Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Saw this thread on mygnrforum.com, thought it was really interesting, how old would you want your kids to be before you let them first listen to GN'R? Namely AFD and the illusion albums

I myself listened to AFD when i was 14, didnt do me any harm, heard One In A Million when i was 15, along with the rest of the GN'R albums, im 19 now, GN'R never did me any harm!
Some people think though that GN'R records are too 'mature' for people ages 15 or below, given many of the words of the songs (e.g. One in a million lyrics, pretty tied up lyrics, anything goes lyrics e.t.c.)

what do you guys think?

If they ever do discover GN'R, I hope they do it later on in their adolescence.

Some GN'R songs still make me blush.

No matter what the subject matter, it's NOT a question of how 'mature' someone age 15 or below is.  'Maturity' is as unique as each individual.   The real question is how mature and responsible the parent(s) are when deciding what and when to expose their child to certain things.  And, of course, to encourage an atmosphere of trust and open communication at home to discuss whatever their child will be exposed to outside the home.

If as a parent you have to ask on a message board if your 15 year old is mature enough to listen to certain GNR songs then you've been spending way too much time online and not enough time with your family.


Last tour, someone on HTGTH (I don't know their age) asked if we thought it would be okay to bring his/her mom along to a GNR show.  The question was NOT about whether it would be 'cool' or 'uncool' ... the question was more about did we think the mom would enjoy the show.  That person's mom should get an award.  8) 

She started at birth.  I had to transport her places  :D

Lyrics don't always mean the same thing to everybody and mean different things to a person at different times in their life.  Lyrics aren't responsible for people's actions and thoughts.  For example, The Beatles were not sending Manson a message in a song.  He would have found what he was looking for in some other song if that one hadn't been there.

When she was younger, she perfered Barney songs.  I can tell you they had a strange effect on this adult.  It's children's music you have to watch out for!

Ok, my dad let me listen to Guns when i was like 9 years old and i loved it!!!  He had UYI2.

I hadn't got a clue what the "pretty tied up" lyrics actually meant but i thought the music and singing was awesome.
Then he played me "Get in the ring" and again, i had no idea what Axl meant by "Your just pissed off cos your dad gets more pussy than you do"

In ireland, being a pussy also means you have no balls or you are a bottler so the lyric made no sense to me but i loved the cursing!  All the references to drugs i also didn't understand until a few years later.

So there you have it!  I loved Guns even though i had no idea what the songs were about or what the lyrics were reffering to.

So to summarise, it does no harm if the kids don't know what it means!  lol   :beer:

And a new GNR fan was born!

PS: my mate and I let his son listen to GNR at 4 years old!!!  He loved Appetite so much that he now owns his own copy!  He loves WTTJ and My Michelle.

Well I can remember this pretty clearly, 2004 or so my girls were 13 and 14.  I was actually preparing our evening meal while watching "Welcome to the video's".  Once my girls entered into the kitchen and began randomly watching, the questions soon began, not to mention they adored Axl and Slashes appearance probably more than the music at that point, the music came in second.

Since that day my girls had the opportunity to travel with our family to see them for their first time at Rio 06, they were by this time quite familiar with the band and their music, and then again in December or January in our hometown.

Now at 18 and 19 they certainly enjoy and very much appreciate original line-up and also current.  I wouldn't say that it is their favorite band, but definately in their top 5 each of them.

If at a younger age my children had heard any of this music, it certainly wouldn't have made any type of impact on them, because what they are actually involved in at that age prevails, they would not have been interested, besides I really wouldn't want to expose my toddlers to music with such lyrics, and have them going around singing foul things wouldn't be a very smart teaching now would it?

As a parent I say save the introduction until the child is old enough to understand and enjoy what this great band is really about :yes:.

wow your cool!

if i ever have kids they'll listen to what i listen too strait outa the womb.

I beg your pardon?

Isn't that an NWA album??

A brilliant masterpiece, if I do say so myself.

I think that the Music have to let listen without any restriction... exception for some kind of noise that someone call music!
Of course the lyrics of GNR songs are very explicit, but Jerry Lee Lewis had have the same problem with his songs.
The first time that I listened a GNR song I was 14 but I've understood some lyrics years later... ok I'm Italian and the American slang it's difficult to understand.

i suppose if you dont speak english, its not a problem as such though......

