One In A Million

[wasted]

Maybe he was a racist and wrote a racist lyric.

But most times a racist doesn't deny it.

I would say in that situation he thought a racist thing, but he doesnt hate people because the color of their skin.

He didn't hate Slash or Lenny Kravitz, he liked NWA.

You can say something racist and not be racist. You also can say something racist 25 years ago and that doesn't mean you're racist now. The only concerning part is that after multiple opportunities to think it over and change it, he didn't. He was perfectly fine with presenting himself as racist, homophobic and xenophobic. That or he deluded himself into believing what he said didn't indicate those qualities. I doubt he ever was racist, but he surely was ignorant white trash.

An equally fair question is why didn't Slash fight harder to change or get rid of the lyric? The explanation of not wanting to rock the boat and thinking it wasn't worth fighting about is understandable, if not spineless.

Edit: *multiple was autocorrected to multiethnic, somewhat ironically. Just for reference for potential future quotations with the original mistake

I think Axl captures the emotional moment pretty well. As a song about the mid western kid coming the city it's hard to change. It shows the fucked up determination he had back then, it's a glimpse into his past. To change it is moot, it's too late. If its not what he wanted to say why put it out?

There's quite a lot of easy roots out of it. He could have just said this isn't me, these are the people I run into. They come from back home and get freaked out. They ask me how I can live here, I say I'm one in a million. Then I get high to deal with all this.

Maybe it's just liberal baiting, like Catcher is in a way. It's meant to generate controversy. Before Internet trolling there was Axl Rose.

1. It's honest

2. It's the best way to express what I'm feeling

3. Boy it's going to fuck with them

Edited January 22, 2014 by wasted

[Angelica]

I think the song is brilliant too, one of my favorites of the GnR catalogue...but that don't make it any less racist. I don't think he should've changed shit, stick by em...but call it what it is y'know? I don't mind anyone saying the word N*****, what i don't like or rather find mildly amusing is to go out on a limb to make a song like that and then backpedalling and kowtowing and putting across all these indignant but totally contradictory opinions on this shit.

If he'd've just said it is where i was at at a particular time in my life but i ain't there anymore and then just taken his flak like a man i'd respect him. But to then start going 'oh, i'm not a racist/homphobe but...' and the buts ranging from 'it's not ALL of them, it's some of them' and 'i don't mind the ones that come here to work and behave themselves but...' and similar shit. Those aren't exact quotes by the way but I could dig ones up where this shit is said, i'm sure you've all read them.

This. And can we knock off the 'poor widdle Axl didn't realize it would cause such a stir' fuckery? He's a lot of things, but he's not a fucking moron. He knew perfectly well how it would be received. It generated controversy (ie, press), and briefly legitimized their (otherwise entirely unconvincing) 'most dangerous band in the world' shtick.

Edited January 22, 2014 by Angelica

[wasted]

I kind of miss rock stars who can cause some controversy.

Another aspect is that, maybe there is a homeless white kid in LA who hears one in a million and it helps him deal with his life. I'm not the only one who feels this way, maybe I can survive.

[uncivil war]

I'm not going to defend Axl's given choice of lyrics on that song. But I will say that I really like that song a lot, I just wish he would of choosen another way to express his discontent.

Honestly I'm suprised Axl has not revisited that song, replace those words and we have a great song. I would go as far as to say it's the best song on lies, or it could have been. He just should have changed 4 words.

Sorry, but I think that's absolute fucking bullshit. Society teaches you to believe that what he said was wrong. It's not. People are entitled to their thoughts and opinions, regardless of what they are. Actions are a different story. It's no secret that Axl was the small town white boy who felt this way due to various personal encounters and experiences. The guy comes from the sticks of Indiana to a big city like Los Angeles. If we're being honest, it's not all that unimaginable that he may have thought and felt the things that he did. He is entitled to these thoughts and free to express them. Anyone who says that he should replace certain words for it to be a great song is just afraid to admit - out of fear of being labeled a racist - that most of us feel certain thoughts or opinions at one time or another throughout our lives that many would view as hateful or not politically correct. Any one who claims otherwise is lying or full of shit. Take your choice.

Seriously ... fuck changing the lyrics. They are fine as is and represent a period of the man's life. Get over it. It's only been over 25 years.

I wouldn't change the lyrics now. But I would say there has been no upside to their use. Any debate concluded you shouldn't say that.

The only thing it did was give GNR more of a street edge. Like they really come from an ignorant place.

Other plus was controversy, record sales, hype, debate I guess.

Do you think Don't Damn Me was an apology?

Sorry, new poster. I've always thought Don't Damn Me was a response to the backslash from OIAM, at least in part.

[wasted]

Yeah, I think so too.

It's a peace of mind, that is all a song is. Not a manifesto or anything. It just gives you an emotion, if you don't like it you move to what does. Kind of like strippers.

