Tijuana Jail

Album: Pawnshop Guitars (1994)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A track from Gilby Clarke's first solo album, this song is one he wrote before joining Guns N' Roses in 1991. The song is based on a real experience: he had a band called Kill for Thrills, and they decided to have a little fun across the border. "That song was about a time when a bunch of us went down to Mexico for a party week, and it got a little bit too drunk," Gilby told us. "We actually got thrown in jail."

    At the end of the song, Gilby sings about stabbing the police officer in the neck with a switchblade. This part was embellished for the sake of art, but there were some strange things afoot. "It was a surreal experience down there," Gilby said. "We didn't know what was going to happen when we went down there - we were just doing what everybody does when they go down to Tijuana, just getting drunk. I don't even remember a single thing that we did to get thrown in jail, but we did."
  • The lyric "Send my love to my home but send my mail to a Tijuana Jail" was inspired by a baseball call. Gilby was watching a gave when the announcer called a home run by saying, "Send my mail to the Tijuana jail!"
  • Along with "Cure Me Or Kill Me," this was one of two tracks that featured Gilby's G n' R mate Slash on guitar. When the band split up in the mid-'90s, members helped each other out on various projects; Gilby was part of the first Slash's Snakepit album in 1995.

Comments: 1

  • Big Chungus from Tiwana MexicoGonna wanna wanna gonnna take Mrs Shawna to Tiwana! Like my ryme I made up? Send a like!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Ralph Casale  - Session Pro

Ralph Casale - Session ProSongwriter Interviews

A top New York studio musician, Ralph played guitar on many '60s hits, including "Lightnin' Strikes," "A Lover's Concerto" and "I Am A Rock."

Michelle Branch

Michelle BranchSongwriter Interviews

Michelle Branch talks about "Everywhere," "The Game Of Love," and her run-in with a Christian broadcasting network.

Eric Burdon

Eric BurdonSongwriter Interviews

The renown rock singer talks about "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."

Adam Duritz of Counting Crows

Adam Duritz of Counting CrowsSongwriter Interviews

"Mr. Jones" took on new meaning when the song about a misguided view of fame made Adam famous.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.