Sorry - the song

[wight gunner]

The vocal delivery is designed (IMO) to stand out,in a, if you don't want to hear anything at least hear this, kind of way...

[BurningHills]

Easily my favorite song on the album along with "Scraped." 

[BurningHills]

maybe it's about that former a&r guy , tom can't place his last name right now.

Tom Zutaut?

[Alfie Bones]

Takes ya back to Albany Pepsi Arena 11/27/2002 "The truth is that they're a bunch of bad cops and I'm the fuckin Serpico and they can 'suck my dick'!"   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b49_v52OGNg

Epic.

[Golden_Johnson]

I'll go out on a limb and say that I sense a Pink Floyd-ish vibe/sound in this song.

I agree.  Anyone notice that this song is in three quarter time?  You can count the beats in threes just like on some of Pink Floyds material, for example "Shine on you crazy diamond".  This is a very unusual time signature for hard rock, and GNR in particular.

I was thinking the same thing listening to it today, very nice stuff all around.  Hope I get to hear it live in the next year or so!

[lostdream]

Love the song but I don't think it's about Slash like others do.

I actually think its more along the lines of a "fuck off" to someone else. The lines "difference is nobody cares about you" / "you got all the answers why nobody asked you.." lead me to think it's about someone other than former GNR members... unless its Adler.

I am thinking about Steven too. I am really curious and I ALWAYS think a lot about lyrics. Chinese Democracy gives me a lot to think about. 
It?s just that I am very interested in lyrics and always want to know what the song is REALLY about.

Of course I also enjoy just listening but when it comes to Axl?s lyrics, I?d definately like to know "more". Well, maybe he will tell us more about the songs on the next tour.

I am not sure if "Sorry" ist about a single person though...maybe it is, but whenever I think of a person, some lines just don?t seem to fit.
Maybe it is really a kind of message to a bunch of different people.

Well only Axl knows...

But I still think that "If the world" is for/about Beta. Seems to fit perfectly.

[Buddha_Master]

"Nobody owes you, not one goddamn thing"

THis is either about Steven or unappreciative misguided fans, who talked so much dumb shit like Axl owed them something.
I think its about more then one person or type of people.

"I don't want to do it"

This can be about Duff or Slash, who as Axl stated didn't want to do a lot of the songs Axl was working hard on to get them to work on. Like what he said in the youtube clip above.

[AXL DEMOCRACY]

I am surprised no one else posted this.  I really think the song "Sorry" is very influenced and reminiscent of John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?" - a song written by Lennon in what many people feel was a response to a few Paul McCartney songs on his "Ram" album that Lennon felt were digs at him.
See this link for more info on "How Do You Sleep?" which is very similar to Axl's situation.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Do_You_Sleep%3F


 On first listen to "Sorry" I immediately thought of Lennon's song, though it makes "How Do You Sleep?" sound like a Hallmark card.

Axl uses almost the same melody (though a bit slower temp) as "How Do You Sleep?" and even sings some of the lyrics in the fun/mocking/exagarrated way that Lennon does in "HDYS?" Fuckin' brilliant!

I think this had to be done on purpose by Axl - I know he is a big Lennon fan and used "How Do You Sleep?" and Lennon's use of it as a big influence on his situation regarding critics and past relationships/friendships.  I also agree with some of the posters here who think the song could also be about Axl himself in some ways.  Watch this youtube clip of the Lennon song and Lennon's explanation of the song as well.  If you watch this clip and also read the wikipedia info of the song, it completely mirrors "Sorry." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK7CLXHSr1M

Musically and lyrically the similarities between the Lennon and G N' R song are uncanny if you know what to listen for; melody, Axl's delivery of the lines (the mocking tone of "I don't want to do it",), pent up frustration as well as humor, etc.

What a great way to respond to Slash - just as Lennon responded to McCartney!
The "just shut up and sing" part is classic.  I know I read a quote about Axl from someone over the years that said that but I can not think of who.  It could have been Slash, Weiland, a critic, or some other musician.  It may have even been Steven Alder.  I know I have personally heard it from people in the past who were not very big fans of Axl in the past or over the years. 
That response in the song by Axl is genius. 

"The truth is the truth hurts" - that is taken directly from Axl's rant in Albany as someone else posted here.  I was at that show as well and though someone posted that youtube clip of Axl's rant before "Patience" - it is a later rant before "Paradise City" that Axl uses those words:

"Thank you again for coming out tonight. Especially with...all the things you either heard or read. I'll admit I read this...'the things Axl's saying...they're just not very nice.' I don't know...I don't know if that's true. I don't know if they're not nice...I know they're not pleasant. TRUTH HURTS! Plain and simple. But...there's not really...there's not really anything...ya know there...ya know there's not much in the truth for these guys. See, truth, to me, it has to mean something to you on the inside of yourself. If it doesn't mean anything there, what does it mean elsewhere? And ya know basically it's kind of weird because ya know I'm telling you the truth and then I look like the ass for it but I guess that's the price of it ya know and I'm fuckin' willing to take that.
So without further ado..."

I would love to hear Axl comment about this song, but I have a feeling, as he has brilliantly done already...he'll let the music speak for itself.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

"I don't want to do it"

This can be about Duff or Slash, who as Axl stated didn't want to do a lot of the songs Axl was working hard on to get them to work on. Like what he said in the youtube clip above.

Maybe that's why he used "the voice" for that line.

I know when I do an impression of someone, it ends up sounding like that, in a way.

[demo23nz]

I am surprised no one else posted this.  I really think the song "Sorry" is very influenced and reminiscent of John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?" -

Hmmmm... I can see what you mean there actually.

[ben9785]

An amazing song. Pink Floyd crossed with Sabbath. Took me about two or three listens to grasp the melody but really enjoy it.

[younggunner]

^sprinkle in a little "Electric Tears" by Buckethead.

[MrMojoRa]

I believe this song was originally titled Sorry For You.

In the CD booklet, it lists the song as such when referencing initial production.

On the first page of Album Credits, middle row, half way down:

Additional engineering and initial production Sorry for You: Peter Scaturro, Bryan Mantia.

If so, just plain Sorry is cool.

Anyway, this song is still my favorite.  Axl blasts this song vocally.

[mikep1310]

This song is incredible. My favorite by far, which is really saying a lot because this album is incredible

[CheapJon]

i think the easiest time to hear baz is during the "you don't know who in the hell to or not to believe"

[Axl4Prez2004]

NOBODY OWES YOUU.....

NO NOT ONE GOD DAMN THINGGGGG!!!

You got that fucking right!  God I love that line.  This song kicks tremendous ass. 

[D]

Its so fucking awesome after multiple listens all the little shit u pick up

I hear Bach perfectly  now in the chorus.

it only took 2o listens.


this CD gets more and more incredible.

[sneeks]

Maybe it is possible that Axl is a big fan of the movie "Forgetting Sarah Marshall".  There is that whole bit of the Dracula musical and it could be possible that the line "I don't want to do it" is a little spoof of that movie.  Maybe?

Here's a link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_8GXidgNWc&feature=related

Funnily enough that's all I can think of whenever I hear the start of this song, it annoys me that it sound like the joke Dracula musical from that movie. The rest of the song is awesome.

[GNR_Green]

This is one (of many!) of the top songs definately.  I personally think it's about Slash, but it's fairly open - Axl's had a few enemies over the years I suppose.

[horsey]

yep could  be anyone at this point.only axl knows for sure about that.