Some folks here lyrics like "police and niggers" and "immigrants and faggots" and immediately write it off a racist/ignorant garbage.
To others it's a great song that chronicles the misguided opinions of youthful ignorance and/or the ugly perspective of a jaded third party "narrator."
My only complaint is that the verses and the choruses have nothing to do with each other. Somehow it works though.
Radicals and Racists, don't point your finger at me
I'm a small town white boy, just tryin' to make ends meet
Don't need your religion, don't watch that much T.V.
Just makin' my livin', baby, well that's enough for me
Why again does this get the pass? Axl's defense of his lyrics was even worse. Clearly the shit was not 3rd person. I don't think he feels the same way today which is fine...but please don't pawn this off as brilliant when it is clearly confused ignorant angry white boy shit.
Police and niggers
That's right
Get out of my way
Don't need to buy none of your
Goldchains today
I don't need no bracelets
Clamped in front of my back
Just need my ticket till then
Won't you cut me some slack
Immigrants and faggots
They make no sense to me
They come to our country
And think they'll do as they please
Like start some mini Iran
Or spread some fucking disease
They talk so many goddamn ways
It's all greek to me
yeah, this is that weird coffee shop version that they used to always show footage of on MTV News during the controversy about this shit back in the day.
Also woth noting that it's a useful song for mudsharks who are still struggling to embrace their inner-racism but who want to indulge and get it out somehow.
It's a good song, and I don't think it's racist...I agree with MT's reading of it. Axl's conflicted, but he's not so conflicted as to bash "niggers" while he wears a Public Enemy shirt.
If they had a fourth option, right under classic, I'd vote for that one.
Racist. Their worst release. I wonder why Slash didn't get more pissed. That was some soft ass shit he pulled. Money or not. You should have pride enough to speak up when you're being insulted. He took a Big L for that one.
SONG IS CLASSIC