One In A Million

Album: G 'N' R Lies (1988)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song caused a great deal of controversy because of its explicit references to "Immigrants and faggots" and its use of a certain racial epithet. The song led to the group being banned from an AIDS benefit concert in New York. Front man Axl Rose apologized in advance for causing offense on the album sleeve. Later he went further, explaining exactly why he wrote the song.

    In an August 1989 interview with the magazine Rolling Stone, Rose said the song was written in the apartment of West Arkeen, "who's like the sixth member of the band." It was inspired partly by his experience of the Los Angeles Greyhound bus station and seeing people getting ripped off by street hustlers - hence the unflattering reference to young black men.

    The verse about "Immigrants and faggots" referred to being treated by immigrant workers in convenience stores like you don't belong, something that clearly rubbed this "small town white boy" up the wrong way.

    Regarding specifically "Faggots," Rose said, "I've had some very bad experiences with homosexuals" adding that when he was hitchhiking as a teenager a homosexual tried to sodomize him, which led to the man ending up on the wrong end of Axl's razor. Rose was born in Lafayette, Indiana on February 6, 1962, and had a turbulent youth which was colored by some very negative experiences including this encounter.

    In a second interview with the same magazine, in April 1992, Rose said "I've had my share of dealings with aggressive gays, and I was bothered by it."
  • Rose is no racial bigot; the band's guitarist, Slash, was born July 23, 1965, the son of a white Englishman and a black American woman. He grew up in Stoke-on-Trent but later moved to California where the band was formed, and although he was no juvenile delinquent, he is clearly cut from the same cloth as Rose.

    Slash recalled to Q magazine April 2010 the fight he had with Rose about recording this song: "We had a big disagreement about it, and the more I argued about it, the more adamant he was about putting it out there. It probably says a lot about our relationship.

    I'm sure he was aware of my heritage, but at the same time he had his own point of view that he was trying to put across, which he's spoken about plenty. I wasn't surprised at the level of controversy it caused. There'd been a lot of attention towards homosexuality at that time and as always - to racism and stuff, and I think the tone of that song was offensive. It didn't shock me that it was so controversial. It was just the way it was put, the words it used.

    I'm not one to harbor regrets. I didn't agree with it when it came out and still don't, but no one really cares about it any more. It was unfortunate at the time, but it is what it is and what's done is done. You know what, I don't think about it any more. It was a big deal when it came out but I haven't heard it in so long. I don't think it did us any harm, not in the long run."
  • Axl performed Bohemian Rhapsody with Elton John at the 1992 "Concert For Life" at Wembley Stadium. The concert was a tribute to Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS the year before. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England, for all above
  • The song was cut from the band's 2018 Appetite for Destruction: Locked N' Loaded edition due to its controversial lyrics. Slash told Rolling Stone: "We collectively decided that it just didn't have any place in that box set. It didn't take long. There wasn't a big roundtable thing over it."
  • This song caused some tension when Guns N' Roses and the African-American rock band Living Colour were on the same bill as openers for The Rolling Stones for four nights in October 1989. Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid was asked about the song in a radio interview leading up to the shows, and he denounced it (Reid wasn't happy about being asked about that song instead of queried on his band's material). Rose responded on stage the first night in a clumsy rant where he said, "All you people calling me a racist, shove your head up your f--king ass." Reid responded the next night, telling the crowd, "If you don't have a problem with black people, then don't call them 'ni--ers.' I never met a ni--er in my life."

Comments: 12

  • Gmc Tech from CaliThis is a perfect song for all the current turmoil that seems to have taken over the political climate and social issues of today I have absolutely no problem with it and should be played at demonstrations and rallies
  • Blake from LodiAxl Rose has reason not to like gay people, as he was sexually abused by his father as a kid. Not everyone has to agree with the LGBTQ stuff they're forcing on us, anyway, and he shouldn't have used that word, because it's horrible, but he can still disagree with gay people.
  • Du16694 from New YorkIt's one of their best songs imho. If someone just bleeped out the words they didn't like and listen to the raw aggression of the track it's GnR in their prime they will never write like that again it's of a pure rock music of young people before they really hit the big time hungry for making it in the industry and was fighting to be heard. To me the track sounds like a fusion of punk, hard rock, and folk. The guitar leads are amazing and the tonal aggression in the vocals are peak Axl. I really try to not let lyrics bother me as I also enjoy rap music as well and would not be able to enjoy it if I took to heart everything that was being said. When listening to GnR it's not just the lyrics and vocals there is also a great band with perfect chemistry playing as well.

    There was a time this would just be considered mainstream punk rock. The sex pistols would wear swastikas on stage not because they were fascists but to get people worked up. It's from a different time for or better or worse which is gone. I haven't heard anything in the last 20 years that sounds as good as early GnR. And I am not some old fart railing about the good o days I am just 31 but I grew up with this music as well as grunge from my parents. Even grunge has a rawness that I don't hear artists today coming close to repeating. Who knows maybe another Cobain or Axl type character will come around again with live instruments, aggression and bring back this type of rock music.
  • Missie from Fort Worth TexasI think Axl wrote a song that most people would be afraid to write today...he simply said his thoughts and or the thoughts of a young White American man. Agreed the lyrics were very controversial at the time and still are, that being said I think it's a great song, from the perspective of a white guy that just don't want to be bothered. Axl Rose and Slash are one of Americas best as far as song writing goes... and I loved them then and I love them now...
  • Miles from Vancouver, CanadaThe cover of G N' R Lies bears a resemblance to the cover of the John Lennon and Yoko Ono album Some Time in New York City, which contains the song "Woman Is the Ni--er of the World". Axl has mentioned that song in his defence for the lyrics. Coincidentally, Some Time in New York City is also a half-studio/half-live hybrid.
  • Joel Gunderson from Duluth, MnGuess nobody noticed the Spanish style within the song. Yes the lyrics are controversial. However Axl does not represent all white men.
    Gark from Ghana clearly does not get it with his comments. Unless it was tongue in cheek he or she made some idiotic comments.
  • Gark from Sago, Ghanawe have to remember that whites, especially white males, enjoy child porn, raping children and killing people and animals with guns. axl seems upset that gay people, black people and immigrants do not share the love of these activities. white males need to understand that most non-white males do not share a love of abusing children and killing people and then he would not be so angry. ever notice how NOBODY writes songs about how bad white males are, even though they love to abuse children and kill people, yet so many white males write songs about how they hate everyone who isn't white and male...?
  • Asa from Boston, MaIf Axl is not a bigot, as his fans will struggle desperately to prove, then he made a pretty strange choice of words in this song. If his problem is with thugs and rapists, he should say so, rather than project his anger on all blacks and gays.
  • Jason from State Of Fitz, NjI can't imagine another artist ever coming out with soemthing like this. Axl was a true artist. The only one who would have tried would be John Lennon.
  • Jake from Fayetteville, NcGet off Axl's nuts. I agree with him. If a black dude wrote something like this, everyone would agree with him and sympathize with "how hard it is for a black man to make it in society."

    Besides, my man slash is black.
  • Jason from State Of Fitz, Njgreat song, completley misunderstood. if your white and walking through a bad neighborhood the first verse is completely true
  • Danny from New Britain, CtAXL IS NO RACIAL BIGOT, although he is a dick head. this song was about the pissed off america of the 1980's, always trying to act tough but in essence, sticking together
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