Duff McKagan - "Beautiful Disease"


Seattle Head // Who's To Blame // Superman // Song For Beverly // Put You Back // Shinin' Down // Missing You // Hope // Holiday // Then and Now // Rain // Beautiful Disease // Mezz




Seattle Head

"This got its name from my Marshall head that was up
in Seattle. I got this sound at the beginning, it's
the scratching of the strings. [Co-producer] Noel
Golden asked me where I got that sound, and I said,
"It's my Seattle head." So the name just stuck.
Lyrically, the song's about the love/hate relationship
I have with L.A." - Duff
---

SEATTLE HEAD
(Duff McKagan)

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG, I HAD A DREAM
MOVIN' TO THE CITY SIGHT UNSEEN
19 YEARS OF AGE I PACKED UP BAGS
HOLLYWOOD WAS ALL THE RAGE
I CAME TO YOU IN 1984
YOU SHOWED ME IN, THEN YOU SHUT THE DOOR
IT DIDN'T TAKE ME LONG TO LEARN TO PLAY THE GAME
A KICK IN THE HEAD ALWAYS FEELS THE SAME

(CHORUS)
LOS ANGELES, YOU'RE A FUCKIN WHORE
HOLLYWOOD, YOU'RE AN OPEN SORE

I PLAYED IT WELL, AND I PLAYED IT FAST
LIVIN' SLOW WAS IN THE PAST
CHICKS AND DRUGS AND GETTIN' BURNT
JUST A FEW OF THE THINGS I `LEARNT'
GOT SICK AND TIRED OF BEIN' SCARED AS HELL
A WASTED MAN, JUST A SHELL OF MYSELF
BUT THAT WAS THEN, AND THIS IS NOW
MY PRETTY BABY, I'VE CHANGED SOMEHOW
(CHORUS 2)
LOS ANGELES, YOU'VE LOST YOU'RE GRIP
DRUGS AND LIES AND WHORES SUCKIN DICK

(B-VERSE)
I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY
LA'S HAD ME FOR SO LONG
WHEN I LOOK I CAN SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY
WHAT DOESN'T KILL ME MAKES ME STRONG

(BRIDGE)
LOS ANGELES, I DIDN'T SELL MY SOUL TO YOU
LOS ANGELES, YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD KILL ME
YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD TAKE ME DOWN
FUCK THAT, POWER TO ME

(CHORUS)
(B-VERSE)

