Get in the Ring
Encyclopedia
"Get in the Ring" is the fifth song on the Guns N' Roses
album Use Your Illusion II
. It was written by Axl Rose
, Duff McKagan
and Slash
and is directed at music critics who gave the band negative reviews because of their actions on stage. Critics from Hit Parader
(Andy Secher
), Circus
, Kerrang!
(Mick Wall
) and Spin (Bob Guccione, Jr.
) are all mentioned by name.
Allegedly, Mick Wall of Kerrang! music magazine was mentioned because of his book 'Guns N’ Roses: The Most Dangerous Band in the World’, which was a no holds barred
collection of interviews and stories about the band. Mick Wall denies this, and claims that the real reason for his mention was an interview he wrote in early 1990 for Kerrang! about Axl Rose’s threat to harm Vince Neil
of Mötley Crüe
over an incident involving Vince’s wife and Izzy Stradlin
.
The song's reference to Bob Guccione Jr. includes a comment about his father
(founder of Penthouse
magazine) 'gets more pussy' than Guccione Jr. does. The younger Guccione actually responded in a letter to Axl Rose, saying that he accepted the challenge; however, no fight ever occurred.
The song is notorious for its amount of swearing
. The song was originally written by McKagan with the title "Why Do You Look at Me When You Hate Me?". Nevertheless, the title was shortened, and the original title became the first line in the final version. It was then going to be titled "Get in the Ring Motherfucker," but that was changed as well.
The song heard on the album was actually not performed live, but was rather recorded in the studio and crowd noises were added to it (similar to all the songs on Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide), recorded from a concert in Saratoga Springs, New York
on June 10, 1991. Such noises included the "Guns N' Roses" chant in the beginning and the "get in the ring" chant at the end.
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...
album 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...
. It was written by 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...
, Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael 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...
and Slash
Slash (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'...
and is directed at music critics who gave the band negative reviews because of their actions on stage. Critics from Hit Parader
Hit Parader
Hit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
(Andy Secher
Andy Secher
Andy Secher, based in New York City, is the long-time editor of Hit Parader, a magazine geared for the heavy metal rock and roll audience. Secher began writing about rock music in college. Soon after graduating, he started a syndicated column that ran in major newspapers, including the New York...
), Circus
Circus (magazine)
Circus was a monthly American magazine devoted to rock music. It was published from 1966 to 2006. In its heyday the magazine had a full-time editorial staff that included some of the biggest names in rock journalism, including Paul Nelson, David Fricke, and Kurt Loder, and rivaled Rolling Stone in...
, Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
(Mick Wall
Mick Wall
Mick Wall is a British music journalist, radio and TV presenter, and author.Wall began his career contributing to the music weekly Sounds in 1977, where he wrote on punk and the new wave, before graduating to rockabilly, funk, New Romantic pop and, eventually, hard rock and heavy metal...
) and Spin (Bob Guccione, Jr.
Bob Guccione, Jr.
Robert Charles Guccione, Jr. is the eldest son of Penthouse founder Bob Guccione. He is best known for founding music magazine Spin.-Publishing career:...
) are all mentioned by name.
Allegedly, Mick Wall of Kerrang! music magazine was mentioned because of his book 'Guns N’ Roses: The Most Dangerous Band in the World’, which was a no holds barred
No holds barred
No holds barred or no-holds-barred may refer to:Sports*One of several types of fighting, including:** Hand-to-hand combat, where indeed no maneuvers are prohibited** Hybrid martial arts, which combine elements from several particular martial arts...
collection of interviews and stories about the band. Mick Wall denies this, and claims that the real reason for his mention was an interview he wrote in early 1990 for Kerrang! about Axl Rose’s threat to harm Vince Neil
Vince Neil
Vincent Neil Wharton is an American vocalist and musician, best known as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.-Early life:Neil was born in Hollywood, California to Odie and Shirley Wharton...
of Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
over an incident involving Vince’s wife and 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...
.
The song's reference to Bob Guccione Jr. includes a comment about his father
Bob Guccione
Bob Guccione was the founder and publisher of the adult magazine Penthouse. He resigned from his publisher position in November 2003.-Early life:...
(founder of Penthouse
Penthouse (magazine)
Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International...
magazine) 'gets more pussy' than Guccione Jr. does. The younger Guccione actually responded in a letter to Axl Rose, saying that he accepted the challenge; however, no fight ever occurred.
The song is notorious for its amount of swearing
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
. The song was originally written by McKagan with the title "Why Do You Look at Me When You Hate Me?". Nevertheless, the title was shortened, and the original title became the first line in the final version. It was then going to be titled "Get in the Ring Motherfucker," but that was changed as well.
The song heard on the album was actually not performed live, but was rather recorded in the studio and crowd noises were added to it (similar to all the songs on Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide), recorded from a concert in Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
on June 10, 1991. Such noises included the "Guns N' Roses" chant in the beginning and the "get in the ring" chant at the end.