View my dis-infatuation [with CD]

[Reformed Terrorist]

The other day I was listening to Chinese Democracy while working out. As most of you know this isn't an easy task since most of the songs on the album are slow and/or melancholic. With that little you can tell how strong was my craving for the album at that moment.
  After a few songs I started to get into the lyrics and try to figure what Axl was going through when he wrote them.  It was impossible. The things going on in this record are way too hard, for me, to comprehend. Maybe is my lack of mastering the English language or maybe I'm just dumb. What I know is there's no way one can tell why those songs exist nor what are their [real] meanings.
  Axl has never been media-friendly and it has not only affected the way he promotes his stuff before, but also the way fans get to know him and understand his work. That fact is probably the reason why I can't tell the purpose of this album. But this album does have its purpose, this album does have its story, this album wasn't forced to be created nor does it feel tasteless.
   Many wondered why Axl had chosen to sing "but I don't want to do it" on "Sorry" the way he did. He answered with something like "I think that's the way it should have been sang, I like it, it was fun" (that's not a clear quotation- not even a close). So there is a purpose behind that long awaited release, someone does know what the songs mean and who are they dedicated to.
  Ever since I heard Chinese Democracy I knew the album was being overlooked by the music world.  But that's it. I couldn't, and still can't, tell why this album is so special. Yes the album has great guitar and vocal work but that doesn't make it special.
   I can't understand it. Maybe I'm too young, maybe I need to learn more English,  maybe ten years from now Axl will come out and give an interview or write a book about the album and maybe then I'll be able to hear the songs while actually knowing why those words are being sang along with that melody. Until then, I can't call my self a fan of Chinese Democracy. I will continue listening the songs and going to their concerts each time they come to my country.

I made some points. Some of them where already taken and covered well. Others; no one seemed to care. Just trying to be honest with everyone by saying: after three years, I still can't understand half of the stuff that's on Chinese Democracy and I have fully supported this cause. Axl can be killing baby monkeys, you know?!

It looks like infatuation but it feels like, just, fascination.  I'll just take some pills for my ignorance.

[Lies They Tell]

Axl hasn't explained what the album's all about, so obviously nobody can say for sure if he has undertood the meanings of the songs correctly. But I honestly don't think the album is all that hard to understand.
In my opinion the album is meant to encourage people not to submit to other people's demands too easily. People must fight for their right to do things their own way. The way they feel is right even if you have to tolerate abuse because of it. Kinda like Axl didn't want to release Chinese Democracy before he thought it was ready to be released and because of that people ridiculed him. Sometimes it's hard to forgive those that tear down your soul and you start fantasizing about revenge. I think Shackler's is a song about that and Catcher too. In many ways I think the album is a message to chinese people not to submit to the chinese government. It's also a perfect break up album. The album covers pretty much every emotion you could possibly get after a break up. From revenge fantasies to feeling sorry for the other person. From depressive "I'll never say good byeee" -lyrics to optimistic "Don't you try to stop us now" -lyrics.
All of this obviously relates to Axl's own life and I believe Axl simply wants to inspire and encourage people who are in any way, in a similar situaton as he has been.

"Many wondered why Axl had chosen to sing "but I don't want to do it" on "Sorry" the way he did."
I thought he gave a pretty clear explanation to this. He thought the song had kind of a reggae feel to it, so he sang that part in a kind of a reggae style. He likes to take influence from different music genres. That was apparent already in the Appetite days.

[polar]

it was written in the stones that one day a band would come.  well the day came and this isn't that band.  they are not allowed to cum in my ear pussy

[Reformed Terrorist]

@Lies They Tell: I have interpretaded the album before and agree with some of the stuff you have said/explained. I still can't say I understand it. Maybe is too much for me or maybe am looking for something that doesn't excist.

[King bumb.l.foot II]

it was written in the stones that one day a band would come.  well the day came and this isn't that band.  they are not allowed to cum in my ear pussy

haha

[gigi smack]

As with poetry, it is up to you how you interpret the songs on the album. Whilst some are, for example, clearly about the loss of love (Blues, TWAT), others are more about, as said above, not giving into something. It is up to you what that something is. There is no true answer to what the album is definitively about. Even people who write poetry read their work back and find thing in it the didn't know they were writing about. There is little point in saying to yourself 'this song is about Slash leaving the band' or anything like that. Some lines in songs may be about that to Axl, but not to us, unless we decide to. You can look at a painting and just appreciate if for what it is, or you can apply meaning. All art forms are interpretive rather than having a fixed answer. The meanings of the songs to me change depending on my mood.

