One in a Million (Guns N' Roses song)

Last updated

"One in a Million"
Song by Guns N' Roses
from the album G N' R Lies
ReleasedNovember 30, 1988 (US)
December 17, 1988 (UK)
Recorded1988
Studio Rumbo Studios, Take One Studio and Image Studio
Genre
Length6:09
Label Geffen Records
Songwriter(s) Guns N' Roses
Producer(s) Guns N' Roses
Mike Clink

"One in a Million" was the eighth track on American rock band Guns N' Roses' 1988 album G N' R Lies . It was based on singer Axl Rose's experience of getting hustled at a Greyhound bus station when he first came to Los Angeles. [1]

Contents

Composition

"I came up with 'We tried to reach you but you were much too high,'" Rose told Mick Wall. "I was picturing [friends] trying to call me if, like, I disappeared or died… The chorus – 'You're one in a million' – someone said that to me once, real sarcastically. And it stuck with me… When I said 'Police and niggers/that's right,' that was to fuck with (band associate) Wes (Arkeen)'s head. 'Cos he couldn't believe I would write that… The chorus came about because I was getting, like, really far away; like 'Rocket Man', Elton John… Like in my head. Getting really far away from all my friends and family in Indiana." [2]

Reception

Accusations of homophobia, nativism, and racism were leveled against Rose, owing to lyrics that included the slurs "nigger" and "faggot". Critic Jon Pareles noted that "with 'One in a Million' on G 'n' R Lies, the band tailored its image to appeal to white, heterosexual, nativist prejudices, denouncing blacks, immigrants and gays while coyly apologizing 'to those who may take offense' in the album notes." [3] OC Register writer Cary Darling was among the first critics to react negatively to the song, calling it "the most repellent slice of right-wing paranoia ever to be released by a major label." [4]

In a 1989 Rolling Stone interview, Rose explained the lyrics:

I used words like police and niggers because you're not allowed to use the word 'nigger.' Why can black people go up to each other and say 'Nigger,' but when a white guy does it all of a sudden it's a big putdown? I don't like boundaries of any kind. I don't like being told what I can and what I can't say. I used the word 'nigger' because it's a word to describe somebody that is basically a pain in your life, a problem. The word 'nigger' doesn't necessarily mean black. Doesn't John Lennon have a song "Woman Is the Nigger of the World"? There's a rap group, N.W.A. – Niggers with Attitude. I mean, they're proud of that word. More power to them. Guns n' Roses ain't bad . . . N.W.A. is baaad! Mr. Bob Goldthwait said the only reason we put these lyrics on the record was because it would cause controversy and we'd sell a million albums. Fuck him! Why'd he put us in his skit? We don't just do something to get the controversy, the press. [5]

The cover of GN'R Lies—a mock-tabloid newspaper design—contained an apology for the song, suggesting controversy was anticipated. A small "article" entitled "One in a Million", credited to Rose, ended: "This song is very simple and extremely generic or generalized, my apologies to those who may take offense". [6] [7]

In response to accusations of homophobia, Rose initially stated that he was "pro-heterosexual" and "I'm not against them doing what they want to do as long as it's not hurting anybody else and they're not forcing it upon me", and spoke of negative experiences in his past, such as a seemingly friendly man who let him crash on his hotel room floor, then tried to rape him. [5] He later softened this stance and insisted that he was not homophobic, pointing out that some of his icons, such as Freddie Mercury and Elton John, as well as David Geffen, the head of his record label, were bisexual or gay.

