Don't Cry
Encyclopedia
"Don't Cry" is a song by rock
band Guns N' Roses
, two versions of which were released simultaneously on different albums. The version with the original lyrics is the fourth track on Use Your Illusion I
, while the version with the alternate lyrics is the 13th track on Use Your Illusion II
. Only the vocal tracks differ, and even then only in the verses; however, in those verses, not only are the words entirely different, but the meter and melody are also slightly different. There is also a third version, officially released only on the single for the song, which was recorded during Appetite for Destruction
sessions in 1986.
of Blind Melon
on backing vocals. Shannon grew up in the small town of Dayton, Indiana
, which neighbors Axl Rose's hometown of Lafayette, Indiana
. The two became friends when they subsequently met in Los Angeles and discovered they were from the same state. He also appears in the video for the song. It was originally intended to be the first commercial single release before the Illusions were released in 1991, but "You Could Be Mine" was chosen instead to coincide with the release of the movie Terminator 2.
"Don't Cry" forms a segment of the Illusions Trilogy, according to singer Axl Rose
. Along with "Estranged
" and "November Rain
," it forms a narrative inspired in part by the short story "Without You" by Del James
.
During the interviews for their Making F@#$ing Videos edition for "Don't Cry", Rose stated that the song is about a woman leaving a man. The song was written about a girl that Izzy used to go out with, and Axl was attracted to. Here are some quotes from Axl about the incident: "It was [about] a girl that Izzy had gone out with, and I was really attracted to her, and they split up, and we wrote the song", "I was sitting outside the Roxy, and you know, I was like really in love with this person, and she was realising this wasn't going to work, she was doing her things, she was telling me goodbye, and I like sat down, and just started crying, and she was telling me 'don't cry'. Next night we got together and wrote the song in 5 minutes. He'd been through some things with her, himself".
The song peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming the band's fifth Top 10 hit there.
for this song, like several videos for the Illusions albums, was much more cinematic than the band's previous videos had been. It depicted the central character in his courtship with his eventual wife as well as his internal battle with emotional issues. Although a sharp turn away from what fans were used to, it is still regarded as one of the best videos the band produced in its short time together.
Fans can't agree on whether this is the first or second video in the trilogy. Most fans think this is the first, showing Axl and his girlfriend having problems with their relationship (and that he was likely singing about this in "November Rain"). Another interesting, but not as accepted, theory is that this is the second video, and that after Axl's new bride dies in "November Rain" he remembers/dreams the video. At the start of the "Estranged" video, they say the S.W.A.T. team members catch Axl in his home while he is having the "Don't Cry" dream. Fans of this theory often point out that Axl is seen talking to a therapist in "Don't Cry", and is seen fighting with a gun (see the "November Rain
" page to read more about the gun).
Another interesting point to make is that in the video, Slash theoretically killed his girlfriend by driving his 1966 Shelby GT350 off a cliff and then throwing his guitar down the same cliff afterwards.
Guitarist Izzy Stradlin
, who plays the intro and is credited as co-writer of the song, had just left the band and didn't make it to the video recording, and Dizzy Reed can be seen wearing a t-shirt that reads, "Where's Izzy" (stated in Slash's Biography). Rose can be seen very briefly, at around the same point in the video, wearing a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap. This may be a reference to the infamous 1991 incident in which Rose dove into a St. Louis crowd in the middle of a song in pursuit of a man with a video camera, was arrested, and incited a riot.