[bigcountry]

I DON"T think Don't Damn Me was an apology for anything. It was more of an explaination of who he is and that he uses life experiances to write most of his music.

It is also about how his mucic can be take one or more ways by different people.

"You stepped into my world I kicked you in mind and I'm the only wittness to the nature of my crime" Made you thing didn't he?

"You take for granted you know the whole story. You judge a book by it's cover and read what you want BETWEEN SELECTED LINES" which to me says you are taking thing out of the context it was sritten in.

Edited January 22, 2014 by bigcountry

[wasted]

I DON"T think Don't Damn Me was an apology for anything. It was more of an explaination of who he is and that he uses life experiances to write most of his music.

It is also about how his mucic can be take one or more ways by different people.

"You stepped into my world I kicked you in mind and I'm the only wittness to the nature of my crime" Made you thing didn't he?

"You take for granted you know the whole story. You judge a book by it's cover and read what you want BETWEEN SELECTED LINES" which to me says you are taking thing out of the context it was sritten in.

Yeah not apology, more explanation, really fits for OIAM.

"We're all somebody and it don't matter who you want to be"

[uncivil war]

Also,

"I've been where I have been,

I've seen what I have seen,

I put the pen to the paper

'Cause it's all a part of me"

Always made me think of OIAM.

Also,

"I've been where I have been,

I've seen what I have seen,

I put the pen to the paper

'Cause it's all a part of me"

Always made me think of OIAM.

[wasted]

Also,

"I've been where I have been,

I've seen what I have seen,

I put the pen to the paper

'Cause it's all a part of me"

Always made me think of OIAM.

Also,

"I've been where I have been,

I've seen what I have seen,

I put the pen to the paper

'Cause it's all a part of me"

Always made me think of OIAM.

that's the part that really hit me as directly about OIAM. But you can't change that maybe, what you think based on your experiences. What I would be interested in is if Axl had friends around him that believed similar things, as you tend to get these ideas confirmed by friends etc. Duff was more subtle on OIAM with the line "Don't need none of your gold chains today" you can connect the dots but it's not racist per se.

Edited January 22, 2014 by wasted

[Guest Len B'stard]

Why do rappers/hip hoppers get a free pass? Look at NWA and Kanye and......(you name it).

NWA got a free pass, really?!?! Being protested and almost dropped from your label for lyrics that promote predudice (misogyny as well as racism), Ice T didn't get shit for it, 2 Live Crew didn't, Tupac didn't, Snoop didn't? Eminem didn't massively? Enough names for ya or should i carry on? Snoop got it that bad when he arrived in England they had headlines like 'GET THIS BASTARD OUT OF OUR COUNTRY', relative to what the rappers got Axl got an easy time for One in a Million.

2 Live Crew went to court over their shit, i don't recall Axl getting that.

Edited January 22, 2014 by sugaraylen

[wasted]

Why do rappers/hip hoppers get a free pass? Look at NWA and Kanye and......(you name it).

NWA got a free pass, really?!?! Being protested and almost dropped from your label for lyrics that promote predudice (misogyny as well as racism), Ice T didn't get shit for it, 2 Live Crew didn't, Tupac didn't, Snoop didn't? Eminem didn't massively? Enough names for ya or should i carry on? Snoop got it that bad when he arrived in England they had headlines like 'GET THIS BASTARD OUT OF OUR COUNTRY', relative to what the rappers got Axl got an easy time for One in a Million.

2 Live Crew went to court over their shit, i don't recall Axl getting that.

I doubt a gang white guys is going to storm Dre's castle though. Whereas Axl being that famous a racist with all the gangster rappers around he must have been shitting his pants.

Ice T was on Oprah defending Axl. So in a way Axl positioned himself pretty well with the song, as a true outlaw to rival the rappers of the time.

[Guest Len B'stard]

Why do rappers/hip hoppers get a free pass? Look at NWA and Kanye and......(you name it).

NWA got a free pass, really?!?! Being protested and almost dropped from your label for lyrics that promote predudice (misogyny as well as racism), Ice T didn't get shit for it, 2 Live Crew didn't, Tupac didn't, Snoop didn't? Eminem didn't massively? Enough names for ya or should i carry on? Snoop got it that bad when he arrived in England they had headlines like 'GET THIS BASTARD OUT OF OUR COUNTRY', relative to what the rappers got Axl got an easy time for One in a Million.

2 Live Crew went to court over their shit, i don't recall Axl getting that.

I doubt a gang white guys is going to storm Dre's castle though. Whereas Axl being that famous a racist with all the gangster rappers around he must have been shitting his pants.

Ice T was on Oprah defending Axl. So in a way Axl positioned himself pretty well with the song, as a true outlaw to rival the rappers of the time.