Others—including music industry peers—accused Rose of racism for the use of the word "niggers". [8] When Guns N' Roses and Living Colour supported the Rolling Stones for a concert in Los Angeles in 1989, Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid publicly commented on "One in a Million" during his band's set. Hearing this, Rose suggested they play the song in their act, "just to piss them off". [9]

Nirvana's Kurt Cobain also took offense, according to then-manager Danny Goldberg: "Kurt's whole thing about being a feminist, this was at a time when Guns N' Roses had a song ['One in a Million'] that was on one of their big albums that referred to niggers and faggots. And we couldn't have had something more offensive to somebody like Kurt than that." [10]

By 1992, however, Rose seemed to have gained new perspective on the song and its lyrics. "I was pissed off about some black people that were trying to rob me," he said. "I wanted to insult those particular black people". [11] In his final public comments about the song in 1992, Rose stated, "It was a way for me to express my anger at how vulnerable I felt in certain situations that had gone down in my life". [7]

The song would continue to be decried, as publications such as WMMR, [12] Loudwire, [13] and Jay Busbee [14] listed it last or near-last when ranking Guns N' Roses songs from best to worst.

"One in a Million" was not included on a 2018 box-set reissue of Appetite for Destruction , which featured the remaining G N' R Lies songs on a bonus disc. [15] Slash explained it had been a collective decision, which didn't require a "big roundtable thing". [16]

Response from Guns N' Roses

Before the release of Lies, the other members of the band tried in vain to make Rose drop the track from the record. [17] Steven Adler exclaimed "What the fuck? Is this necessary?", to which Rose responded "Yeah, it's necessary. I'm letting my feelings out." [17] Slash, whose mother is black, noted that he did not condone the song but did not condemn his bandmate, commenting in 1991 Rolling Stone interview: "When Axl first came up with the song and really wanted to do it, I said I didn't think it was very cool... I don't regret doing 'One in a Million', I just regret what we've been through because of it and the way people have perceived our personal feelings." [18]

In 1988, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin told rock critic Nick Kent that the lyrics simply reflected the poor race relations of inner city Los Angeles. [19]

In a 2019 interview, Duff McKagan said: "One thing about Axl is if you’re going to try to compete with him intellectually, you’ve lost, because he’s a super smart guy... He’s a super sensitive dude who does his studies. When we did that song, I was still drinking but he was way ahead of us with his vision of, ‘Something’s gotta be said.’ That was the most hardcore way to say it. So flash-forward to now. So many people have misinterpreted that song that we removed it ... Nobody got it.” [20]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slash (musician)</span> British-American guitarist (born 1965)

Saul Hudson, known professionally as Slash, is a British-American musician, best known as the lead guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and mid-1990s. Slash has received critical acclaim and is considered one of the greatest guitarists in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Axl Rose</span> American singer (born 1962)

W. Axl Rose is an American singer and songwriter. He is the lead vocalist and lyricist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, and has been the band's sole constant member since its inception in 1985. Possessing a distinctive and powerful wide-ranging voice, Rose has been named one of the greatest singers of all time by various media outlets, including Rolling Stone, NME and Billboard.

<i>Appetite for Destruction</i> 1987 studio album by Guns N Roses

Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on July 21, 1987, by Geffen Records. It initially received little mainstream attention, and it was not until the following year that Appetite for Destruction became a commercial success, after the band had toured and received significant airplay with the singles "Welcome to the Jungle", "Paradise City", and "Sweet Child o' Mine". The album went on to peak at number one on the US Billboard 200, and it became the seventh best-selling album of all time in the United States, as well as the best-selling debut album in the country. With over 30 million copies sold worldwide, it is also one of the best-selling albums worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Izzy Stradlin</span> American guitarist

Jeffrey Dean Isbell, best known as Izzy Stradlin, is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a co-founder, rhythm guitarist, and backing vocalist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he recorded four studio albums and left at the height of their fame in 1991.

<i>Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide</i> 1986 EP by Guns N Roses

Live ?!★꩜ Like a Suicide is an EP by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on December 16, 1986, on the UZI Suicide record label. When referred to by band members, they have simply called the EP Live Like a Suicide. The record itself was reportedly limited to only 10,000 copies, released only in vinyl and cassette formats.

