Breakdown

Breakdown is, in my view, the most underrated Guns n’ Roses song ever written. From what little I’ve been able to learn about the song’s history, it was difficult to write and record. Maybe that’s why it’s only been played live twice in the entire history of the band (as of this writing).

My early teenage years were spent in the l ate 80s and early 90s. Music was a touchy subject in my house, because my father believed that only he knew what good music really was (basically anything he liked) and he also believed he was just as talented as any of the 50s and 60s stars he idolized. His musical journey is something that I’ll go in later in a longer post, but suffice it to say, I wasn’t allowed to listen to any music that didn’t meet my father’s approval. There was little that did, and while as an adult I became to appreciate some of the bands he liked, I loathed them when I was growing up.

Guns n’ Roses were a symbol of rebellion, and their songs really hit me to the core. Not all of them, but the ones that did - it was like they knew exactly what I was going through and that their words were written towards my father and the struggle I endured. There are so many lines in Estranged that encapsulated perfectly how I felt but couldn’t put into words.

It’s weird to think that GnR is classified as oldies or classic rock now. It’s amazing these guys are still touring, playing the songs of my youth three decades after they were written. I bought their albums in secret, and only listened to them at very low volume in my room or on my Walkman. 

Certain smells or weather bring back strong memories for me, as I’m sure they do for most. In November 1991, I was stuck in the cold outside painting the fence that went around our entire 8 acre property. It wasn’t the first chore or the last chore that Sunday morning. As I painted, Breakdown came on my Walkman. The rage, frustration, disappointment, angst, and wanderlust I felt was all encapsulated perfectly in this song. As I sat there in the cold November rain - literally - painting a fence for the tenth time, I thought about all I would do and see when I could escape the chains that held me.

Guns n’ Roses represented that escape. Whether it was a 10 minute escape through one of their songs or the escape that I longed for, they heard my cries and offered a way out. 

I’m sure everyone thinks the songs of their youth were the best. I like new music, but whenever I’m feeling a certain way I always gravitate to a band that got me through so much, even though they didn’t know it.

I was able to fulfill a lifelong dream and see GnR during their Not in this Lifetime tour. They weren’t the same band as I remembered, as we all age, but it was amazing to see them on stage and fulfill a dream I had when I was alone painting that damn fence.