SOMETIMES IT GOES LIKE THIS
SOMETIMES IT'S THE ONLY WAY, TO LEARN IT
A KICK IN THE HEAD

Top Of Page

Who's to Blame "It's about the breakup of Guns." - Duff --- WHO'S TO BLAME (Duff McKagan) WHAT DID I DO TODAY? SOME PEOPLE THINK I WENT AND THREW IT AWAY BUT THAT WAS YESTERDAY I CAN'T REMEMBER MUCH OF THAT ANYWAY I WONDER WHO'S TO BLAME? OR DOES IT REALLY MATTER MUCH ANYWAY? OR IF WE STAYED THE SAME? IF ANYONE OF US WOULD BE HERE TODAYŠ..YEAH I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT ANYMORE, SO TIRED OF THINKING IT THROUGH I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT ANYMORE, WHO'S TO BLAME ME OR YOU? I HAD SO MUCH FUN, WAS GOING TO LIVE SO FAST AND DIE VERY YOUNG BUT I WAS 21, I'M SO GLAD I'M HERE TO SING THIS SONGŠŠŠYEAH I WONDER WHO'S TO BLAME? OR DOES IT REALLY MATTER MUCH ANYWAY? OR IF WE STAYED THE SAME? IF ANYONE OF US WOULD BE HERE TODAYŠŠŠYEAH I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT ANYMORE, SO TIRED OF THINKING IT THROUGH I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT ANYMORE, WHO'S TO BLAME ME OR YOU? I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT ANYMORE. SO TIRED OF THINKING IT THROUGH I DON'T CARE ABOUT IT ANYMORE, WHO'S TO BLAME ME OR YOU? Top Of Page
Superman "I hold some things high and sacred, and making love is one of them. In real life, I'd love to be a woman's Superman, her only one." - Duff --- SUPERMAN (Duff McKagan) FATE FINDS A WAY, OF PICKIN YOU UP WHEN YOU'RE DOWN I REMEMBER EVERTHING, AND I KNOW FOR SURE AIN'T LIKE IT WAS BEFORE, I KNOW I CAN SHUT THAT DOOR (CHORUS) I WANNA BE YOUR SUPERMAN WON'T YOU GIVE ME YOU HAND SO I CAN SHOW YOU LET DOWN YOUR HAIR AND MOVE ON OVER NEXT TO ME I WANNA SEE YOU SKIN, BEAUTIFUL WHITE, SOFT IN THE LIGHT WE'LL JUST FORGET THE PAST, WE CAN HAVE TONITE AT LAST (CHORUS) (BRIDGE) YOU CAN ALWAYS LEAN ON ME YOU CAN DRESS ME TO WHATEVER YOUR VISION OF A DREAM MAN IS ON MY PRETTY BABY, CAN'T YOU SEE I WANNA BE YOUR EVERYTHING I REMEMBER YESTERDAY, IT'S A LONG WAYS AWAY I DON'T KNOW JUST WHAT YOUR GONNA DO BUT I ALWAYS WANNA BE RIGHT NEXT TO YOU BUT I ALWAYS WANNA BE RIGHT NEXT TO YOU (CHORUS) Top Of Page
Song For Beverly "My girlfriend, who was a model, tells me stories sometimes. The one she told about this girl Beverly was really eerie: She started modeling really young, and she started doing coke and then shooting dope, and she just disappeared. She was adopted, and she herself had a baby, a daughter. So I just started thinking about Beverly. It was this really odd and dark mystery to me: Where are you? Where's your daughter? Are you trying to find your own mother? And I wrote this song. But now she's reappeared. I hung out with her one day. She's got herself straight, and she's going to school, and her daughter's great. But the mystery of the song is sort of ruined." - Duff --- SONG FOR BEVERLY (Duff McKagan) WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO HATEFUL? WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO SAD? IS IT BECAUSE YOU GREW UP TO FAST? DID SOMEONE BREAK YOUR HEART UP BAD? (CHORUS) YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, YOU ARE IT'S TRUE WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO YOU LATELY? DID YOU GO OFF WITH THE PAINTED MAN? DO YOU WONDER WHO'S YOUR MOTHER? DON'T LET YOUR BABY GUESS WHO'S YOU (CHORUS 2) YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, YOU ARE IT'S TRUE IT'S YOU YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, YOU ARE IT'S TRUE YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, YOU ARE IT'S TRUE Top Of Page
