Song Meaning: Nightrain by Guns N' Roses

ARTIST: GUNS N' ROSES | ALBUM: APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION | RELEASED: 1987

"Nightrain", after doing some Googling, is a cheap, but effective, alcohol GNR used to consume in their early days when money was not so commonplace. So the song is about drugs, and only drugs, just like Mr. Brownstone.

Guns N' Roses and drugs went hand-in-hand. For example, on a typical day back in the 80s, bassist Duff McKagan would consume a gallon of vodka! To put that in perspective, when I first had a "shot" of vodka, I had to run to the washroom, and projectile vomit soon insured. :-( Duff's lifestyle was not different from any of four other band members. Slash, for instance, was ALWAYS high. Steven Adler was fired from the group for being too alcoholic. Mr McKagan has written a book about his past "adventures" entitled It's So Easy. It's a very good read. I'd highly recommend you check it out, even if you aren't a Guns N Roses fan.

Slash, who was synonymous with drugs in the 80s, describes in his autobiography "Nightrain" as his favorite song to perform live. "That song has a rhythm to it in the verses that from the start always made me go crazy. The first time we played it, even, I started jumping up and down - I couldn't help it. When we had our huge stage later on, I'd run the length of it, jump off the amplifiers, and lose it just about every single time we played it. I'm not sure why, but no other song we've ever played live made me move like that."

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1. Loaded like a freight train
2. Flyin' like an aeroplane
3. Feelin' like a space brain
4. One more time tonight
5. Well I'm a west coast struttin'
6. One bad mother
7. Got a rattlesnake suitcase
8. Under my arm
9. Said I'm a mean machine
10. Been drinkin' gasoline
11. And honey you can make my motor hum
12. I got one chance left
13. In a nine live cat
14. I got a dog eat dog sly smile
15. I got a Molotov cocktail
16. With a match to go
17. I smoke my cigarette with style
18. An I can tell you honey
19. You can make my money tonight
20. 
    
21. Wake up late
22. Honey put on your clothes
23. Take your credit card
24. to the liquor store
25. That's one for you and
26. two for me by tonight
27. I'll be loaded like a freight train
28. Flyin' like an aeroplane
29. Feelin' like a space brain
30. One more time tonight
31. 
    
32. I'm on the nightrain
33. Bottoms up
34. I'm on the nightrain
35. Fill my cup
36. I'm on the nightrain
37. Ready to crash and burn
38. I never learn
39. I'm on the nightrain
40. I love that stuff
41. I'm on the nightrain
42. I can never get enough
43. I'm on the nightrain
44. Never to return-no
45. 
    
46. Loaded like a freight train
47. Flyin' like an aeroplane
48. Speedin' like a space brain
49. One more time tonight
50. I'm on the nightrain
51. And I'm lookin' for some
52. I'm on the nightrain
53. So's I can leave this slum
54. I'm on the nightrain
55. And I'm ready to crash and burn
56. Nightrain
57. Bottoms up
58. I'm on the nightrain
59. Fill my cup
60. I'm on the nightrain
61. 
    
62. Whoa yeah
63. I'm on the nightrain
64. Love that stuff
65. I'm on the nightrain
66. An I can never get enough
67. Ridin' the nightrain
68. I guess I
69. I guess, I guess, I guess
70. I never learn
71. 
    
72. On the nightrain
73. Float me home
74. Ooh I'm on the nightrain
75. Ridin' the nightrain
76. Never to return
77. Nightrain