Well, my two-year old daughter has been watching GNR videos with me and she was absolutely mesmerized by Guns stage presence. She started clapping her hands when the audience in the video was clapping :)

i must admit i don't know what the fuck your talking about

who the fuck is NWA?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro08bILEvqc

i doubt a kid could understand Axls voice at a young age (unless its deep singin axl). I couldnt understand high range singers when i was very young.

Aren't you still very young...?

In fact, I wouldn't want my children to listen to GN'R.

I would not introduce them to it, that's for sure.

lol FUCK THA POLICE

i thought yall were refering to some underground metal band not old school rap

I started at either 12 or 13, I can't remember haha.
I was really into Aerosmith and reading their bio and they mentioned GNR. I actually got into it by just going to the Guns N' Roses folder on my iPod and listening for hours - I have a 30Gig so I can have pretty much whatever I want on it. I got totally hooked.
I learned everything about sex, drugs, and rock n' roll from this band - they corrupted me in the best way possible :D

SO to answer the original question, I'd let my kids listen to the less risque GNR songs until they're maybe 13 or 14.

I would start with that baby gnr cd then when they are 4 or 5 give them real thing!
Haha

Peace

Any 5 year old that dances with Mr. Brownstone, will be the coolest cat on the street.....  :rofl:

I pride myself on being a great fuckin' dad.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with allowing your kids to listen to GNR...in a controlled environment of course.  I'm not cranking the volume up and hurting their ears, but as background music it's just fine!  As a good parent, I do mute during f-bombs!  Other than that, why wouldn't I want my children to appreciate great music?  I can't tell ya how many times as a fam. we'd "dance" to GNR.  It looks more like super-fast aerobics as opposed to dancing, but its hilarious and a blast to us! 
 :peace:

youtube it man  :)

fuck yeah you do! :smoking:

except for Get in the Ring and One in a Million, I dont see why age should matter.

the lyrics aren't something I'd sing or play in front of an 8 year old.

not necessarily but they don't stand out like those other 2..  its not really a big deal

Judging by your masterpiece photoshops, avatar of Monroe smoking the reefer, your admissions that you take small children to rock n' roll shows where hooligans gather, and you let them listen to profanity laced songs, you are a shining example of what a great parent should be.

That's not the point.  I wasn't introduced to this crap by my parents.

I say you play it loud while the kid's still in the womb. Start em off right  :peace:

I am with Fizzy on this.  Finn McCool does not sound that cool.  Thinks that people who go to concerts are hooligans.  Is Finn saying that GNR is crap?  by saying "I wasn't introduced to this crap by my parents"  Sounds more like my mother is posting. Scratch that more like my grandmother.  My sons first concert was VR.  Then Foo Fighters and he has listened to GNR for damn near his whole life.  I do skip songs with lots of profanity but if he hears a "bad word" he know it is bad as we discuss the topic if he catches it.  He always tells me to skip certain songs as he knows that they have profanity. NWA now that might be a little Hard Core :)

I think age doesn't matter.
My little one loves it when she was in my belly at the concert.
She is now 3 and she loves it still, she recognized the music.
We played Paradise City a few minutes ago and she was dancing on it.

She addores the music, it is cute to see it. lmfao.

Anja v M

My kids grew up listening to the music I liked, both are still GNR fans.  My daughter recalls their music as her "lullabys ". 

I was brought up with GNR, i was born in 1987, and i can remeber listening to it ever since i started listening to music. It was the first album i was given, on tape. :D

i have since got the AFD cross tattood :D

It's given me an attitude thats for sure, i wasnt brought up, more dragged up lol so in many ways hearing GNR since i was born has helped me in as many ways as it hasn't lol

i'm hearing gn'r since i was 5 cuz my broither (who was 13) listen to it too

My daughter is 4 and she can listen to GnR whenever she wants. I have no problem with that.
Rather my kids listen to Gunners than things like Britney or Fergie. That is really gross and bad for their upbringing.

Children also don't listen to lyrics as we adults do. It's not because Gunners use words like 'fuck' that children will use those words too. They will be exposed to those things anyway. It is up to the parents to tell their children what is good and bad.