics makes it impossible to get into. It would be far more powerful to me if it was just his raw voice and the same goes for the 'If we ever find it's true...' lines in Madagascar. But then we have superior live versions of that and never will for Prostitute because he's given up trying to sing it.

It's not a question of

Whether my heart is true

Streamlined

I had to pull through

Look for a new

Beginning on you

Oh, I got a message for you

Up and away

It's what I gotta do

Give what you have

For what you might lose

It seems like he's back to addressing this bird about the end of their relationship and how he managed to get over it. But again, the last 4 lines are just absolutely crap lyrics. I'm sorry but they really just are crap. People have made fun of 'This I Love' for sounding like a musical which is fucking bullshit, it's just direct and utterly sincere. This is just vague and meandering.

What would you say

If I told you that I'm to blame

And what would you do

If I had to deny your name

Where would you go if I told you

I love you and then walked away

An' who should I turn to

If not for the ones

You could not save

This is a little more direct and technically makes sense however it means absolutely nothing to anyone except Axl without the context. Why would he have to deny this woman's name. Why would she need to go anywhere if he went back to her, said 'I love you' and walked off and why would he bother doing that anyway? Send her a text, save the effort. Again, last 3 lines, what the fuck. What the actual fuck.

I told you when I found you

If there were doubts you

Should be careful and unafraid

Now they surround you

And all that amounts to

Is love that you fed by

Perversion and pain

What the driveling shit is he blabbing on about?! I fucking ADORE the album but this is just tosh lyrics. 'when i found you': it sounds like he's talking about an abandoned kitten. Doubts about what? Is it realistic to expect someone to be careful and unafraid at the same time? In what context would this be good advice? I've just met you, if you're having doubts about dating me, be careful and afraid! But now you're full of these doubts about which we know nothing and what that means is.......you answered my love for you by being a cunt to me?? I just don't understand.

So if my affections

Are misunderstood

And you decide

I'm up

To no good

Don't ask me to

Enjoy them

Just for you

Beautiful melody, beautifully sung first few lines, but what the fuck do the last lines mean?!! Don't ask me to enjoy my affections for you, just for you? THAT MAKES NO SENSE.

Ask yourself

Why I would choose

To prostitute myself

To live with fortune and shame

Oh yeah

When you should

Have turned to the hearts

Of the ones

That you would not save

What has Axl's desire to be a rock n' roll recluse got to do with this bird and his relationship with her? Who the fuck are the people she wouldn't save? Why should she have turned to them? Jesus, shit me.

I told you

When I found you

All that amounts to

Is love that you fed by

Perversion and pain

[ManetsBR]

If that song was released today I could swear it talks about the whole Hall of Fame incident.

[Jordan Rose]

If that song was released today I could swear it talks about the whole Hall of Fame incident.

How does the line 'If my affections are misunderstood' fit into that scenario? And the love references?

[dalsh327]

When they've done the song live, does he have anything up on the video screen?

[deepfreeze]

It's about not doing VIP packaged meet-and-greets, and playing on tables for Russian billionaires.

[Jordan Rose]

When they've done the song live, does he have anything up on the video screen?

It's only been done at those first few 09 shows, I think, and I don't remember seeing anything on the screens in the vids.

[The Black]

It's about the Las Vegas residency.

[axl8302]

Riad isn't about old band/legal issues/lawyers etc, it's about an arms smuggler or something, same guy Civil War is about. It's explained in the unreleased chinese booklet.

[KiraMPD]

I've always thought it was a bit of a summing-up song and is addressed to the listeners/fans (or in some metaphorical way, the band itself?). Like he's going, okay here's what I've made. It's probably not what you are after but I've worked really hard on it and I hope you get where I'm coming form anyway. If not, tough.

Idk, I suppose it could be about a number of things; fame, the fans, the band, himself. It could be about the struggles to make the album and being afraid of how people will perceive it. About going against what everyone wants him to do because he doesn't want to whore himself out.

[Nosaj Thing]

Riad isn't about old band/legal issues/lawyers etc, it's about an arms smuggler or something, same guy Civil War is about. It's explained in the unreleased chinese booklet.

From what I have read Riad was written about Erin's brother in law.

[axl8302]

Riad isn't about old band/legal issues/lawyers etc, it's about an arms smuggler or something, same guy Civil War is about. It's explained in the unreleased chinese booklet.

From what I have read Riad was written about Erin's brother in law.

Yep, same guy.

[GunsNRevolvers2]

I've always interpreted it as a big "fuck you" to media types and those who have always been pressuring Axl to conform and reform the old band, prostitute himself for money to reunite when he truly doesnt want to?

I dont know.

[vaida]

pros·ti·tute

n.