<i>G N R Lies</i> 1988 studio album by Guns N Roses

G N' R Lies is the second studio album by American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released by Geffen Records on November 29, 1988. It is the band's shortest studio album, running at 33 and a half minutes. The album reached number two on the US Billboard 200, and according to the RIAA, has shipped over five million copies in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Velvet Revolver</span> American hard rock supergroup

Velvet Revolver was an American hard rock supergroup consisting of Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth, and Scott Weiland formerly of Stone Temple Pilots. The band formed in 2002 and was active until 2008, when Weiland left the band abruptly to rejoin Stone Temple Pilots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Child o' Mine</span> 1988 single by Guns N Roses

"Sweet Child o' Mine" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released on their debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction (1987). In the United States, the song was released in June 1988 as the album's first single, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming the band's only US number-one single. In the United Kingdom, the song was released on August 8, 1988, reaching number 24 on the UK Singles Chart the same month. Re-released there in May 1989, it peaked at number six.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duff McKagan</span> American musician (born 1964)

Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician. He was the bassist of hard rock band Guns N' Roses for twelve years, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. McKagan rejoined the band in 2016, following their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Use Your Illusion Tour</span> 1991–93 concert tour by Guns N Roses

The Use Your Illusion Tour was a concert tour by American rock band Guns N' Roses which ran from January 20, 1991, to July 17, 1993. It was not only the band's longest tour, but one of the longest concert tours in rock history, consisting of 192 shows in 27 countries. It was also a source of much infamy for the band, due to riots, late starts, cancellations and outspoken rantings by Axl Rose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sympathy for the Devil</span> 1968 song by the Rolling Stones

"Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones. The song was written by Mick Jagger and credited to the Jagger–Richards partnership. It is the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet. The song has received critical acclaim and features on Rolling Stone magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list, being ranked number 106 in the 2021 edition.

<i>Chinese Democracy</i> 2008 studio album by Guns N Roses

Chinese Democracy is the sixth studio album by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, released on November 23, 2008, by Black Frog and Geffen Records. It was the first Guns N' Roses studio album since the 1993 covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?", and their first album of original studio material since Use Your Illusion I and II (1991). It languished in development hell for eight years, delayed by personnel and legal problems, label interference, and the perfectionism of vocalist Axl Rose. It was the first Guns N' Roses album without Izzy Stradlin, Slash, and Duff McKagan, and the first not produced by Mike Clink; instead it was produced by Rose and Caram Costanzo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welcome to the Jungle</span> 1987 single by Guns N Roses

"Welcome to the Jungle" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured as the opening track on their debut album, Appetite for Destruction (1987). It was released as the album's second single initially in the UK in September 1987 then again in October 1988 this time including the US, where it reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 24 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guns N' Roses</span> American hard rock band

Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band's formation was the result of a merger between local bands Hollywood Rose and L.A. Guns. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic lineup" consisted of vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan, and drummer Steven Adler. The current lineup consists of Rose, Slash, McKagan, guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Frank Ferrer and keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese.

"Rocket Queen" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction (1987). The song incorporates moans from a woman, Adriana Smith, who was recorded having sexual intercourse with the band's singer, Axl Rose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civil War (song)</span> 1990 song by Guns n Roses

"Civil War" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses that originally appeared on the 1990 compilation Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal and later on the band's 1991 album Use Your Illusion II. It is a protest song on war, referring to all war as "civil war" and stating that war only "feeds the rich while it buries the poor". In the song, lead singer Axl Rose asks, "What's so civil about war, anyway?"