A Nirvana
baseball hat is visible to the side of Axl's left leg when he is lying down in the psychiatrist's office. He is also seen wearing the hat in an interview that was filmed while making the video. This interview can be seen on the mini-documentary entitled "Guns N' Roses Don't Cry: Makin' F@*!ing Videos" Rose was a big fan of Nirvana
and even asked the band to play on two occasions during the Use Your Illusion Tour
(Despite various live videos where Axl shows hatred towards Nirvana to the crowd, asking them what "Alternative" means. During the 1992 MTV Music Awards, Dave Grohl repeats "Hi Axl" over and over after Nirvana's performance. This is due to what happened before the awards when Courtney Love shouted to Axl while holding their daughter, "Axl will you be her godfather" which followed a confrontation by Axl, telling Kurt to "keep his woman in line" along with profanity which lead to the start a fight of which Cobain would not accept. After this event Nirvana began to tell audiences at live shows how they felt about Guns N' Roses
, and how Kurt felt Axl was a womanizer. However, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain
loathed Guns N' Roses (as documented in Come As You Are by Michael Azerrad, among other sources) and declined the invitation. Both bands are signed to Geffen Records
.
Rose commented on the difficulty of filming the video and how certain scenes inspired by the relationship with Erin Everly affected him emotionally:
Also Axl Rose wears a T-shirt of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
and Jane's Addiction
in the video.
Additional musicians
. It was absent from the first few Chinese Democracy Tour
but reappeared to an extent in 2006, as guitarist Bumblefoot
began using an instrumental version of the song as a guitar solo spot. In 2007, during the Bumblefoot solo spot, Axl came on stage to sing along to the solo on two occasions, marking the first times since 1993 that Axl had sung it live.
"Don't Cry" made another return during the 2009/2010 World Tour, with Axl singing along with the solo spot on each occasion that it has been played.
cover of the song by Sao Vincente featuring Ituana was included on the 2006 tribute compilation Bossa n' Roses.
Marina V
covers the song on her 2010 album My Star.
A version of Don’t Cry was recorded by Murder By Death
and released on their 2011 “Skeletons in the Closet” album.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, two versions of which were released simultaneously on different albums. The version with the original lyrics is the fourth track on Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I
Use Your Illusion I is the third studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was the first of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, the other being Use Your Illusion II. The two are thus sometimes considered a double album. In fact, in the original vinyl...
, while the version with the alternate lyrics is the 13th track on Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II
Use Your Illusion II is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Guns N' Roses. It was one of two albums released in conjunction with the Use Your Illusion Tour, and as a result the two albums are sometimes considered a double album...
. Only the vocal tracks differ, and even then only in the verses; however, in those verses, not only are the words entirely different, but the meter and melody are also slightly different. There is also a third version, officially released only on the single for the song, which was recorded during Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction
Appetite for Destruction is the debut studio album by American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in July 1987 on Geffen Records. It was well-received by critics and topped the American Billboard 200 chart...
sessions in 1986.
Song
The song features Shannon HoonShannon Hoon
Richard Shannon Hoon was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He was the frontman and lead singer of the band Blind Melon until his death from a cocaine overdose in 1995.-Early life:...
of Blind Melon
Blind Melon
Blind Melon is an American rock band active from 1989 to 1999, and from 2006 onward.Best remembered for their 1993 single "No Rain", the group enjoyed critical and commercial success in the early 1990s with their neo-psychedelic take on alternative rock...
on backing vocals. Shannon grew up in the small town of Dayton, Indiana
Dayton, Indiana
Dayton is a town in Sheffield Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,420 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, which neighbors Axl Rose's hometown of Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette, Indiana
Lafayette is a city in and the county seat of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 67,140. West Lafayette, on the other side of the Wabash River, is home to Purdue University, which has a large impact on...
. The two became friends when they subsequently met in Los Angeles and discovered they were from the same state. He also appears in the video for the song. It was originally intended to be the first commercial single release before the Illusions were released in 1991, but "You Could Be Mine" was chosen instead to coincide with the release of the movie Terminator 2.
"Don't Cry" forms a segment of the Illusions Trilogy, according to singer Axl Rose
Axl Rose
W. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
. Along with "Estranged
Estranged
-Personnel:* Axl Rose – lead vocals, piano, production* Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar, production* Slash – lead guitar, production* Duff McKagan – bass, production* Matt Sorum – drums, production-External links:*...
