Breakdown

[AxlsMainMan]

Is it just me, or does this song kick total fuckin' ass. I dont know what it is but I can listen to this song on repeat over and over and it genuinely gets better eachtime, I just dont know why its taken me so long to be hynotized by this song because I sure know I wasnt amazed when UYI2 first came out. Now, it is right behind Estranged as far as best songs go on that album.

Does anyone have any bandmember quotes partaining to this track? Id really love to read as to what the band had in their heads when this song was written, theres just so many emotional fragments on it, the level of creativity is amazing. Also, what are your thoughts on this incredible track? The finale has to speak to everyone here in a unique way...

ps: Post your favorite performances of this song, mp3 or video! lets get a shrine goin', cause this song has gone underated long enough!

[Evolution]

I agree. Excellent song. Not well known enough. I got a live mp3 somewhere ill post if i can find 

[GnFnR87]

yea great song, the lyrics are really something.. the annoying voice during the chorus gets on my nerves tho.

[Slash Rose]

makes you wanna breakdown

[Strange Brew]

I love this song. It's definitely underrated among us fans. I have no idea what's the purpose but the lyrics and the song, music-wise, is awesome. Slash's guitar work was great as well. Both solos were tight. I think the use of the 'Vanishing Point' quotes were kinda out of place, but I find the meaning to be very thought provoking.

"If the evil spirit, arms the tiger with claws. Brahman provided wings for the dove.."

My interpretation of that would be, "If you are facing a problem that would only cause you harm [If the evil spirit..], the only solution would be to walk away [Brahman provided wings..]"

Yeah, I think you've guys might have had enough preaching for my first post

Peace out.

[dave-gnfnr2k]

I love the song but I could do with out the ending quotes from that vanishing point axl speaks. I dont mind it, and its kinda cool but its the only bad thing i have to say about the song.

[nesquick]

Phenomenal song.

[coolman78SLASH]

"funny how everything was roses when we held on to the guns"  that can be analyzed because that's a deep line to write, especially now, when the other guys are gone, and it's only Mr Rose left.. 

[StoneTempleRoses]

Yepp my favorite GNR song 

StoneTempleRoses

[killingvector]

Breakdown, Estranged, and Yesterdays speak to me.

[conny]

That song is just very underrated.

It took me some time to appreciate it, I guess you gotta get into he groove of that song - but then...WOW! I remember when I bought the album I didn't like that song at all, but now I just love it. It's a fantastic song, really gets to your soul. I don't mind the quotes, and I love how the ending just falls apart.

It's one of my favourite GN'R tunes, definetely one of the 5 best songs on UYI 2. 

[RichardNixon]

In my high school yearbook, I wrote ?Funny how everything was roses when he held onto the guns, just because your winnin? don?t mean you?re the lucky ones?W. Axl Rose". I also thanked GN?R, VH, and the Crue for ?helping me make it these past 4 years.?

?Breakdown? is an amazing song. But it?s too complex for the average meathead to get into. Most people would probably describe it as ?Weird.? Or a pompous, pretentious critic, like Stephan Thomas Erpawine would describe it as ?pretentious.?

[33]

Only in my humble opinion, Breakdown is the second best GnR song. Second of course to the pure genius of Estranged. I think both songs are on a completley different level to pretty much any song I have heard both the lyrics and music! And yeh I know it sounds the usual cheesy line, but when I was a teenager those two songs really helped due to a particularly bad time I went through! So yeh in a nutshell! A huge thumbs up to Breakdown the second best GnR tune ever! Cheers Mike Dove

[rv62900]

here?s some info from www.gnrinfo.tk

Written by: "Breakdown" was written by Axl.
Written in: "Breakdown" was written in or before 1990.

Performed live: "Breakdown" was only played live a few times in 1991. It wasn't played during 1992 and 1993. It was performed for the first time in Worcester, MA, December 6, 1991.

Additional Information: Axl has said that the end of "Breakdown" was the only thing he wasn't completely satisfied with on the Illusions.

In Their Own Words:

Slash: That's a five string banjo tuned to guitar [on the beginning of Breakdown] because I don't know anything about banjo. It's something I wrote off-the-cuff when Axl came up with that piano part.

Axl: There is nothing on the record that didn't come out the way we wanted, except maybe the vocal speech at the end of "Breakdown." The mix on the speakers that we did the mastering on was loud enough, but on other sets of speakers it's not. It depends on what stereo you're hearing it on, and we didn't know that.

[Neemo]

I love Breakdown, it kicks ass!!!!

my favorite verse from the song is:

"Funny how everything was roses
When we held on to the guns
Just because you're winnin'
Don't mean you're the lucky ones"

[Sillything]

That the one you love can hurt you now is a little hard to believe But everybody darlin sometimes bite the hand that feeds. ...Thats my favourite lines from this cool song

[GNR - CROATIA]

Breakdown is one of my fav.  GNR tunes too.
Although I think both UYI'S are underrated and people often say that AFD is their fav.  album just cause of nostalgia.
I mean apart from terrible My World,  mediocre Yesterday,  Bad Obsession and the two covers written by other people,  check out the songs on thoose albums -
Breakdown, Locomotive,  Estranged,  Dead Horse,  Coma,  You could be mine,  Nov.   rain,  Double talking jive,  Don't cry (x2),  Bad Apples,   Don't damn me...
So many great songs.
As far as Breakdown LIVE is considered,  I alwys try to get the bootlegs that hold rare songs first.
I have RinRio with Bad Apples,   and all but one Locomotive,  Coma and Breakdown recording.  Also missing The Garden of Eden and Austin bootleg.

[GNR - CROATIA]

p.s.   I love the way you have this sorted out on www.spfc.org.
When you look for a place the song was played,  you only have to clickon a song and it gives you all the places and dates it was preformed.
The best thing in GNR world is www.gnrontour.org where you have all the setlists but you have to go through every single one to find the songs.

[Will]

SPFC? Collaborative? lol There's no such word in GN'R's community!

Btw, it's www.gnrontour.com , not .org.

And Breakdown totally kicks ass, as do so many songs on Illusion II - my fav. album. The lyrics are simply awesome, to me it's part of the great "trilogy": Breakdown/ Locomotive/ Estranged. The lyrics of Don't Cry II are actually pretty fuckin awesome too!

[Mr. Dick Purple]

Breakdown is my fave GNR track ever, then comes Locomotive and then Rocket Queen.
Breakdown is a unique form to express a feeling with lyrics as long with music fits quite perfectly. The end of the song it's just amazing I think it's the only song with that kinda ending. I compar this song to Queen masterpiece Borap, on the other hand I also compare locomotive with Borap, both are wonderful express feelings.