"Think About You" is a song by the American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on the band's debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction (1987). Although credited to the group, the song was primarily composed by rhythm guitarist, Izzy Stradlin, who also plays lead guitar on it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Arkeen</span> Musical artist

Aaron West Arkeen was an American musician best known for co-writing several Guns N' Roses songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not in This Lifetime... Tour</span> 2016–19 concert tour by Guns N Roses

The Not in This Lifetime... Tour was a concert tour by hard rock band Guns N' Roses, spanning from April 1, 2016, to November 2, 2019. It featured classic lineup members Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan, marking the first time since the Use Your Illusion Tour in 1993 that the three performed together. After the previous tour in 2014, guitarists DJ Ashba & Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, bassist Tommy Stinson and keyboardist Chris Pitman left Guns N' Roses, leaving the band with several open spots. Former members Slash and McKagan rejoined the band and Melissa Reese joined as keyboardist. The group embarked on a world tour that spanned all continents except Antarctica. They performed 175 shows making it their third longest tour ever, just behind the Use Your Illusion Tour and the Chinese Democracy Tour. The group welcomed former drummer Steven Adler to the stage for several shows as a guest spot, the first time he had played with the group since 1990. The tour has been a financial success, grossing over $584.2 million, making it the fourth-highest-grossing concert tour of all time. The tour was 2016's highest-earning per-city global concert tour as well as the fourth-highest-grossing overall that year. In 2017, the tour ranked as the second highest grossing worldwide tour. The tour was honored at the Billboard Live Music Awards in November 2017, winning Top Tour/Top Draw and being nominated for Top Boxscore.

References

  1. ↑ Feeney, Joe (September 30, 2014). "Jungle: The Axl Rose Story (part two)". B-Sides TV. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  2. ↑ Wall, Mick (January 2002). Classic Rock . p. 93.{{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ Pareles, Jon (September 15, 1991). "Guns 'n' Roses Against the (Expletive) World". New York Times . Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  4. ↑ Weisbard, Eric (2007). "Suck on That". Use Your Illusion. New York: Bloomsbury. p. 53. ISBN   9781441177223 . Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  5. 1 2 James, Del (August 10, 1989). "Axl Rose: The Rolling Stone Interview". Rolling Stone . No. 558. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  6. ↑ G N' R Lies (Cover art). Guns N' Roses. Geffen. 1988.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. 1 2 James, Del (1992). "I, Axl". RIP. Archived from the original on July 19, 2002. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  8. ↑ Cave, Damien (October 11, 2007). "Axl Rose: American hellhound". salon.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  9. ↑ Lifton, Dave (May 5, 2018). "Guns N' Roses Omits 'One in a Million' from Box Set". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  10. ↑ Parker, Lyndsey (August 28, 2020). "Nirvana manager recalls Kurt Cobain/Axl Rose VMAs feud: 'They would be friends if Kurt were alive today'". Yahoo! Entertainment . Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  11. ↑ Neely, Kim (April 2, 1992). "Axl Rose: The RS Interview". Rolling Stone. No. 627. Archived from the original on March 21, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  12. ↑ Banas, Erica (July 8, 2020). "Guns N' Roses: All 87 Songs Ranked". 93.3 WMMR. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Every Guns N' Roses Song Ranked, Worst to Best". Loudwire. June 27, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  14. ↑ Busbee, Jay (August 11, 2016). "All 80 Guns N' Roses Songs, Ranked". Medium. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  15. ↑ Helman, Peter (May 4, 2018). "Guns N' Roses' Massive New Box Set Omits "One in a Million"". Stereogum . Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  16. ↑ Hiatt, Brian (August 14, 2018). "Slash Speaks! Inside the Guns N' Roses Reunion and His New Album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Just a Little Patience". SPIN Magazine . July 1999.
  18. ↑ Ressner, Jeffrey; Christensen, Mark (January 24, 1991). "Slash: The Rolling Stone Interview". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  19. ↑ Kent, Nick. Pop, Iggy. The Dark Stuff: selected writings on rock music Page 232. Da Capo Press, 2002. ISBN   0-306-81182-0, ISBN   978-0-306-81182-1
  20. ↑ Grow, Kory (June 6, 2019). "How Duff McKagan Got Woke". Rolling Stone.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.