It's just a media thing though isn't it, no ones seriously gonna go around making a pariah of Axl over this shit, it's just his defence of it was kinda pathetic. Look at the Sachsgate scandal, you'd think off the back of such an enormous controversy thing Russell would be PE No 1 forevermore but everyone just thinks of him as the same silly boy they always did.

Jade Goody too, look at her and the whole Shilpa thing, she was forgiven pretty quick, wasn't she? And hers was very direct Axl-type racism too.

[wasted]

I don't know the redneck wife beater thing then the racism. He might attract a sort of black mark chapman. Well I'd be shitting it if I put One in a million out anyway. Possibly the media would move on. Axl was hanging in green room with Queen Latifa twenty years later. So you think should have said I'm a racist deal with it?

[Iron MikeyJ]

After thinking about it some more, I think it was done strictly for shock and awe. Think about it, guns were the most dangerous band in the world, then came SCOM. It took them to the mainstream. Then when Lies came along they were probably worried about Patience. So putting a controversial song on the album takes the heat off of the "ballad". The record company liked the whole "most dangerous band in the world" label, so I think that's why the song was even allowed to be put on the album.

I'm not saying everything was contrived, because Axl had to write the song. Which I doubt he was forced or asked to write something controversial. But having said that, I do believe it was allowed to be on the album in order to deliberatly be controversial. It really allowed the song Patience to flourish, without deminishing the bands image. Like Alan Niven said, "nothing happens by accident."

[J Dog]

Why do rappers/hip hoppers get a free pass? Look at NWA and Kanye and......(you name it).

NWA got a free pass, really?!?! Being protested and almost dropped from your label for lyrics that promote predudice (misogyny as well as racism), Ice T didn't get shit for it, 2 Live Crew didn't, Tupac didn't, Snoop didn't? Eminem didn't massively? Enough names for ya or should i carry on? Snoop got it that bad when he arrived in England they had headlines like 'GET THIS BASTARD OUT OF OUR COUNTRY', relative to what the rappers got Axl got an easy time for One in a Million.

2 Live Crew went to court over their shit, i don't recall Axl getting that.

2 Live Crew got arrested. Literally. In cuffs, taken to jail, for singing their songs. Fucking ridiculous.

[bigcountry]

Those rap artist where using racial slurs every few words in there music and you are trying to compare Axl's use of slurs 3 times in one song to that. Folks your priorities are very clouded if you think he got off easy because he didn't. He had to explain himself over and over in the press and guess what the story never changed.........hum. Slash is part black and that was brought up very little in the medias reporting on this song.

3 vs 1000's of racail slurs is a huge difference.

Get a fucking life and stop with the bullshit about how you have been appressed or offended by Axl using 3 slurs when the people you are comparing him to and in some cases defending are a 1000 times worse.

Some of you dumb asses can't see the trees for the forest it just boggles my mind.

If you don't like the song don't listen to it but no it says something offensive so you are going to make it even more popular by bitching and moaning, one day people will relise when they are against something a simple on time of stating what you feel about it is enough but the more you put it out there the bigger it will get. Which IMHO those words where not put in there for a shock factor. ANd even if they where the rap artist you have brought up I bet they done it for the shock value due to the highly over use of slurs.

"So be well and cocktoe is an asshole"

[Shooting Star]

I've liked this song since the first time I listened to it on my 15th birthday. I remember it like it was yesterday.

I got the "Lies" album as a birthday present from a friend who's a GNR fan and was even the bassist in a (bad ) GNR cover band.

I had only a vague idea about the polemic lyrics at that time...

[machinegunner]

Who is the 'shooting star', has this been clarified? Was it Izzy?

[Slash is Cancer]

I've always loved this song from day one and admired his brutal honesty. Every few months, for whatever reason, this same topic is revisited. I do believe there are people who may not like song as a whole, but I don't believe the majority dislike the song soley because he dropped the n-bomb or used the word f*ggot. That's just silly.

Let's be real. Most of us admired the fact that he had the balls to say what he did. I wouldn't change a damn thing and I don't believe the majority here would either, if you're being honest. The thought of being labeled a racist scares people. Period. That's why so many members "like the song, but" feel compelled to let everyone know that they don't approve of this or that. Fucking whatever.

I'd like to think if Axl had to do it all over, he would have said the exact same thing. This song is a great example of what made Axl such a badass at one point.

Edited January 23, 2014 by Slash is Cancer

[wasted]

After thinking about it some more, I think it was done strictly for shock and awe. Think about it, guns were the most dangerous band in the world, then came SCOM. It took them to the mainstream. Then when Lies came along they were probably worried about Patience. So putting a controversial song on the album takes the heat off of the "ballad". The record company liked the whole "most dangerous band in the world" label, so I think that's why the song was even allowed to be put on the album.

