Axl's 1990's drug addiction and how he wrote Coma

[girlincarwithgnr]

There are a few version to the reasons Axl wrote this. Some see it as the story of someone who has lived a bad life and is now dying. Others believe it as a message to ex-Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler who was fired by Rose because of his drug addiction. It is also believed by some that the song is the story of an Axl Rose drug overdose that he survived. Axl wrote it for almost a year! Some say it's a look into Axl's struggle to understand himself, his drug problems and how he escapes reality using them. I think towards the end he's talking about how he was struggling to change and how his friend's were trying to help him but gave up on him. He says you should be indifferent, not attached to the world or materialistic or anything. It's about contemplating suicide, not being able to cope with the pressures of the world. Axl went through a lot of trauma during 1990, he went to therapy, and maybe the lyrics to "Coma" are a reflection of that.

Here's a quote of his: "I tried to write that song for a year, and couldn't. I went to write it at the studio and passed out. I 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. I think one of the best things that I've ever written was maybe the end segment of the song "Coma." It just poured out."
This is definately one of GnR's heaviest songs, perhaps even the heaviest. Axl really hated Slash for writing this music (Slash wrote the music, Axl wrote the lyrics), cause it was hard to write lyrics to this music.


experts.gunsnroses.com

[Bugaboo]

very interesting. Coma is one of the most underrated songs.

[wyldechild]

yeah.. cool story.... coma sure is one of the greatest songs from guns n roses

[eddiesson]

the music is really written only by slash? I can't believe that. The middle section, effects, samples... they all sound so "axl". Even without them, with all those chord changes, it could be most experimental piece of music Slash has ever written, it could be "his estranged". And that beautiful solo...

Too bad he didn't want to continue this direction. But still, I think Axl wrote some of the music and pushed Slash to compose someting like this.

[miles_anselmo]

I can remember a video with axl saying about the song : "It's slash's baby"

[Kilamite]

Yep. I remember hearing it's Slash's baby too.

[©GnrPersia]

I can remember a video with axl saying about the song : "It's slash's baby"

Axl Interview - Famous Last Words With Kurt Loder : "There's a Song Called Coma.. It's Slash's baby.. "

[eddiesson]

I'm really shocked. it's such a regression for Slash: from Coma to VR songs. yes, it is a choice. but the difference in quality, inspiration and originality is soooo huge.

[Crash99]

I'm really shocked. it's such a regression for Slash: from Coma to VR songs. yes, it is a choice. but the difference in quality, inspiration and originality is soooo huge.

WTF are you talking about. They had like 4 yrs to come up with Illusions. They formed a band wrote the music and put out an album in under a year with Velvet revolver. I would imagine slash would change things in songs on Contraband  as well if the songs were kicking around long enough. He probably wanted to do something different (Coma at the time) to show AXL he could.

[SONOFABITCH]

Coma is another example of Axl and Slash compliementing each other perfectly.  I'd be shocked if Axl and the new band can come up with a better tune than Coma.

[comabreakdown]

if slash really did write the music for this, i would have loved to hear what him and axl could have collaborated on for chinese democracy.  i know c.d. is going to be one of the greatest albums of all time but coma is one of my favorite songs

[nowayout]

It's not about a drug overdose
It's about a suicide attempt

[chineseroses]

i just imagine it being about every single problem he has and not having to deal with them, so it could be about suicide. just about seeing nothing and never having to face reallity.

[dave-gnfnr2k]

the music is really written only by slash? I can't believe that. The middle section, effects, samples... they all sound so "axl". Even without them, with all those chord changes, it could be most experimental piece of music Slash has ever written, it could be "his estranged". And that beautiful solo...

Too bad he didn't want to continue this direction. But still, I think Axl wrote some of the music and pushed Slash to compose someting like this.

The effects and effects dont count as music.