Put You Back "Izzy and I wrote this one. He rides his motorcycle everywhere; he just goes out into the desert with extra gas and water and supplies. He finds these trails that go to Mexico from Arizona, and he's gone for days. So he found a guy out there, a Mexican who was trying to go to L.A. The guy was lost; he was going north-east. Izzy put him on his bike, gave him a sandwich and water, and took him up to the highway. He gave him some money and said, "You wanna go that way -- you wanna go west, dude." I hope he made it." - Duff --- PUT YOU BACK (Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin) YOU WALKED THE OCEAN YOU CROSSED THE SEA SANDS OF THE DESERT SANDS BENEATH YOUR FEET (CHORUS) THEY WANNA PUT YA BACK DOWN THEY WANNA PUT YA BACK DOWN THEY WANNA PUT YA BACK DOWN THEY'RE NOT GONNA LET YOU THROUGH TIME TURNS TO HOURS DAYS INTO WEEKS STARS SEEM TO GUIDE HIM INTO THE EAST (CHORUS) (BRIDGE) DID YOU LEAVE ANYONE YOUR MOTHER MUST BE MISSIN' HER SON IS ANYBODY WAITIN' FOR YOU OR IS THIS SOMETHIN' NEW? LIVE WITHOUT MONEY LIVE WITHOUT HOME DIE WITHOUT WATER SLOWLY, LOST Iì ROAM (CHORUS) Top Of Page
Shinin' Down "This is an Al Bloch song. It was kind of a depressing story about a white-trash life with no way out. But this kid in the story is fighting his way out. And I reinterpreted it as, anybody can do that, get out of any situation. "Shinin' Down" sounds almost like you're talking about God, but it's any kind of inspiration. If somebody wants it to be God, great. Or it could be yourself, shining down." - Duff --- SHINING DOWN (AL BLOCH) SISTER'S IN THE OLD BARN, SLEEPING OFF A BIG STORM BROTHER'S AT THE POOL HALL, THINKING ALL HIS BAD THOUGHTS PAPA'S IN THE CELLAR, SNEAKING OFF A QUICK DRINK AND GOD IS UP IN HEAVEN, NO ONE CARES WHAT HE THINKS (CHORUS) SHINING DOWN, SHINING DOWN MAMA'S LIVING IN HER GRAVE, BURIED WITH THE FRYING PAN I'M JUST SITTING ON THE PORCH, WAITING FOR THE MAILMAN PAPA DOESN'T HAVE MUCH HOPE, HE WISHES THINGS WERE BETTER WHEN I GET A CHANCE TO LEAVE, IT'S GOING TO BE FOREVER (CHORUS) SHINING DOWN, SHINING DOWNŠŠYEAH AT NIGHT SOMETIMES I TAKE A WALK, DOWN BY THE POWER LINES SOMEWHERE I CAN BE ALONE, SIT AND SMELL THE OZONE GOD SAYS ³DON'T YOU BE AFRAID² HE CAN MAKE IT BETTER IF I GET A CHANCE TO LEAVE, IT'S GOING TO BE FOREVER SHINING DOWN, SHINING DOWN, SHINING DOWN, SHINING DOWN Top Of Page
Missing You "I don't even want to try to count how many of my best friends I've lost to heroin. This song was me finally being pissed off. The chorus says, "I won't be missing you." There's only so much you can do." - Duff --- MISSING YOU (Duff McKagan, Michael Barragan) AT HOME ALONE, MY ETERNAL ATONEMENT I'VE BEEN MISSIN' YOU SO SICK AND TIRED, OF BEIN' FUCKED UP AND LIED TO I HOPE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE I'VE SEEN YOU LONG, AND I'VE FELT YA STRONG BUT NOW I CAN'T GET THROUGH AND THEN YOU LIED, YOU WERE GETTIN' HIGH I HOPE YOU'RE TURNIN' BLUE (CHORUS) AND IN THE NIGHT, WHEN I FELL ALRIGHT I WON'T BE MISSIN' YOU THEN YOU LIED, YOU WERE GETTIN' HIGH I HOPE YOU'RE TURNIN' BLUE (CHORUS 2) ALL MY HEROES GONE FACãTS' DARKER THAN FICTION AS MY NIGHTMARE CARRIES ON AND ON (CHORUS) I USED TO ASK YOU HOW LONG YOU WE'RE GONNA CARRY ON WHEN YOU LIED I KNEW YOU WERE GONE (BRIDGE) THE LINES WERE CLEARLY DRAWN SAD MEMORIES OF YOU, SLOWLY GONE THE WORLD WILL CARRY ON WITHOUT YOU (CHORUS 2) (CHORUS) AND NOW THAT YOU'RE GONE, I'M GONNA CARRY ON THE LINES WERE CLEARLY DRAWN Top Of Page