I'm not saying everything was contrived, because Axl had to write the song. Which I doubt he was forced or asked to write something controversial. But having said that, I do believe it was allowed to be on the album in order to deliberatly be controversial. It really allowed the song Patience to flourish, without deminishing the bands image. Like Alan Niven said, "nothing happens by accident."

It seems to me based on the cover there was some sort of un-PC vibe surrounding the album. But the music on OIAM makes it sound sooo serious and dark. There's not even a jokey comment by Axl at the end so. Again in context of rap like NWA, the complete stupidity of 80s hair bands, it's like it had to be to make headlines. Look at lyrics to Its so Easy. They'd been to the edge before. Bad Obsession? It's not like they really even learned. That Manson song on Spaghetti Incident. It was a part of GNR to be controversial. The record company was loving it. I've heard stories of labels paying for cocaine and hookers for bands to get them going in that direction.

After thinking about it some more, I think it was done strictly for shock and awe. Think about it, guns were the most dangerous band in the world, then came SCOM. It took them to the mainstream. Then when Lies came along they were probably worried about Patience. So putting a controversial song on the album takes the heat off of the "ballad". The record company liked the whole "most dangerous band in the world" label, so I think that's why the song was even allowed to be put on the album.

I'm not saying everything was contrived, because Axl had to write the song. Which I doubt he was forced or asked to write something controversial. But having said that, I do believe it was allowed to be on the album in order to deliberatly be controversial. It really allowed the song Patience to flourish, without deminishing the bands image. Like Alan Niven said, "nothing happens by accident."

It seems to me based on the cover there was some sort of un-PC vibe surrounding the album. But the music on OIAM makes it sound sooo serious and dark. There's not even a jokey comment by Axl at the end so. Again in context of rap like NWA, the complete stupidity of 80s hair bands, it's like it had to be to make headlines. Look at lyrics to Its so Easy. They'd been to the edge before. Bad Obsession? It's not like they really even learned. That Manson song on Spaghetti Incident. It was a part of GNR to be controversial. The record company was loving it. I've heard stories of labels paying for cocaine and hookers for bands to get them going in that direction.

[stella]

I don't like the song. I'll say it, straight out. Even if Axl had been singing about rainbows, puppies and kittens I wouldn't like it, musically, because I think it's the weakest song on Lies. I don't like the views expressed in the song. And one of the reasons I don't like it is because racists/etc. DO use it as a rallying cry, and think that because Axl said it in a song, he was saying it was an acceptable attitude. It's not Axl's fault it happened that way and people should think for themselves, but it did.

But that's not what the song was about. It wasn't mean to be a rallying cry of any kind. He's said in interviews that it was about his experiences coming to LA as a young man - coming in as a "small town white boy" from a homogenous, conservative background, who was suddenly confronted with a lot of scary things that he didn't understand, and perhaps did have those views at the time. It was his honest look at how he felt in that time period. I think he's also said straight up that he wouldn't write that song now, and it's also been pointed out that he actually apologized for the song in advance, on the cover of Lies.

Edited January 23, 2014 by stella

[TeeJay410]

Admire the fact he had the balls to be a white male millionaire in America and use the n word, the f word, and to marginalize immigrants in public? What courage.

Instead of admiring anything, how about feel some shame for Slash, the band, management, and Geffen for letting Axl do that. But I guess they got what they wanted all along. 26 years later we're still talking about the song.

Edited January 23, 2014 by TeeJay410

[Val22]

Well Madonna just called her son "hooray for tolerance!" and she got so much shit for it, she had to apologize for it.

I think if any race of people want a word to die down, then tell rap musicians to stop using it in their songs.

The word "hooray for tolerance!" was what the slaves were called, so why would you want to try to reinvent a word like that? I don't think it's made it better or their own, it's made it worse.

When I worked in a school, I heard a little black boy call another black boy "hooray for tolerance!" and when I told him what it meant he looked at me like I was crazy. It's unfortunate that people aren't informed about things.

There are horrible words for all races of people and if you continue to use them to describe someone, those words will never go away.

I just feel that Axl used "one in a million" as a example of how far bigotry can go.

[stella]

It is probably worth noting that there is a very, very wide spread of opinions on n--- in the rap/hip hop African American communities. There are those who think that using the word at all, either socially or in song lyrics does nothing but tear everyone down and deinigrate them. There are others who think they have a right to use the word in order to reclaim it however they want. It's not my debate so I don't have an opinion on it, but I know not to use the word myself, ever.

[Snowmass]

Have TB heard this song before and do they just blow it off for the sake of money?

"Immigrants and ......they make no sense to me
They come to our country and think they'll do as they please
Like start some mini Iran or spread some fucking disease
They talk so many goddamn ways it's all Greek to me"

**for some reason this site won't let the true lyrics (derogatory term for homosexual) post on here even though its a GnR fan site and a GnR lyric...weird.

Edited February 6, 2014 by Snowmass