" and "November Rain
November Rain
"November Rain" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, written by lead singer Axl Rose and released as a single in June 1992. It appears on the album Use Your Illusion I. The music video for this song was also released in 1992, and won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography...
," it forms a narrative inspired in part by the short story "Without You" by Del James
Del James
Del James, is an American musician, writer, journalist and artist best known for writing the short story that reportedly inspired the "November Rain" video by hard rock band Guns N' Roses...
.
During the interviews for their Making F@#$ing Videos edition for "Don't Cry", Rose stated that the song is about a woman leaving a man. The song was written about a girl that Izzy used to go out with, and Axl was attracted to. Here are some quotes from Axl about the incident: "It was [about] a girl that Izzy had gone out with, and I was really attracted to her, and they split up, and we wrote the song", "I was sitting outside the Roxy, and you know, I was like really in love with this person, and she was realising this wasn't going to work, she was doing her things, she was telling me goodbye, and I like sat down, and just started crying, and she was telling me 'don't cry'. Next night we got together and wrote the song in 5 minutes. He'd been through some things with her, himself".
The song peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, becoming the band's fifth Top 10 hit there.
Music video
The videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for this song, like several videos for the Illusions albums, was much more cinematic than the band's previous videos had been. It depicted the central character in his courtship with his eventual wife as well as his internal battle with emotional issues. Although a sharp turn away from what fans were used to, it is still regarded as one of the best videos the band produced in its short time together.
Fans can't agree on whether this is the first or second video in the trilogy. Most fans think this is the first, showing Axl and his girlfriend having problems with their relationship (and that he was likely singing about this in "November Rain"). Another interesting, but not as accepted, theory is that this is the second video, and that after Axl's new bride dies in "November Rain" he remembers/dreams the video. At the start of the "Estranged" video, they say the S.W.A.T. team members catch Axl in his home while he is having the "Don't Cry" dream. Fans of this theory often point out that Axl is seen talking to a therapist in "Don't Cry", and is seen fighting with a gun (see the "November Rain
November Rain
"November Rain" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, written by lead singer Axl Rose and released as a single in June 1992. It appears on the album Use Your Illusion I. The music video for this song was also released in 1992, and won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography...
" page to read more about the gun).
Another interesting point to make is that in the video, Slash theoretically killed his girlfriend by driving his 1966 Shelby GT350 off a cliff and then throwing his guitar down the same cliff afterwards.
Guitarist Izzy Stradlin
Izzy Stradlin
Jeffrey Dean Isbell , known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and former rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which he left at the height of its fame in 1991. Following his departure, he led his own band Izzy...
, who plays the intro and is credited as co-writer of the song, had just left the band and didn't make it to the video recording, and Dizzy Reed can be seen wearing a t-shirt that reads, "Where's Izzy" (stated in Slash's Biography). Rose can be seen very briefly, at around the same point in the video, wearing a St. Louis Cardinals baseball cap. This may be a reference to the infamous 1991 incident in which Rose dove into a St. Louis crowd in the middle of a song in pursuit of a man with a video camera, was arrested, and incited a riot.
A Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
baseball hat is visible to the side of Axl's left leg when he is lying down in the psychiatrist's office. He is also seen wearing the hat in an interview that was filmed while making the video. This interview can be seen on the mini-documentary entitled "Guns N' Roses Don't Cry: Makin' F@*!ing Videos" Rose was a big fan of Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and even asked the band to play on two occasions during the Use Your Illusion Tour
Use Your Illusion Tour
The Use Your Illusion Tour was a concert tour by the rock band Guns N' Roses which ran from January 20, 1991 to July 17, 1993. It was not only the band's longest tour, but one of the longest concert tours in rock history, consisting of 194 shows in 27 countries...
