Civil War (7:42)
1,124,124 plays (229,631 listeners)
“Civil War” is a song by the hard rock band Guns N’ Roses, which originally appeared on the 1990 album Nobody’s Child: Romanian Angel Appeal, a fund raising compilation for Romanian orphans. It is a protest song about war, that amongst other things says that a civil war only “feeds the rich while it buries the poor.” Notably, the United States was involved in no major military operations at the time of its recording, so it is mostly thought of as a tribute of sorts to 1960s anti-Vietnam War protest songs. It was written by Axl Rose, Slash, and Duff McKagan.
Slash states that the song was an instrumental he had written right before the band left for the Japanese leg of its Appetite for Destruction world tour. Axl wrote lyrics and it was worked into a proper song at a sound check in Melbourne, Australia.
Guns N’ Roses performed the song at Farm Aid IV on April 7, 1990. This performance was televised.
It is the first track on Use Your Illusion II, appears on the compilation Use Your Illusion, and on Guns N’ Roses Greatest Hits.
The song also mentions John F. Kennedy’s assassination with the lyrics: “and in my first memories they shot Kennedy,” as well as the battle for civil rights and the Vietnam War.
On September 27, 1993, Duff McKagan explains where the song came from in an interview on Rockline: “Basically it was a riff that we would do at sound-checks. Axl came up with a couple of lines at the beginning. And… I went in a peace march, when I was a little kid, with my mom. I was like four years old. For Martin Luther King. And that’s when: “Did you wear the black arm band when they shot the man who said: ‘Peace could last forever’?. It’s just true-life experiences, really.”
Slash states that the song was an instrumental he had written right before the band left for the Japanese leg of its Appetite for Destruction world tour. Axl wrote lyrics and it was worked into a proper song at a sound check in Melbourne, Australia.
Guns N’ Roses performed the song at Farm Aid IV on April 7, 1990. This performance was televised.
It is the first track on Use Your Illusion II, appears on the compilation Use Your Illusion, and on Guns N’ Roses Greatest Hits.
The song also mentions John F. Kennedy’s assassination with the lyrics: “and in my first memories they shot Kennedy,” as well as the battle for civil rights and the Vietnam War.
On September 27, 1993, Duff McKagan explains where the song came from in an interview on Rockline: “Basically it was a riff that we would do at sound-checks. Axl came up with a couple of lines at the beginning. And… I went in a peace march, when I was a little kid, with my mom. I was like four years old. For Martin Luther King. And that’s when: “Did you wear the black arm band when they shot the man who said: ‘Peace could last forever’?. It’s just true-life experiences, really.”
Video
Added by eakos11
the best song ever
Share Video
See 9 more
Related Tracks
-
Yesterdays
Guns N' Roses -
You Could Be Mine
Guns N' Roses -
Fall to Pieces
Velvet Revolver -
18 And Life
Skid Row -
Highway to Hell
AC/DC -
Back in Black
AC/DC
Shouts
-
felipelorran wrote:
good
-
kenikki wrote:
So damn epic. Definitely the best G&R song.
-
rauldeavila wrote:
EPIC!
-
eddie503 wrote:
i dont need your civil war♪♪♪ i don't need one more war♪♪
-
illusionvalley wrote:
One of my all-time favourites. I fell asleep listening to this every night for almost a year... There's just so many different sounds, such diversity in the one song; beautifully soft vocals, chilling harmonies, softly played acoustics, and then...fueled guitar riffs which just scream emotion, heavy drums, flying keyboard riffs, and Axl's trademark growl-y vocals. And yet it all fits together so wonderfully. The lyrics are just amazing. "Did you wear a black armband when they shot the man who said, 'peace could last forever'?" That always gives me goosebumps, the way the whole song just gives way so that the importance of that one line can be heard clearly. And the way "peace could last forever" is echoed through back up vocals...wow. If this song doesn't prove the pure brilliance of Guns N' Roses, I don't know what song will.
-
Haluusia wrote:
We dont need your civil war!!
-
sbr1980 wrote:
whats so civil about war anyway ??? ....
-
jcksnjs wrote:
i love this
-
Mantosek wrote:
Best song...
-
BostonIrish wrote:
don't know why but the end "whats so civil about war anyway?" always makes me laugh...
-
davidbowiegirl wrote:
Yes, one of their best songs :)
-
Timitzi wrote:
One of their best songs, the intro is amazing
-
ashleyvdiaz wrote:
great song.... really hit hoke for those who have family members in the service or in iraq....
-
JohnnyUhrig wrote:
The version on the album really is a classic Power Ballad Song!!!! I love it!
-
Matt714 wrote:
Nah, their best song.
-
mx1000 wrote:
One of their best songs :)
-
aislinn1912 wrote:
very rich and nice
-
hedfones wrote:
Top 10 personal favorite solos of all time...
-
IonTichy88 wrote:
It feeds the rich while it buries the poor..... ....so true!!
-
JaymZ__10 wrote:
Briliant stuff...
Listeners
-
LuckChips
Listening now
-
osterskog
Listening now
-
Hevieemeli
Listening now
-
perica_
Top Listener
-
Renioo
Top Listener
-
Oso33
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
leimiswiler added Civil War to leimiswiler’s library. yesterday evening
-
SmartAssassin68 added Civil War to SmartAssassin68’s library. yesterday evening
-
SmartAssassin68 added Civil War to the playlist. yesterday evening
-
bradwest96 added Civil War to his Loved Tracks. yesterday morning
-
rolltide111 added Civil War to rolltide111’s library. yesterday morning
-
Ptival, gwynllor, bitterkevin and 6 other people loved Guns N' Roses – Civil War. Wednesday evening
-
CJOFLYNN added Civil War to the playlist my playlist. Wednesday morning
-
CJOFLYNN added Civil War to his Loved Tracks. Wednesday morning
-
larryamaya added Civil War to the playlist larryrocks. Wednesday morning
-
larryamaya added Civil War to larryamaya’s library. Wednesday morning
Related Journals
-
Top 20 Guns N' Roses Songs
by Philly501 |
3 Apr 2009 | Add comment
-
pytania do winampa!
by yoti93 |
26 Jan 2009 | Add comment
-
UNTITLED
by Prestine-girl |
10 May 2008 | 3 comments
