“One in a Million”
Song by Guns N' Roses
Album	G N' R Lies
Released	November 30, 1988 December 17, 1988
Recorded	Rumbo Studios, Take One Studio & Image Studio
Genre	Rock
Length	6:09
Label	Geffen Records
Writer	Axl Rose
Producer	Guns N' Roses Mike Clink
G N' R Lies track listing
"You're Crazy" (7) “One in a Million” (8)

"One in a Million" is a song by American hard rock group Guns N' Roses (GN'R). A song is a Musical composition. Songs contain vocal parts that are performed 'sung' and generally feature Words ( Lyrics) commonly followed Guns N' Roses is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 An album or record album is a collection of related audio or Music tracks distributed to the public G N' R Lies is the second album by the Hard rock band Guns N' Roses in 1988 (see 1988 in music) Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music 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 A songwriter is someone who writes the Lyrics to songs the Musical composition (chords or Melody to songs or both W Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose Jr; February 6 1962 frequently called Axl Rose, is an American Musician, best known as the Frontman In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Guns N' Roses is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 Mike Clink is a Record producer who started his career as an engineer at Record Plant Studios, recording such bands as Triumph, Guns N' Roses G N' R Lies is the second album by the Hard rock band Guns N' Roses in 1988 (see 1988 in music) Guns N' Roses is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 Guns N' Roses is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 It is the eighth track on the album G N' R Lies and was released in 1988. G N' R Lies is the second album by the Hard rock band Guns N' Roses in 1988 (see 1988 in music) Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) The lyrics describe GN'R singer Axl Rose's experience of getting hustled in the Greyhound bus station upon first arriving in Los Angeles. W Axl Rose (born William Bruce Rose Jr; February 6 1962 frequently called Axl Rose, is an American Musician, best known as the Frontman Greyhound Lines is an intercity Common carrier of passengers by Bus serving over 3700 destinations in the United States. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West

Contents 1 Controversy 2 Axl Rose's Response to Criticism 3 Response from Bandmates 4 Cover Versions 5 References

Controversy

The song's lyrics caused great controversy among many different groups, and accusations of homophobia and racism were leveled against Guns N' Roses' lead singer and song lyricist, Axl Rose. BenPhelpsJPG|thumb|right|Westboro Baptist Church picket signs with Ben Phelps grandson of Fred Phelps List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that

The cover of the GN'R Lies EP, which which was designed as a mock-tabloid newspaper front page, actually contained an advance apology for the song, suggesting controversy was anticipated. A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest A small "article" entitled "One in a Million," credited to Rose, ended: "This song is very simple and extremely generic or generalized, my apologies to those who may take offense. " ^{[1] [2]}

The use of the word "faggots", described as "spread[ing] some fuckin' disease", led to controversy and protests from homosexual groups. Faggot or fag, in modern North American and Australian English is a word and generally a Pejorative slur term for a gay or Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. It also led to GN'R's exclusion from an AIDS benefit for the Gay Men's Health Crisis at Radio City Music Hall. The Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC is a Non-profit, Volunteer -supported and community-based AIDS service organization that has led the United States Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City 's Rockefeller Center. ^[3] In response to the accusations, Rose initially stated that he was "pro-heterosexual" and did not understand homosexuals, and spoke of negative experiences in his past, such as a seemingly friendly man who let him crash on his hotel room floor and then tried to rape him. ^[4] He later softened this stance, and insisted that he was not homophobic, pointing out that some of his icons, such as Freddie Mercury and Elton John, as well as the head of his record label, were bisexual and gay. Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991 was a Zanzibar -born British Musician, best known as the lead Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer David Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American Record executive, Film producer, Theatrical producer and philanthropist 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 Bisexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of both sexes or to a bisexual orientation In the English language, gay is an Adjective that in modern usage refers to Homosexuality.