Hope "It's about hope. There's fear in L.A., racial fear, fear of crime. This is a song about hope." - Duff -- HOPE (Duff McKagan) THE CLOWNS HAVE COME TO REST, THE JESTER'S SOLD HIS SOUL, THE WORLD HAS LOST ITS LAUGH, HUMAN KIND IS TURNING COLD IT'S TIME TO SAY YOUR GRACE, IT'S TIME TO CALL YOUR FRIENDS, START YOUR LAUGHING INSTEAD OF CRYING CAUSE THE END IS NOWERE NEAR...YEAH A MAN DIED OF FEAR TODAY, THEY SAY HE LOST HIS WAY TIME BOMB IN CENTRAL PARK, DON'T GO OUT AFTER DARK IT'S TIME TO SAY YOUR GRACE, IT'S TIME TO CALL YOUR FRIENDS AND START YOU LAUGHING INSTEAD OF CRYING CAUSE THE END IS NOWHERE NEAR...YEAH HEAVEN ONLY HOPES, HEAVEN ONLY KNOWS, TO SEE HER CHILDREN JUST LAUGHING, NOT DYING FOR SOMEONE'S FAITH HOPE ISÖ WHAT SHE GAVE HER LOVE FOR FEAR BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN ALONE BEFORE FATE SO THAT YOU'D FIGHT A HOLY WAR, I STILL DON'T GET IT HEAVEN ONLY HOPES A CHILD WAS BORN TODAY, PURE INNOCENCE OF HEART HOPE BRISTLES FROM HER SMILE, FATE LAIDENS IN THE DARK IT'S TIME TO SAY YOUR GRACE, IT'S TIME TO CALL YOUR FRIENDS AND START YOUR LAUGHING INSTEAD OF CRYING CAUSE THE END IS NOWHERE NEAR...YEAH HEAVEN ONLY HOPES, HEAVEN ONLY KNOWS TO SEE HER CHILDREN JUST LAUGHING NOT DYING FOR SOMEONE'S FAITH...DYING FOR SOMEONE'S FAITH...DYING FOR SOMEONE'S FAITH Top Of Page
Holiday "This one's just about taking a mental holiday from the day-to-day grind. " - Duff --- HOLIDAY (Al Bloch) GOT A ACHING HEAD, WAKING UP THE DEAD WRAPPED UP IN A SHROUD, FLOATING ON A CLOUD TRYING TO CATCH SOME ZEES, BRAIN IS FULL OF BEE'S MISTER, MISTER PLEASE, WON'T YOU PLEASE LEAVE ME BE (CHORUS) I'M ON HOLIDAY, I'M ON HOLIDAY DREAMING OFF IN SPACE, TIME AND A PLACE LIFE CALLS MY NAME, WON'T PLAY THE GAME LITTLêE JOY SLEEP BRINGS, TELEPHONE SINGS ANSWERING MACHINE, WON'T YOU PLEASE KILL THE RING (CHORUS 2) I'M ON HOLIDAY, I'M ON HOLIDAY LET'S ROCK. KIRT BLOCH TIRED OF WAKING UP, COFFEE IN MY CUP BRAIN IS SETTING SAIL, TODAY I CAN'T FAIL WALKING WITH THE SNAKES, SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS HONEY, HONEY PLEASE, DON'T YOU LEAVE ME IN THE DARK (CHORUS) Top Of Page
Then And Now "This is the song about getting sober. My friend Paul Soldier helped me write it. We were in this old band called the Fartz, a punk rock band." - Duff --- THEN AND NOW (Duff McKagan, Paul Solger) WHEN I FIRST SAW YOUR BABY, YOU WERE GONE, SO FUCKIN' GONE THE SCENE WAS SET FOR ARMADEDDON, AND YOUR GRIP ON ME WAS STRONG (CHORUS) IF YOU SAW ME YESTERDAY, YOU WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE MY FACE IF YOU SAW ME YESTERDAY, YEAH YOU MIGHT'VE RAN AWAY SISTER UPTOWN, YOU'RE A METAPHOR FOR ALL LIFES GREIF AND PAIN BROTHER DOWNTOWN, SUCH A DEVIL, MAKE A SNAKE OUT OF ANY MAN (CHORUS) (BRIDGE) DON'T FEEL LIKE CRAWLIN' OUT OF MY CAGE I USED TO SAY ANOTHER LAME SO NG AND DANCE ABOUT A THING FROM MY PAST, I HOPE IT'S NOT BORING YOU IN THE END I COST A FEW FRIENDS BUT I GOT UP AND I RAN AWAY DRUGS PARTY IN 526 IS WHERE I GOT MY KICKS BUT WHERE ARE TODAY? DEAD AND GONE, THE DAMAGE IS DONE, I GOT NOTHIN' ELSE TO SAY (CHORUS) Top Of Page
