Here Today... Gone To Hell!

hey all i was just wondering about the song don't damn me, was that a song axl wrote as a comeback to all the critics who bashed him when one in a million was released? also what does he say at the end of the song?

At the end of Dont Damn me axl says:Smoke 'em if ya got 'em and then he says allright that sucked

Never really thought of it. There's a gazillion interpretations to any lyrics in any song, but this one is definitely making a lot of sense.

"Cuz silence isn't golden when I'm holdin' it inside"

....yep, I can perfectly see it...

it's very ambiguous, I'm sure Axl has pissed off a lot of people, maybe it's a song about his family ? how the family didn't want axl to mention how he was abused and all that.
"Cuz silence isn't golden when I'm holdin' it inside"
It would make a lot of sense.

Maybe it's another angry "get in the ring" kind of a song....

Or maybe it's just another fuck off song like Back Off Bitch.

I think it's partially about the backlash from "One In A Million". 

"My words may disturb but at least it's a reaction"

"I said what I meant and I've never pretended, as so many others do intending just to please you"

"The trash collected by the eyes is dumped into the brain then it tears into our conscious thoughts, you tell me who's to blame"

I always took it to be more of a 'defining' song...meaning it represented what Guns N' Roses was striving to be all about (how they told it like it was, didn't hold back, were blunt, etc.) and how they were NOT just another act out there (like the hair bands of the 80's) who were interested in playing ONLY party songs and childishly simple ballads. It's evident in the songs lyrics that their lyrics, in general, are important to their music and to them and are not just slapped together or purposely/overly ambiguous.

In fact, I always felt that line about "I said what I meant and I never pretended like so many others do, intending just to please..." was directed at Metallica. Not sure why (don't have any evidence) but I just had that feeling ever since the first time I heard it.

That has to be one of the silliest statements I've ever read on this board.

Metallica have never written "party songs" or "childishly simple ballads". And you have to keep in mind too, this song came out in 1991 and Metallica weren't considered to have "sold-out" (something I don't agree with) until they released the Black album in late 1991. Before that all their 80's albums were considered genre-defining heavy metal.

Anyway, back on topic, Don't Damn Me is a kickass song and I think Axl is referencing his attacks for previous lyrics he'd written (One In A Million etc)

I don't think that Don't Damn Me would reflect to another GN'R song or its critics. The song is more likely Axl's ars poetica. (He even sings that 'Don't hail me and don't idolize the ink' etc.)

You misunderstood me. In general I believe that it's a song that attempts to validate their image and, perhaps, messege. They didn't want to be concidered a hair band or anything like that. However (and I understand why my point was taken out of context) I also feel that Metallica was always a known rival of theirs (or at least the two bands felt a bit threatened by one another). I wasn't insinuating that Metallica writes 'childishly simple ballads' or 'party songs'. I was referring to the fact that James happens to write lyrics that are purposely vague...lyrics that don't have the snap to them that Axl's lyrics do (although they are at times still decent)...lyrics that, perhaps, were not as thought out and purposeful as something written by GN'R.

Sorry for being misleading, there, Spanky!  8)

Fair enough, but I'm just taking what you said and putting it into context.
The only time I know there was a feud between GN'R and Metallica, was after they toured together in 1992 and Metallica grew tired of Axl's actions. 80's Metallica was a much respected band, and I know in several interviews Axl stated how much he like them too, which is probably why GN'R and Metallica ended up touring together.

And I know it's a matter of opinion, but I don't think James wrote vague lyrics, (maybe from the Black album and onwards he did), but on their 80's albums allot of their songs were quite political and dealt with issues with drugs and questioned society etc

So getting back on topic, no, I don't think that the lyrics in Don't Damn Me were written by Axl about Metallica.

I don't think it's about one thing in general, it's about everything.....

Axl can't still be going on about 1-in-a-million, can he?

How many Black people are aware that he dared disparage the almighty and sacrosanct Black race in a song once, like two?

If I were Axl, I would have titled my new album "Niggers, Spics, and Chinamin" and see how they like that.
For chrissakes, has Ice-T ever apologized for writing songs about pushing little White children into traffic because they acted too happy, or Queen Latifah for rapping with that Cheroeke rapper about going on a killing spree to kill da White man?
I don't think so.

But Axl says "nigger, just get out of my way, don't need your gold chains today" and he's supposed to be driven by whips through every Black part of the country to pay some kind of penance? Fvck that. I think Black people will live without every White person kissing their ass every time they feel White people don't adore them.

I think there will be more like this...IN YOUR FACE...lyrics. Keep em comin Axl! Don't bend, don't break, and baby don't back down.