Others, including some of his peers in the music industry, accused him of racism for the use of the word 'niggers' in the song. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that Nigger is a Noun in the English language, most notable for its usage in a derogatory context to refer to Black people, and also as an informal ^[5] When Guns N' Roses and Living Colour supported The Rolling Stones for a concert in Los Angeles in 1989, Living Colour guitar player Vernon Reid publicly commented on "One in a Million" during his band's set. Living Colour is an American Funk metal band from New York City, formed in 1983 Vernon Reid (born August 22, 1958) is an English Guitarist, Songwriter, composer and bandleader ^[6]

Axl Rose's Response to Criticism

Several times Axl defended his use of the word 'nigger'. In one 1989 interview, he stated that he had used the word to signify "somebody that is basically a pain in your life, a problem. . . the word nigger doesn't necessarily mean black," and referenced the John Lennon song "Woman Is the Nigger of the World" as using the word in a positive context. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born ^[7] Rose also discussed the use of the word by the band Niggaz With Attitude (NWA) and was occasionally photographed wearing an NWA hat from then on. NWA (also known as Niggaz with Attitudes) was a Compton, California -based hip hop group widely considered one of the seminal acts of the Other times he recalled personal experiences which had driven him to write such lyrics, such as feeling intimidated by black street merchants selling their "gold chains". ^[8] Rose also claimed that he had used the word because it was considered taboo. A taboo is a strong Social prohibition (or ban) against words objects actions or discussions that are considered undesirable or offensive by a group culture ^[9] By 1992, however, Rose seemed to have gained new perspective on the song and its lyrics. In one interview, he conceded that the word had been used as an insult, but added, "I was pissed off about some black people that were trying to rob me. I wanted to insult those particular black people. I didn't want to support racism. " ^[10]

Rose was consistent in strongly denying accusations that he was a racist. When "One in a Million"'s lyrics prompted members of the press to call Guns N' Roses "David Duke's house band,"^[11] Rose countered, "I don't like being associated with that. David Ernest Duke (born July 1, 1950) is a former Louisiana State Representative, a Candidate in Presidential primaries for the I asked the crowd [at a Guns N' Roses concert]: "Is that what you get out of this, that we're racists and you're supporting it? 'Cause if that's the case, I'm gonna go home. That's not why we're here. "^[12] Former Guns N' Roses A&R rep Tom Zutaut later corroborated Rose's stance, stating in a 1999 interview "Axl. . . was also really pissed off about being called a racist. " ^[13]

Rose also expressed concern and disapproval at those who used "One in a Million" to promote their own racist views, noting: "There's a lot of people who have chosen to use that song. However that song makes them feel, they think that must be what the song means. If they hate blacks, and they hear my lines and hate blacks even more, I'm sorry, but that's not how I meant it. " ^[14] In his final public comments about "One in a Million" in 1992, Rose stated, "It was a way for me to express my anger at how vulnerable I felt in certain situations that had gone down in my life. It's not a song I would write now. " ^[15]

Response from Bandmates

Before the release of Lies the other members of the band tried in vain to make Rose drop the track from the record. ^[16] Fellow GN'R member, Slash, whose mother is black, noted that he did not condone the song but did not condemn his bandmate, commenting in a 1991 interview with Rolling Stone: "When Axl first came up with the song and really wanted to do it, I said I didn't think it was very cool. Saul Hudson (born 23 July 1965 more widely known by his stage name Slash, is an English - African American Guitarist best known as the former . . I don't regret doing 'One in a Million,' I just regret what we've been through because of it and the way people have perceived our personal feelings. " ^[17]

Cover Versions

Marilyn Manson has covered and recorded a version of "One in a Million," lyrics intact. Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969) better known by his Stage name Marilyn Manson, is an American Musician and ^[18] The song has also been covered twice by the neo-nazi punk band Skrewdriver, once electric, once acoustic. The term neo-Nazism refers to post- World War II Political movements Social movements and ideologies seeking to revive Nazism, Skrewdriver was a Punk rock band formed in Poulton-le-Fylde a village near Blackpool in 1976 by Ian Stuart Donaldson The acoustic version is more of a straightfoward cover, while the electric version has reworked lyrics paying tribute to Hitler. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately ^[19]

References

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