[Reformed Terrorist]

As with poetry, it is up to you how you interpret the songs on the album. Whilst some are, for example, clearly about the loss of love (Blues, TWAT), others are more about, as said above, not giving into something. It is up to you what that something is. There is no true answer to what the album is definitively about. Even people who write poetry read their work back and find thing in it the didn't know they were writing about. There is little point in saying to yourself 'this song is about Slash leaving the band' or anything like that. Some lines in songs may be about that to Axl, but not to us, unless we decide to. You can look at a painting and just appreciate if for what it is, or you can apply meaning. All art forms are interpretive rather than having a fixed answer. The meanings of the songs to me change depending on my mood.

yeah, it is what you make of it. By the time I wrote this I was just trying to figure out what it meant to Axl and not what I could interpretate [which is/was impossible].  This is a little old, thanks for reading.

[gigi smack]

Quote from Reformed Terrorist: yeah, it is what you make of it. By the time I wrote this I was just trying to figure out what it meant to Axl and not what I could interpretate [which is/was impossible].  This is a little old, thanks for reading.

No worries dude, just thought I would add my tuppence worth. Your English seems very good btw, so I don't think you are missing out on a whole lot. One thing that does get me is why everybody seems so obsessed with how Axl sung the line 'but I don't want to do it' from Sorry. It's just one line, and personally I think it sounds a bit daft, but that is not a bad thing. I think that line must be the most over analysed line on the whole album, and it's not even the words themselves which are discussed, rather their delivery, which is remarkable when you think about it. I found the intro lines to Better to be more interesting in their delivery. I felt it was rather like he was trying to emulate a child who, well, didn't know better. Peace y'all.

[Reformed Terrorist]

No worries dude, just thought I would add my tuppence worth. Your English seems very good btw, so I don't think you are missing out on a whole lot. One thing that does get me is why everybody seems so obsessed with how Axl sung the line 'but I don't want to do it' from Sorry. It's just one line, and personally I think it sounds a bit daft, but that is not a bad thing. I think that line must be the most over analysed line on the whole album, and it's not even the words themselves which are discussed, rather their delivery, which is remarkable when you think about it. I found the intro lines to Better to be more interesting in their delivery. I felt it was rather like he was trying to emulate a child who, well, didn't know better. Peace y'all.

I never understood why so many people were making such a big deal about the Sorry line. I always interpretated as a mock and to me it never felt missed placed or anything.

[Robbie]

I find it easy to listen to from start to finish

if anything i'm guilty of doing it too often

[LTS]

here are the 'themes' of songs I've heard on CD:

1. the anti-china stuff (title track)
2. the "somewhat cheesy motivational stuff" (end of Shackler's Revenge, Scraped, madagascar)
3. the "random historical thing lightly attacthed to a song" (Riad, Catcher)
4. the love and/or hate song (Better, There was a time, sorry, this I love, prostitute)

of course, besides the somewhat cheesy and silly lyrics at times, it's still a fantastic album. I've always imagined Axl's songwriting as a lot like Neal Peart (from Rush) - It's there pretty much so you don't have an instrumental album but also kind of does it's job...

[Beanie]

of course, besides the somewhat cheesy and silly lyrics at times, it's still a fantastic album. I've always imagined Axl's songwriting as a lot like Neal Peart (from Rush) - It's there pretty much so you don't have an instrumental album but also kind of does it's job...

Its interesting that you should think that about Axl's writing.  I'm a very singer-orientated person when I listen to music, and for me, second only to his amazing voice, his powerful lyrics are one of the biggest reasons why GN'R are my favourite band.  Same goes for the reason why I am still such a massive fan of the current line-up.  The whole band impresses me at the moment and I'm a big fan of every member... but even if it weren't for the impressive musicians, CD would still blow me away because the of lyrics and voice alone.

[Reformed Terrorist]

of course, besides the somewhat cheesy and silly lyrics at times, it's still a fantastic album. I've always imagined Axl's songwriting as a lot like Neal Peart (from Rush) - It's there pretty much so you don't have an instrumental album but also kind of does it's job...

Agreed. The music is there and so are the lyrics.

Its interesting that you should think that about Axl's writing.  I'm a very singer-orientated person when I listen to music, and for me, second only to his amazing voice, his powerful lyrics are one of the biggest reasons why GN'R are my favourite band.  Same goes for the reason why I am still such a massive fan of the current line-up.  The whole band impresses me at the moment and I'm a big fan of every member... but even if it weren't for the impressive musicians, CD would still blow me away because the of lyrics and voice alone.

[Slash9595]

Try listening to Dream Theater's songs and lyrics...They have by far the best lyrics and stories/meanings hidden beyond...Try ''The Count of Tuscany''...