1. One who solicits and accepts payment for sex acts.

2. One who sells one's abilities, talent, or name for an unworthy purpose.

tr.v. pros·ti·tut·ed, pros·ti·tut·ing, pros·ti·tutes

1. To offer (oneself or another) for sexual hire.

2. To sell (oneself or one's talent, for example) for an unworthy purpose.

It's about Duff and Slash, as they sold the GN'R name to Axl Rose so he could use if for an unworthy purpose

Edited September 3, 2012 by vaida

[Jordan Rose]

I've always thought it was a bit of a summing-up song and is addressed to the listeners/fans (or in some metaphorical way, the band itself?). Like he's going, okay here's what I've made. It's probably not what you are after but I've worked really hard on it and I hope you get where I'm coming form anyway. If not, tough.

Idk, I suppose it could be about a number of things; fame, the fans, the band, himself. It could be about the struggles to make the album and being afraid of how people will perceive it. About going against what everyone wants him to do because he doesn't want to whore himself out.

This makes a lot of sense but it's impossible to figure out who he's addressing. Some of it seems personal and direct to an individual about specific situations and other parts are so vague.

I forgot about the Rhiad thing.

2. One who sells one's abilities, talent, or name for an unworthy purpose.

[saber_]

It's about a prostitute.

[Cosmo]

I wonder why Axl stopped being so explicit and direct with his lyrics and started going all cryptic. IMO, Prostitute is probably about the whole GnR situation he was in back in the late 90's/early 2000's: fanbase, legal stuff, former bandmates, etc...

[wkuk04]

a gigolo

[dalsh327]

It seems like this is Axl at an older age writing to a girl who was much younger than he was that was going to leave him - maybe to be an escort, maybe to marry someone with a lot of money. Part of it might be targeted towards us, or past managers and bandmates.

He might not have put that much thought into writing the song, it might have been an instrumental that was sitting around for years, and one night at the Palms after hours of gambling, clubbing, watching strippers, and session work, could've just started typing away on his laptop, and it just came out like that, or he started making up the words as he was in the booth singing. Usually if there's an original version to a song before it's revised a bunch of times, that's what the song's essentially about.

It's like Bob Dylan -was he writing about someone in his life, was it a composite, or was it just something that was all in his head and completely imaginary?

You know at some point when he does interviews again, someone's going to ask it...

[vaida]

I wonder why Axl stopped being so explicit and direct with his lyrics and started going all cryptic. IMO, Prostitute is probably about the whole GnR situation he was in back in the late 90's/early 2000's: fanbase, legal stuff, former bandmates, etc...

My guess is Axl is attempting to look big clever mystical with all the cryptic stuff. It also stops his ass being sued should he offend anyone in a too direct (obvious) manner. Get In The Ring is a good example of direct obious lyrics

Edited September 3, 2012 by vaida

[Jordan Rose]

It seems like this is Axl at an older age writing to a girl who was much younger than he was that was going to leave him - maybe to be an escort, maybe to marry someone with a lot of money. Part of it might be targeted towards us, or past managers and bandmates.

He might not have put that much thought into writing the song, it might have been an instrumental that was sitting around for years, and one night at the Palms after hours of gambling, clubbing, watching strippers, and session work, could've just started typing away on his laptop, and it just came out like that, or he started making up the words as he was in the booth singing. Usually if there's an original version to a song before it's revised a bunch of times, that's what the song's essentially about.

It's like Bob Dylan -was he writing about someone in his life, was it a composite, or was it just something that was all in his head and completely imaginary?

You know at some point when he does interviews again, someone's going to ask it...

That's what I can't work out: it's like it's about two different things directed at two different people. Lines like 'my fortunate one, the envy of youth': how could that not be about a girl? But then other parts just sounds like him asking 'why would you want me to please the people who've screwed me over?' etc.

[cbgnr]

Chinese: politics

Shacklers: Axl explained

Better: some bird ( someone in the Sorry thread suggested it's about Slash. ffs: 'you stole my heart'. it's about a bird, Axl doesn't have a boner for Slash)

Street of Dreams: some bird

If The World: Black Bond

There Was A Time: some bird, probably Steph lol

Catcher: Catcher/Salinger/Lennon as Axl explained

Scraped: Axl's personal struggles etc

Sorry: Slash/old band

Rhiad: old band/legal issues/lawyers (unlike Sorry the lyrics are quite open and general)

I.R.S: some bird and the legal mess she got Axl into

Madagascar: breakup of old band and resurrection of Axl's career (round 2, anyone?)

This I Love: some bird, probably Steph

Prostitute: no-i-friggin-dea

Some lines seem to be a general reflection on him preferring to choose his own path than prostitute himself the way people in the business would want him to for the sake of money and fame which you could read as getting back with the old band maybe. Other lines seem directed towards a female (love you, affections etc) and the two ideas don't seem to go together. I've never been able to get into the song because the lyrics are annoyingly obtuse and seemingly bad in places.

Seems like forever and a day

If my intentions are misunderstood

Please be kind

I've done all I should

I won't ask of you

What I would not do

Oh, I saw the damage in you

My fortunate one

The envy of youth

This sounds like he's talking to a bird about a relationship, it's certainly a specific individual.

