July 13, 2006

Literary Notes for Axl Rose ...

... on the lyrics of "Sweet Child O' Mine".

Hysterical.

Example:

As if they thought of rain—Axl, eyes can't think of rain. And even if they could, which they can't, why would bluest skies think of rain? Perhaps less imagery of thinking eyes made of sky and more direct exploration of your feelings?
Posted by sheila
Comments

"You'd hide in a place that reminded you of hair?"

Posted by: Emily at July 13, 2006 1:57 PM

Also at the end:

//When I wrote in colored pencil "Where do we go now?" I wasn't offering that as a lyric. I was simply observing that, in narrative terms, the song needed to progress in some way. You love the girl, she's helping you work through some issues, whatever. So where do we go now? But instead of providing a satisfactory conclusion, you simply took my note and repeated it over and over again before ultimately just stating the title of the song. This is unacceptable.//

hahahahahahahaha

Posted by: red at July 13, 2006 1:59 PM

I LOVE JOHN MOE. Did you ever read his one about Hotel California? I sent him a love letter after I read it. And there may have been a picture of my boobs in it.

Kidding. About the boobs. I really did send him an email professing my love, though.

Posted by: jess at July 13, 2006 3:36 PM

Jess - is he the one who also did the literary analysis of "You're so vain"?? He's hilarious!

did he write you back??

Posted by: red at July 13, 2006 3:38 PM

Yes! Here's the Hotel California one:

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2004/5/11moe.html

I was in tears the first time I read it.

He wrote back:

I told everyone you'd grow to love me. I am vindicated!

Posted by: jess at July 13, 2006 3:43 PM

Also, because I'm crazy, I googled him and found his blog. He has a book coming out and on his blog, he posts conversations with his five-year-old son that are killing me.

http://monkeydisaster.blogspot.com

Now I'm done. I swear.

Posted by: jess at July 13, 2006 4:26 PM

Jess - please don't ever stop being crazy. I beg you.

Posted by: red at July 13, 2006 4:27 PM

Red, I'm not sure it's a good idea to be criticizing Axl for the listenable obtuseness of his earlier work, at a time when the frightening spectre Chinese Democracy stretches out before us...

Posted by: miker at July 13, 2006 5:44 PM

/And if I stared too long, I'd probably break down and cry—Why would you do that? Because you miss the freshness you described earlier?/

/Do you really want to come across as a wuss who's constantly on the verge of weeping and skittering into hair caves to escape from rain? Is this a song about love or climatic anxiety?/

It's killing me!

But I still seriously love this song and I will NOT apologize!

Posted by: tracey at July 13, 2006 6:13 PM

Tracey - neither will I!! Love it!

Posted by: red at July 13, 2006 6:19 PM