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..meaning behind a few GNR songs...


sixtus

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1)....OH MY GOD..

The chorus: OH MY GOD etc. deals with the societal repression of deep and often agonizing emotions - some of which may be willingly accepted for one reason or another - the appropriate expression of which (one that promotes a healing, release and a positive resolve) is often discouraged and many times denied. Emotionally the song contemplates several abstract perspectives drawing from personal expression as well as from the film (End Of Days) and its metaphors. The appropriate expression and vehicle for such emotions and concepts is not something taken for granted.

Musically the song was primarily written by Paul Huge over two years ago, with Dizzy Reed writing the musical hook of the chorus. Former member Duff McKagan as well as former employee Matt Sorum failed to see its potential and showed no interest in exploring, let alone recording the piece. When the demos were played for the new band, Josh, Tommy and Robin were as they say 'all over it.'

Once the opportunity was presented, the song was given priority in our recording process. As the verse, performance and lyrics were decided on, for us (that especially includes Interscope chairman Jimmy Iovine) the choice became obvious. We were more than pleased Mr. Roswell (the film's music supervisor) agreed! Our thanks to Arnold and all for the consideration - it is an association in which we have always felt honored.

Paul Huge, Gary Sunshine and Dave Navarro appear on the song as well as Robin Finck. Robin's part was written by Paul and extensively manipulated by our producer, Sean Beaven. Robin was not involved in the writing of the final recording though did participate in the arrangement. All lyrics were written by myself. Additional programming (jack boots, screeching tires, etc.) was by Stuart White.

The fight of good vs. evil, positive vs. negative, man against a seemingly undefeatable, undeterrable, unrevealed destiny, along with the personal and universal struggle to attain, maintain and responsibly manage freewill can be and often is frustrating to say the least. In America our country's constitutional right to freedom of expression gives us a better chance to fight for that expression than many in other countries enjoy. It can be a big gig, like kickin' the crap outta the devil!

2.)...THINK ABOUT YOU...

Izzy wrote that one. There's a few parts of the lyrics that I put in there, and maybe gave it a little more flow, and worded it my way since I was the one singing it. Izzy does a lot of lyric writing. /../ I think it's kinda one of the ones that's a bit hidden. That's also with the way it was recorded. It's also very Hanoi Rocks-influenced, and the production on "Think About You" and the way it's done, is kinda like a tribute to all those old Hanoi Rocks records. It's something that Izzy was really into, and then he got me into it. It's kinda like a Hanoi Rocks song the way we looked at that.

3.)...COMA...

Writing "Coma" on "Use Your Illusion I" was so heavy I'd start to write and I'd just pass out. I tried to write that song for a year, and couldn't. l went to write it at the studio and passed out. l woke up two hours later and sat down and wrote the whole end of the song, like, just off the top of my head. It was like, don't even know what's coming out, man, but it's coming. l think one of the best things that I've ever written was maybe the end segment of the song "Coma." It just poured out. I thanked Slash for that, because I used to curse him, going, "Man, that son of a bitch has written this thing and I've got to write to it and don't know what to write." It was so hard; it made me feel like, "l don't know how to write, I should just quit. But I finally did write it, and l ended up feeling a lot better about a lot of situations that I expressed in that song.

4.)...GET IN THE RING...

Get In The Ring" was a song that was… basically put together by Slash and Duff, and I came up with the low vocal part. And Slash and I wrote that part together. We wrote different verses. And we wrote a whole song that when the whole band actually had the song together, the words didn't fit the arrangement of the song. And so, we were in Toronto, playing a show in Toronto. And we had one last song to finish recording, that was "Get In The Ring".

So, we went in the studio and just kind of started putting things together. And then Duff decided that I should express my feelings about how we've been treated by the press, because that was his initial concept for the song, and that I should just go for it. And I was kind of like: "Are you sure? You sure I should do this?". And then Tom Zutaut, of Geffen, was there and he was like: "Go for it."

So I got behind the mike and went for it. And everybody was really happy and we just decided to do it. And this naming names, and things like that, were because most bands can't afford to express how they feel about how they're treated in the press, because they need the press so much. And I know that this could hurt us, but we're in a position where I think we owe it to ourselves, and we owe it to an element of the public.

5.)...ESTRANGED...

There's something really wild, for me, in performing "Estranged" 'cause all of a sudden I realized I don't want to be sitting at the piano playing this song to keep the energy of the song moving live. I need to be moving around and there's something about being able to be up there moving around during it that's actually a present, a gift or something. Being able to dance and rejoice in a song. That came from situations and emotions that were killing me.

6.)...MY WORLD...

My World happened when we’re sitting and were bored. We’ve been working on "Live and Let Die" the whole night and it was early in the morning. I’d been listening to a lot of industrial music and all of a sudden I said, "Hey man, let's do something. Let's see what happens. Let's just make it short and sweet and see what we come up with." In three hours we wrote and recorded the song. /../ I'll expose a little more of myself - we were also on 'shrooms. A friend of mine had stuck some mushrooms in my tea and I didn't know it. All of a sudden we were being really mellow. So it was kind of a socio-psychotic state of bliss.

Source: http://hem.passagen.se/snoqalf/m-meaning3.html

Edited by jack99
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Thanks for the info! I've read some of them before, very cool stuff. I can understand why it was hard to write 'Coma', those lyrics are insanely intense.

lol, I've never heard of the 'My World' mushrooms incident before... :D

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Haven't you guys ever visited www.gnrinfo.tk ..?

About my World:

"Izzy: There was one song on that record that I didn't even know was on it until it came out, "My World". I gave it a listen and thought, 'What the fuck is this?'

Axl: There was a certain focus we all wanted to keep for Illusion l and II, but when l did "My World", everyone dug it and wanted it on the record.

Axl: It's something I needed to get out of my system"

Edited by Vadin
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Haven't you guys ever visited www.gnrinfo.tk ..?

About my World:

"Izzy: There was one song on that record that I didn't even know was on it until it came out, "My World". I gave it a listen and thought, 'What the fuck is this?'

Axl: There was a certain focus we all wanted to keep for Illusion l and II, but when l did "My World", everyone dug it and wanted it on the record.

Axl: It's something I needed to get out of my system"

Do you think that might have anything to do with Izzy leaveing early? Or is Axl bullshitting when he says "everyone dug it"?

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Well the link is nice because it actually has sources for everything, whereas gnrinfo.tk has a lot of information, but it doesnt source anything, and some of the stuff seems like it coudl just be some of the gnr legend stuff ala rocket queen sex scene

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