(Despite various live videos where Axl shows hatred towards Nirvana to the crowd, asking them what "Alternative" means. During the 1992 MTV Music Awards, Dave Grohl repeats "Hi Axl" over and over after Nirvana's performance. This is due to what happened before the awards when Courtney Love shouted to Axl while holding their daughter, "Axl will you be her godfather" which followed a confrontation by Axl, telling Kurt to "keep his woman in line" along with profanity which lead to the start a fight of which Cobain would not accept. After this event Nirvana began to tell audiences at live shows how they felt about Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
, and how Kurt felt Axl was a womanizer. However, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain
Kurt Cobain
Kurt Donald Cobain was an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana...
loathed Guns N' Roses (as documented in Come As You Are by Michael Azerrad, among other sources) and declined the invitation. Both bands are signed to Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
.
Rose commented on the difficulty of filming the video and how certain scenes inspired by the relationship with Erin Everly affected him emotionally:
Also Axl Rose wears a T-shirt of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
and Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
in the video.
Personnel
- Axl RoseAxl RoseW. Axl Rose is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is the lead vocalist and only remaining original member of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he enjoyed great success and recognition in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before disappearing from the public eye for several years...
– lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - SlashSlash (musician)Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, production - Izzy StradlinIzzy StradlinJeffrey Dean Isbell , known by his stage name Izzy Stradlin, is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the co-founder and former rhythm guitarist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which he left at the height of its fame in 1991. Following his departure, he led his own band Izzy...
– rhythm guitar, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, production - Duff McKaganDuff McKaganMichael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals, production - Matt SorumMatt SorumMatthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, production
Additional musicians
- Shannon HoonShannon HoonRichard Shannon Hoon was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He was the frontman and lead singer of the band Blind Melon until his death from a cocaine overdose in 1995.-Early life:...
– back up vocals
Live
"Don't Cry" was performed quite frequently during the early tours and the Use Your Illusion TourUse Your Illusion Tour
The Use Your Illusion Tour was a concert tour by the rock band Guns N' Roses which ran from January 20, 1991 to July 17, 1993. It was not only the band's longest tour, but one of the longest concert tours in rock history, consisting of 194 shows in 27 countries...
. It was absent from the first few Chinese Democracy Tour
Chinese Democracy Tour
The Chinese Democracy Tour is a current worldwide concert tour by hard rock band Guns N' Roses to promote the group's long-delayed album Chinese Democracy....
but reappeared to an extent in 2006, as guitarist Bumblefoot
Bumblefoot
Bumblefoot may refer to:*Bumblefoot , an infection found on the feet of birds of prey and some animals*Bumblefoot , alias of musician Ron Thal...
began using an instrumental version of the song as a guitar solo spot. In 2007, during the Bumblefoot solo spot, Axl came on stage to sing along to the solo on two occasions, marking the first times since 1993 that Axl had sung it live.
"Don't Cry" made another return during the 2009/2010 World Tour, with Axl singing along with the solo spot on each occasion that it has been played.
Cover versions
A chill outChill out music
Chill out music is an umbrella term for several styles of electronic music characterized by their mellow style and mid-tempo beats — "chill" being derived from a slang injunction to "relax."Chill out music emerged in the early and mid-1990s in "chill rooms" at dance clubs, where relaxing music...
cover of the song by Sao Vincente featuring Ituana was included on the 2006 tribute compilation Bossa n' Roses.
Marina V
Marina Verenikina
Marina Verenikina is a Russian-American singer/musician. She was born in the city of Moscow in the Russian SFSR to a nuclear physicist father and a child psychologist mother. She now lives in Los Angeles and tours internationally....
covers the song on her 2010 album My Star.
A version of Don’t Cry was recorded by Murder By Death
Murder by Death (band)
Murder by Death is an American five-piece indie rock band from Bloomington, Indiana. Their name is derived from the 1976 Robert Moore film of the same name.- Early years :...
and released on their 2011 “Skeletons in the Closet” album.
Chart positions
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Singles Chart | 5 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 6 |
| French Singles Chart | 25 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 2 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 9 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 3 |
| U.S Billboard Hot 100 | 10 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
8 |