Top 10 Guns N’ Roses ‘F— You’ Songs
Everyone knows Axl Rose has always been about peace, love and understanding. But as this list of Guns N' Roses "F--- You" Songs demonstrates, every now and then a little sliver of anger slips into his lyrics. Amazingly, we were able to find 10 such examples for your listening enjoyment. In each case, we'll briefly run down the circumstances that caused Rose's frustrations to boil over, and share the special word combinations he used to express those feelings. So get your censor buttons ready and check out the Top 10 Guns N' Roses "F--- You" Songs.
- 10
'You Could Be Mine'
From: 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)"With your bitch slap rappin' and your cocaine tongue / You get nothin' done."
As if there wasn't enough pent-up anger on their debut album, 1987's genre-revitalizing Appetite for Destruction, Guns N' Roses included the lovely mini-poem above in the liner notes. Four years later, we got the rest of the story with this song, which finds singer Axl Rose venting his frustrations about a drug-addicted, do-nothing, overly dramatic girlfriend.
- 9
'Double Talkin' Jive'
From: 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)"Double talkin' jive / Get the money motherf---er / 'Cause I got no more patience."
Guitarist Izzy Stradlin takes lead vocals on this brief but highly disturbing song, which starts with dismembered body parts in the trash and then seems to follow a pissed-off debt collector around town. We're immediately reminded of the famous "F--- you, pay me" scene from Goodfellas.
- 8
'14 Years'
From: 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)"Your stupid girlfriends tell you that I'm to blame / Well they're all used-up has-beens."
We're not positive this song's about the same girlfriend mentioned in "You Could Be Mine" (see No. 10 on our Guns N' Roses "F--- You" Songs list,) but if so, it seems breakup day is finally here. Rose makes sure she knows just how bad the past few years have been, and also passes along very clear directions regarding what her nosy friends can do with themselves.
- 7
'You're Crazy'
From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)"'Cause you're crazy / You're f---in' crazy / Ya know you're crazy / I said you're crazy."
This song was originally called 'F---ing Crazy' and comes in three distinct styles: fast electric, slow acoustic and slow electric (see below). Regardless of which you choose, what doesn't change is Rose's withering assessment of his lover's mental state.
- 6
'It's So Easy'
From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)"I see you standin' there / You think you're so cool / Why don't you just f--- off!
It's good to be king, huh? It seems Guns N' Roses found their first taste of success quite intoxicating, and this song revels in the women, booze and other temptations that were suddenly flowing their way. But don't worry, there's still plenty of venom to spare for some poor schmuck who's wearing the wrong jacket or standing in the wrong place or some other horrific crime.
- 5
'Shotgun Blues'
From 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)"You think anyone with an I.Q. over 15 would believe your s---, f---head / Nothin' but a f---in' pussy."
Love him or hate him, there's no way you can say Axl walks into an argument unprepared. We're going to hope that the repeated threats of gunfire here are just metaphors for the verbal bullets our hero is gonna throw at his foe. Also, we're not sure if Rose was the first to rhyme "low class" with "suck my ass," but the flair with which he does so makes the couplet his for all of eternity in our book.
- 4
'Right Next Door to Hell'
From: 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)"F--- you, b-----!"
On the bad side, a series of escalating arguments with the next-door neighbor at his Hollywood condo got Axl Rose arrested. On the good side, it gave him a subject for the opening song on the band's two Use Your Illusion albums. As he told People, "All of a sudden [she] started beating on the walls and had her television cranked on 10 to bother me, and I just wrote this chorus called 'Right Next Door to Hell.' It works really well." See? When life gives you lemons ...
- 3
'Back Off B----'
From: 'Use Your Illusion I' (1991)"Back off / Back off b---- / B---- / B---- / B---- / B----!"
To say the least, a former sweetheart has let Mr. Rose down and continues to provoke him even after he's made it clear he wants her to say out of his bed and outta his head. So he employs the tried and true method of repetition to try and get his message across once and for all. God, we hope she took the advice.
- 2
'Out Ta Get Me'
From: 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987)"They're out to get me / They won't catch me / I'm innocent / So you can suck me!"
Compared to some of the other Guns N' Roses "F--- You" songs on our list, this track's verbal blasts may seem somewhat tame. But reportedly, this song was inspired by Rose's various teenage encounters with law-enforcement officials, whom he accuses of breaking down his doors and raping his rights. So he's ordering guys with guns and badges to go down on him, which elevates things a bit, no?
Note: We understand "One in a Million" could be considered a notable omission from this list. We decided that song is something beyond the realm of the emotions we’re talking about here, OK?
- 1
'Get in the Ring'
From: 'Use Your Illusion II' (1991)"You pissed off cuz your dad gets more p---- than you? / F--- you / Suck my f---in' d---!"
Guns N' Roses found themselves at the center of a lot of negative stories when they broke through to the big time, and it's safe to say Rose didn't think all that coverage was very fair. So he not only fought back, he named names, inviting several of the media's biggest figures to strap on the gloves and have it out. Now that may not have been the smartest thing in every case, since Spin publisher Bob Guccione Jr. was a karate expert and all. But damn if it wasn't honest, and it sure as f--- wasn't boring!