There Was a Time by Guns N’ Roses Lyrics Meaning – The Lament of Lost Love and the Illusions of Grandeur
Lyrics
Writing on the wall,
It was a bargain for the summer,
And I thought I had it all.
I was the one who gave you everything,
The one who took the fall,
You were the one who would do anything,
The one who can’t recall
Where she was while she was sleeping,
In another woman’s bed,
Or the doctors or the lawyers,
Or a stranger that she met.
If there’s nothing I can gain from this,
Or anything at all,
It’d be the knowledge that ya gave me,
When I thought I had it all.
It was a long time with you,
It was a long time with me,
It’d be a long for anyone,
But looks like it’s meant to be.
Social class and registers,
Cocaine in the hall,
All the way from California,
On the way beyond that stall.
To those non-negotiations
To simulate a call,
All the bad of learning evils and your ways around the laws that keep you
Up and sitting pretty,
On a pedestal of men
And now you’re sleeping like an angel,
Near the man who reaped it in.
If there’s something I can make of this,
Or anything at all,
It’d be the devil hates a loser and you thought you had it all.
It was a wrong time for you,
It was a wrong time for me,
It was the wrong time for everyone
But looks like I’m about to see for myself.
If I could go back in time to the place in my soul,there all alone
Lonely tear drops,
Ooh,are calling you.
But I don’t wanna know it now,
’cause knowing you, it won’t change a damn thing.
But there was a time.
Yeah, there was a time,
Didn’t wanna know it all,
Didn’t wanna know it all and
I don’t wanna know it now
Oh,
Yeah, there was a time,
Didn’t wanna know it all,
Didn’t wanna know it all and
I don’t wanna know it now,
Oh,
I would do anything for you,
There was a time,
I would do anything for you,
Oh,I would do anything for you,
There was a time.
There was a time,
Oh, I would do anything for you,
Oh, I would do anything for you
Yeah there was a time,
Didn’t wanna know it all,
Didn’t wanna know it all,
And I don’t wanna know it now,
I would do anything for you,
There was a time, was a time
In the intricate tapestry of rock ballads, Guns N’ Roses has painted some of the most vivid and emotional landscapes with their music. One such masterpiece, ‘There Was a Time’ (often abbreviated as TWAT), intertwines the remorse of love lost with the self-realization and rueful retrospective of a life wrapped up in the illusions of grandeur.
This nuanced power ballad delves into the depths of romantic devastation, artistic reflection, and the bittersweet acceptance of personal growth. We’ll swim through the rich symbolism and poetic rawness of the song’s lyrics, aiming to untangle the complex web Axl Rose weaves with his trademark emotive delivery.
The Ballad of A Modern Oedipus: Love, Power, and Regret
‘Broken glass and cigarettes’ sets the stage for a story that reeks of the morning after – a metaphorical hangover from the indulgences and poor choices of the past. As Rose reflects on a summer bargain, one can’t help but ponder on the ephemeral nature of happiness and the price one pays for grasping at fleeting moments of joy. Each line flows with the remorse of a modern-day Oedipus, a protagonist embroiled in a tragedy of his own making.
The personal narrative laced throughout the song might suggest that Rose is grappling with his own history. Of particular interest is the dynamic between the giver and the taker in a relationship, mirrored in his own tumultuous encounters with love and fame.
‘The Devil Hates a Loser’ – Peeling Layer of the Proverbial Onion
In this standout line, Rose touches on something intrinsically fatalistic and undeniably human—the hatred for loss and the desire to emerge atop the chaos of existence. Here lies a compelling exposition of the human soul’s machinations, an artist wrestling with failure, pride, and the envy of the perceived success of others.
This line is a labyrinthine enigma, whispering truths about the dangers of pride and the bitter taste of defeat. It’s an evocative metaphor for the struggle one experiences when faced with the crumbling facade of their life’s conquests.
A Narcissistic Elegy: The Dichotomy of Feminine Power
Guns N’ Roses crafts a complex portrait of a woman—once an object of desire, now an emblem of betrayal. The lyrics are laced with resentment towards a woman who has ascended on the backs of the men in her life, an angelic figure whose halo is tarnished by the sins born from aspiration and survival.
‘Sleeping like an angel,’ juxtaposed with the ‘pedestal of men,’ delves deep into themes of dependency, manipulation, and the dichotomy of seeming innocence and underlying strategy.
Time Travel and Teardrops – The Human Condition Embodied
Rose’s contemplations on turning back time and the futility of reliving past agonies resonate as a universal cry from the heart. In his refusal to acknowledge the pain, there’s a profound statement on the human condition: knowing the truth does not necessarily alter the outcome, and sometimes ignorance is a chosen solace.
When Rose croons about tear drops, he’s forging an emotional connection to anyone who has ever desired the impossible – to reverse the irreparable, to unlearn the hurt. This poignant emotiveness is the crux of the song’s relatability.
The Hidden Meaning: Dissecting Axl’s Personal Apocalypse
Mulling over the repetition of ‘there was a time,’ we encounter not just a refrain but a musical mantra of sorts, a reminder that what has been cannot be again. This echo of time is a cruel mirage, a sequence of events that we wish could be rewritten but understand, deep down, that those chapters are closed.
Strapped within these powerful musical segments is Rose’s coded dialogue with his past – his rise and stumbles with fame, his intimate relationships, and the gnawing concept of time that heals and torments in equal measure. The repeating phrase, ‘I don’t wanna know it now,’ is not just the shield of the wounded but the weapon of the wiser.
