Used To Love Her by Guns N' Roses

Album: G 'N' R Lies (1988)

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Songfacts®:

Axl Rose wrote the lyrics as a joke. It was rumored that the song is about his dog, with the story that he loved the pooch but had to have it put to sleep and then buried her in the backyard. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Mihkel - Tallinn, Finland
This song played a macabre role in a murder trial when it became evidence in the case against Justin Barber, a Florida man who was accused of killing his wife in 2002. At the trial, a forensic analyst testified that Barber had downloaded the song just hours before the murder (the song was found in the deleted files of Barber's hard drive). The tune was then played for the jury, with the lyrics displayed in the courtroom. Barber was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
The song was involved in a second murder trial, this one involving Thomas Michael Wilhelm, who allegedly sang along to the tune just before he shot 45-year-old Christine Murray in 2012. Although Murray and Wilhelm had once dated, they were only business partners at the time of the alleged crime.

According to Senior Deputy District Attorney Jim Mendelson, 11 minutes before the shooting, Wilhelm sent a text message to a friend saying that he was listening "Used To Love Her." He was charged with first-degree murder and sentenced to 50 years to life.

Comments: 25

Wesley Swipes from PasadenaReminds me of the rolling stones
Cathy Lowry from KentuckyIn this world we live in today, this song should not be played! Obviously 2 men took it out of context and killed 2 women..and that's not a joke!! I don't like the song and never have for that very reason!! And no, it shouldn't be given any airtime!!!
Olli from FinlandIn Classic Rock magazine 198 July 2014 Arlett Vereecke (G N' R's personal manager 1987-1991) says: Izzy (Stradlin) wrote it. He said it was about a dog. Axl said: "It could be about my girlfriend".
Kaai from IndiaI always thought the song was about Axl Rose's love life gone sour.
Heather from Lincolnton, Notth CarolinaThat's some crazy s--t man.
Bigtrucker from ConnecticutI saw the murder case on forensic files and my research into the dummy led me here
Bishopsdad from Trinity FloridaThis song for me is when Axel is able to be put on full display. One of the greatest vocal talents this world has seen.
Joao Paulo Nabais from Lisbon, PortugalSure... the murders where because of the song..... Not because the killers had guns! Stupid mentality!
Teresa from Phoenix, Az.This is for my late husband Matt. He was at avid Guns and Roses fan. The song relates to a cat that Axle used to have. If you notice in the beginning of the song that says "bitchin for some pussy"
Eliseu Carvalho from Canoas, Rs, BrazilI interpreted "her" as the music industry.
Mikael from SwedenNice facts, but Tallinn is in Estonia, and also their capital.
Luke from Saint Augustine, Fli love guns n roses with all my heart and soul. they are by far my favoite band of all time. personally i dont like this song to much i dont know why. but its still on every mp3 player i own and i listen to it none-stop
Jarod from Las Vegas, NvI'm pretty sure that EVERY MARRIED MAN in the US secretly loves this song.
Christina from Karlstad, -when I was like 5 years old, this was my favourite song. I had no idea what the song was about as I didn't understand English. I heard the song through my big brother who was a massive fan of them. I still love the song.
Chelsea from Cincinatti, Oh.....this song reminds me of some kind of demented sing along.....
Matt from Ottawa, OnI love this song, its unique to the Gunners style, but wow, I love it!
Dale from Santa Fe, NmI thought the song title was something that Izzy saw in a tabloid and he decided it was too good to pass up.
Jason from State Of Fitz, Njit's a funny song, Izzy wrote the lyrics not Axl by the way
Danny from Des Moines, IaThis song is nothing like any other Guns N' Roses song out there. You can't bang your head to it, but it's pretty sweet. My local rock station plays it all the time.
Bill from Raleigh, Nc"This is something off...GNR Lies. If you know anything about us we write most of our songs with...based off an element of truth. This is like the only song we've written off ..kinda like fantasy and a joke ya'know 'cause...its kind of a sick subject but...ya know sometimes ya think about it when you girlfriend or boyfriend's just a pain in the fu*kin'a** and you just wish you could cut their fu*kin' head off and stuff it in a bag and stick it in the backyard...this is something called 'i used to love he but i had to kill her'" that was the intro to it on live era so im guessing that THAT IS WHAT THE SONG IS ABOUT! not a F'ing dog
Dan from New York, Nyon the Live Era CD, this has the greatest intro ever: "This is the only song we've ever written thats like, totally out of a fantasy. Sometimes you think about it when your girlfriend or boyfriend is being a real pain in the @ss, and you just wanna cut her f***in head off and bury it in the back yard." Leave it to Axl to shoot from the hip. ^_^
Kayla from Coquitlam, CanadaThis song is so weird but I like it.
Maich from Toronto, CanadaFinally, comments i don't have to complain about. This song rocks.
Rayan from Lincoln, EnglandThe lyrics of the song can also be interpreted as a pun: instead of " I Used To Love Her, But I Had To Kill Her", the words may be "I Used To Love Her, But I Had Tequila".
Karren from Deerfiled, Nhthe is a very funny song i dont get why some people take it sereusly

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