Why would they tell me

To please those

That laugh in my face

When all of the reasons

They've taught us

Fall over themselves

To give way

Is he still addressing the same person here? What has this got to do with anything he was saying before? What do the last four lines even mean; they make absolutely no sense. And incidentally, I absolute hate the multi-layered vocal effects on his voice in these sections. Compared to his beautiful singing in the verses it sounds like a robot and that coupled with the nonsensical lyrics makes it impossible to get into. It would be far more powerful to me if it was just his raw voice and the same goes for the 'If we ever find it's true...' lines in Madagascar. But then we have superior live versions of that and never will for Prostitute because he's given up trying to sing it.

It's not a question of

Whether my heart is true

Streamlined

I had to pull through

Look for a new

Beginning on you

Oh, I got a message for you

Up and away

It's what I gotta do

Give what you have

For what you might lose

It seems like he's back to addressing this bird about the end of their relationship and how he managed to get over it. But again, the last 4 lines are just absolutely crap lyrics. I'm sorry but they really just are crap. People have made fun of 'This I Love' for sounding like a musical which is fucking bullshit, it's just direct and utterly sincere. This is just vague and meandering.

What would you say

If I told you that I'm to blame

And what would you do

If I had to deny your name

Where would you go if I told you

I love you and then walked away

An' who should I turn to

If not for the ones

You could not save

This is a little more direct and technically makes sense however it means absolutely nothing to anyone except Axl without the context. Why would he have to deny this woman's name. Why would she need to go anywhere if he went back to her, said 'I love you' and walked off and why would he bother doing that anyway? Send her a text, save the effort. Again, last 3 lines, what the fuck. What the actual fuck.

I told you when I found you

If there were doubts you

Should be careful and unafraid

Now they surround you

And all that amounts to

Is love that you fed by

Perversion and pain

What the driveling shit is he blabbing on about?! I fucking ADORE the album but this is just tosh lyrics. 'when i found you': it sounds like he's talking about an abandoned kitten. Doubts about what? Is it realistic to expect someone to be careful and unafraid at the same time? In what context would this be good advice? I've just met you, if you're having doubts about dating me, be careful and afraid! But now you're full of these doubts about which we know nothing and what that means is.......you answered my love for you by being a cunt to me?? I just don't understand.

So if my affections

Are misunderstood

And you decide

I'm up

To no good

Don't ask me to

Enjoy them

Just for you

Beautiful melody, beautifully sung first few lines, but what the fuck do the last lines mean?!! Don't ask me to enjoy my affections for you, just for you? THAT MAKES NO SENSE.

Ask yourself

Why I would choose

To prostitute myself

To live with fortune and shame

Oh yeah

When you should

Have turned to the hearts

Of the ones

That you would not save

What has Axl's desire to be a rock n' roll recluse got to do with this bird and his relationship with her? Who the fuck are the people she wouldn't save? Why should she have turned to them? Jesus, shit me.

I told you

When I found you

All that amounts to

Is love that you fed by

Perversion and pain

The line is "Love that you crippled for fortune and fame" not "love that you fed by perversion and pain" I used to think it was that as well.

[Jordan Rose]

Right, the lyrics are wrong all over the net. But that doesn't make it any easier to understand what he's on about or who he's talking to.

[izzydoezit]

duh, the song is about a prostitute Axl was dating.

[KiraMPD]

I wonder why Axl stopped being so explicit and direct with his lyrics and started going all cryptic. IMO, Prostitute is probably about the whole GnR situation he was in back in the late 90's/early 2000's: fanbase, legal stuff, former bandmates, etc...

I think maybe it's because the situation is too big and complex to describe with more direct, explicit and simplified lyrics. Writing about drinking, drug abuse, chicks he wanted to bang and people that he dislikes was probably easier to describe with simple and direct lyrics. The Guns situation... fuck I can't even imagine how mixed up his feeling must be about that cuz, as you said, there were so many factors involved. Add that to the fact that he was 25 years younger when he wrote his earlier stuff... maybe he just took a little more "mature" approach to songwriting?

To all those saying it's about a prostitute. LOL

That being said, I always thought SOD was about a actual prostitute.

Edited September 4, 2012 by KiraMPD

[bigcountry]

To me Prostitute is very simple to explain.....

It is a message for the FANS.....

1. Explaining he took control of the GNR brand name

2. He didn't want a reunion not matter what the money amount, if it was all about money there would have already been a reunion.

3. Last but not least he also apologizes to fans for what he has done if they think he was wrong in what he did, also he posses the same questions to the fans in the song as to what they would do if they had to decide on something like this.

I know there are a few more points in the song to list but this is the basic just of the song.

I think of CD as a concept record with every song having a very specific meaning to Axl about the old band, legal issues and also the process of getting the album out, but the songs don't come right out and say what that is but you can read between the lines to understand what the song most likely is about.

Others spoke in the media consistently about him and Axl done that only a few times that address the old band and it members he used music as his tool to get the message out.

So will say BS but it is very obvious to me.

I also think that CD suffered with too many slow tempo songs because alot of what he wrote about was easiest to express with a slow song.