Rain "It's about finding somebody to take care of, and I've found that with my daughter." - Duff --- RAIN (Duff McKagan) AIN'T NO FUN, HAVING NO ONE I'M SO GONE AIN'T NEVER COMING BACK CRAMP MY STYLE, CAN'T FIND MY MIND A PIECE OF ME JUST FELL OFF THE TRACKS GOT STUCK ONE NIGHT, ON THE RUN, IT CAME TO ME LIKE A LOADED GUN I GOT SCARED OF MY SHADOW, DON'T WANT TO HIDE FROM THE FEAR NO MORE...NO I FALL DOWN, NO ONE TO PICK ME UP NO ONE TO PICK ME UP I THANK YOU GOD FOR HEARING ME, ONE RAINY NIGHT I WAS ON MY KNEES YOU SENT THE GIRL OF MY DREAMS, AND I'M THE ONE FOR HER IT SEEMS (CHORUS) LET THE RAIN COME DOWN ON ME, LET THE RAIN COME DOWN ON YOU TOO. LET THE RAIN COME DOWN ON ME, LET THE RAIN COME DONW ON YOU TOO. I FALL DOWN, NO ONE TO PICK ME UPŠNO I FALL DOWN, NOW THE RAIN POUNDS DONW ON ME, THE RAIN POUNDS DOWN ON ME YEAH...YEAH IT WAS SO HARD BUT NOW IT'S PLAIN TO SEE AT LONG LAST, I'VE GOT THE WOMAN OF MY DREAMS LET THE RAIN I'VE SEEN WAR LIVE THROUGH MY PAIN, SAVED MY LIFE FROM A BITTER END I CAN'T FIND MY SHADOW AIN'T GONNA HIDE FROM THAT FEAR NO MORE I LET THE RAIN COME DOWN ON ME, LET THE RAIN COME DOWN ON YOU TOO. LET THE RAIN COME DOWN ON ME, LET THE RAIN COME DOWN ON YOU TOO. Top Of Page
Beautiful Disease "After I got out of the hospital and got sober, I just kind of lost it in a good way for a while. It's like when you're 18, and you're questioning everything. I feel like I was doing that again, but from the perspective of someone who'd been through some shit and knew a little more." - Duff --- BEAUTIFUL DISEASE (Duff McKagan, Eddie Hewlett) I THINK I'M GONNA FREAK OUT, THROUW OUT MY SANITY BLAME IT ON MY LACK OF EDUCATION, FORCED SOBRIETY GONNA WHIP IT OUT MY DOUBLE BARREL AND PLAY RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH ONE WHEN I WIN, I'M GONNA PULL MY SKIN OFF AND GIVE IT TO SOMEONE (CHORUS) BEAUTIFUL DISEASE UGLY IS SO BEAUTIFUL WHEN YOU HIT IT WITH A STICK POLITICAL CORRECTIVENESS IS SUCH A SHAM, IT'S MAKIN' ME SICK SOMETIMES I GOTTA ASK MYSELF WHY A KICK IN THE HEAD FEELS GOOD THE MORE THEY TRY TO BEAT ME DOWN, THE MORE I THINK IT'S UNDERSTOODŠ.THAT (CHORUS) (BRIDGE) OPINIONS ARE LIKE ASSHOLES, AND YOU SMELL LIKE AND OPEN SEWER I LOST MY MIND, 30 TIMES, CAUSE OF BULLSHIT PULLED ON TOUR IT'S MY WAR, AND I WANT IT, RIGHT NOW (CHORUS) HERE WE GO ONCE AGAIN IT'S TIME TO TAKE MY LIBRIUM SPIDERS CRAWLIN' UP THE WALLS WILL YOU CATCH ME IF I FALL? ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND HE GOES WHERE HE STOPS, NOBODY KNOWS Top Of Page
Mezz "I read a lot of books, mostly nonfiction. And I don't watch a lot of TV, but I like my Seattle sports teams. I've also seen the Cirque du Soleil perform a bunch of times. There are lines in this song about a lot of those things I've read about or seen. It's like, "God, I wish I could have been there. I wish I could have done that." These are things I think everybody wishes, in some form -- they wish they could be there." - Duff --- MEZZ (Duff McKagan) I WANNA BE THE WORLDS BEST LOVER I WANNA BE ON EVERY COVER I WANNA BE THE FLYING MAN IN THE CIRQUE DE SOLIEL BUT I'M ME, AND THAT'S ALL I'LL EVER BE I WANNA BE LIKE SERPICO, OR A FREEDOM FIGHTER DOWN IM MEXICO, A BLACK MAN IN THE FIFTIES SOUTH, SEE WHAT FAKE WHITE FREEDOM WAS (IS?) ALL ABOUT I WANNA `RECON' IN VIETNAM, SHOOT A BALL LIKE GARY PAYTON, I WANNA TALK TO JESUS CHRIST, A-BOMB THE EXTREME RIGHT BUT I'M ME, AND THAT'S ALL I'LL EVER BE. (CHORUS) IF IT WAS UP TO ME, I'D BE THOSE THINGS AND SOM MUCH MORE IF IT WAS ME, I'D TALK TO GOD AND KICK DOWN EVERY DOOR I REALLY WANNA SAVE THE PLANET, END ALL WARS AND DESTRUCTIVE HABITS, I WANNA RAISE HELL WITH THE C.D.C, SEE IF ALL IS BEING DONE ABOUT THAT FUCKIN DISEASE, I WANNA BE LIKE RANDY JOHNSON, PLAY GUITAR LIKE MICK RONSON, WANNA SET MY SIGHTS ON ART COLLECTIONS, GIVE HOMELESS PEOPLE A NEW DIRECTION BUT I'M ME, AND THAT'S ALL I'LL EVER BE AND I SEE, THERE'S SOME THINGS I DON'T NEED. (CHORUS) SOLO IF IT WAS UP TO ME I'D BREAK DOWN EVERY WALL LET THE POOR HAVE IT ALL BAN ALL WAR, IF YOU PLEASE AND END DISEASE (CHORUS) Top Of Page