November Rain by Guns N’ Roses does not have an obvious meaning. The song has a lot of subtext with an internal battle between the couple and two individuals set to finding their own ways.
How to Download Guns N’ Roses – November Rain
You can download the song from Apple Music or from Amazon Music. Click on the Download button located at the end of this review.
The Song Review
November Rain – the Lyrics
The singer Axl is very much in love. However, the woman is not in love with the singer. One-sided love can be very excruciating and difficult to explain. Therefore, Axl uses an expression to portray his feelings perfectly, it’s hard to hold a candle in the cold November rain.
Holding the candle symbolizes holding on to the flame of love. At the same time, November rain symbolizes coldness from the absence of love. The candle will eventually burn out, meaning the love will come to an end. However, Axl does not want that to happen. He wishes to recover the lost love.
When I look into your eyes, I can see a love restrained, the singer is hopeful the love will return. Axl believes the love is buried underneath the surface, or his lover does not wish to admit she is in love with him.
Axl does not stop here. The lyrics imply the singer and the lover are still in a relationship and simply going through a rough patch. They participate in a couple of activities. However, behind closed doors, the two individuals are nearly becoming single. They just have not called it quits yet.
Axl is still hopeful the feelings will pass over. He has seen the relationship’s true potential and wishes it would stay the same. The song continues with the expression November Rain to express his feelings which cannot be undone by simply turning off a switch.
We’ve been through this such a long, long time, Just tryin’ to kill the pain, implies two individuals are well familiar with each other. This was a long-term relationship, and since both are having difficulty coping, the pain continues to fester.
The song also admits to her being unfaithful. She has had several partners outside of the relationship to find true love. However, her lovers were only temporary; they were present to fill the empty feeling inside. Regardless, these affairs did complicate the situation.
Cause nothin’ lasts forever, even cold November rain presents an opposite perspective. Axl says love doesn’t stay forever. Now he is saying the absence of love will not last forever either. The relationship will be fruitful once again. Axl is quite optimistic about it.
The Video
We see Axl drinking and taking pills to soothe himself. Immediately, the frame switches to an orchestra show. There is a huge audience enjoying the music. Axl plays the piano while we are greeted with flashbacks.
We see a church and choir. There appears to be a wedding ceremony about to take place with the flower girl spreading petals on the aisle. We see a man tossing around on the bed with “her” side of the bed perfectly made. Immediately, we see a Jesus statue bleeding through his left eye, which signals depression and lost hope.
The bride walks in wearing a beautiful white dress with a long veil and holding a bouquet. During her aisle walk, she seems unsure. The groom helps her onto the stage, and the ceremony begins.
The ceremony is successful. However, the reception is disastrous. Strom and rain ruin the décor. Eventually, we see the bride in a coffin walked down by pallbearers on the same aisle she walked as a bride. The groom mourns her grave while the video ends.
The Bottom Line
November Rain will melt your heart while the title pierces your thought spectrum. The song is about two individuals finding their ways collectively and individually. However, they will persevere since tough times in a relationship are not out of the ordinary.
