Guns N' Roses: November Rain Meaning

Song Released: 1992

November Rain Lyrics

When I look into your eyes
I can see a love restrained
But darlin' when I hold you
Don't you know I feel the same
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   zack.evans

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   Sep 21st 2010 !⃝

   November Rain is a song about love, pain and fear. The opening statement clearly says that the narrator sees the love in his partner’s eyes, restrained by a fear that she may be hurt. However, the love is there and the narrator feels it just as well. Now, one could extrapolate that these characters have had experience with pain, probably with each other. This is due to the fact that this is a relationship that has lasted for some time (echoed soon in the next verse, “…such a long, long time”). We are now introduced to our title phrase. November Rain is a metaphor for the troubled patches of a relationship, obviously linking the dreary, sad feelings of the two. And this “candle” is love. It’s hard to hold on to love with feelings of sadness and pain in your heart. The narrator offers that if they were truly in love, that they should simply “lay it on the line” in order for his spirit to rest on the matter. Otherwise he will be damned to walk through the November rain.
   Now we reach the B section. Just as the melody and structure changes, the lyrics contrast here as well. Our narrator now decides to give his love space rather than beg for an admission of love, insightfully musing that “Everybody needs some time.” He continues to reassure her that though it is hard to get over the wounds of the past, we must learn to put these feelings behind us rather than dwell on them. Sometimes it feels that the whole world, “...even friends,” are evil, and will only cause you harm. One must realize though, that to be able to “heal” these wounds would make time itself only a charm.
   The final reiteration of the title is accompanied by an optimistic verse. After fear, there is shadow. After blame there is love. There can be love despite darkness, so we can now see through the rain. Our hero implores his lover to put aside this darkness, and “find a way,” to love and happiness. After all that has happened, we see that nothing is capable of lasting forever. Neither love nor pain. Therefore, as sure as there is darkness, there will be light. Just euphoric love is fleeting, so are our times of despair.
   “Nothing lasts forever, Even cold November rain.”

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jul 3rd 2007 !⃝

   The phrase "November Rain" is used throughout the song symbolizing a period of depression from a flawed relationship. The imagery of a cold rainy November day is a perfect parallel to these feelings, in my opinion. The last time he utters the phrase, the context changes a bit. "Nothing lasts forever, even cold November rain." The lines leading up to it suggest that Axl believes that love can prevail in the end and whatever the problem was can be fixed. The fragments of their relationship left over from the damage can regroup and become whole again in his mind. Closing with a different reflection on the "November Rain" theme..."Nothing lasts forever, even cold November Rain." Axl ends the first act of the song with this optimistic mindset that bad times are not everlasting and they can both get through them.

3. 3TOP RATED

   #3 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   May 12th 2011 !⃝

   Going through a failed marriage right now, and listening to this song just brings me to tears. Haven't heard this one in a couple years. Only one word to sum it up "beautiful"... wish the band was still together.
4. DaymoRinz

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   Nov 7th 2022 !⃝

   OK THEN,
   
   To me November Rain is a ballad with a similar hidden meaning in the lyrics, as in the lyrics to Mr. Brownstone.
   
   November Rain to me is Crack Cocaine.
   
   Nothing lasts forever when you're smoking Crack Cocaine.
   
   Try replacing and tweaking the lyrics.
   
   If you wanna love me then darling don't refrain, or i'll just end up walking cos i've got my Crack Cocaine.
   
5. anonymous

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   Nov 3rd 2022 !⃝

   Socrates zuculini silvio rodriguez, fiumba.
   Final feliz
   
   Zumbi rumbi trumbi fiumbi
   Wumbicumbi
   
   Sasasas
6. anonymous

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   Feb 4th 2020 !⃝

   So is the song about them staying together?
7. anonymous

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   Dec 31st 2019 !⃝

   It's about a boy and a girl who are in a relationship or broke up and are together again or both experienced to be in a broken relationship. It's different meanings to different people. Recent interpreter, your heart will only be hurt so what's the purpose of listening to this sad song? They say time heals all wounds but healing time is different for each human being. It may take seconds, minutes, hours, weeks, months, years, or forever. To each his own. Different people have different ways of healing or coping or adjusting. It's normal to be brokenhearted because it happens to those who have loved. Hope you will encounter the one who has pure and true love for you.
   
   Hope you have a good life.
   
8. anonymous

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   Dec 31st 2019 !⃝

   I was in a relationship for almost 3 years. He recently broke up with me in November, a month ago and it hurts so much. Listening to this song hurts me so much.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
9. anonymous

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   Jul 30th 2019 !⃝

   I feel like Axel is suppressing the fact that he is secretly in love with Slash. “Even when friends seem out to harm you!” Yeah you tell em’ Axel!!!

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
10. anonymous

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    Sep 23rd 2018 !⃝

    I can relate to that song.I have been through all these ...and deep down I know I love my person and I ame loved the same way...but dont know if to stay i his memories or let go.I try every minute...to let go the bad past and look forward for future,But dont know whats holding me back.just know the past love was ultimate for me.I cant love someone that much anymore.I have so much love for Axl too for such an amazing lyrics.
11. anonymous

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    Jun 3rd 2018 !⃝

    I think is about homo
12. anonymous

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    Mar 31st 2018 !⃝

    He’s pleading for the relationship not to die.. he’ll do whatever it takes even with the excuse of giving them space. Although deep down he knows it’s dead, in the sense that the turn of events have cristallize the end. He loves her and perhaps she does as well. Yet, she’s made up her mind she’s letting go and he knows it but he still has a thread of hope.. he’s trying to not accept the ending by not giving up..although he senses it’s over.
13. anonymous

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    Dec 6th 2017 !⃝

    all the above considered. they do get back
    together. she then dies in a car accident.
    in the end he is saddened and flashbacking to
    all of it.
14. Axl_9

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    Sep 18th 2017 !⃝

    November rain portrays a relationship that hasn't happened, yet.
15. anonymous

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    Apr 21st 2016 !⃝

    "We've been through this such a long long time
    Just tryin' to kill the pain, oo yeah
    But love is always coming and love is always going
    And no one's really sure who's lettin' go today...walking away"
    
    If you've ever been in a long relationship that has gotten tired, that you thought could never be revived, that one or both of you gave up on, but didn't leave, and then one or both of you cheated on the other, and still didn't leave, and still wanted to reach back and find, grab, and hold on again to what you once had, and you're trying to figure out how to help the other person get to where you are, or you are both trying, but running into roadblocks occasionally, heartbreak, blame, mixed with hope, tenderness, and fragility.....well....I'm going through that right now. We are successful way more days than we fail, but the failures and setbacks still happen, and we get through them and have hope and tenderness and actual loving amidst the fragility. And pretty much every line of the song resonates, by itself and with the other lines....and I'm not even a fan of Guns N' Roses. Great piece of music, great lyrics.
16. anonymous

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    Oct 16th 2013 !⃝

    I'm relating...after a bad break-up and months of questioning the two years I threw away I met someone I feel I'm falling in love with. Clearly love is pouring out of my eyes and heart for this new person but I'll pull it back sometimes...
    afraid of giving my heart away again and getting hurt.
17. anonymous

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    Oct 19th 2012 !⃝

    i think this song is about a couple where the girl loves the guy more..but he is more into his friends and having fun ..so, he doesnt spend much time with her alone..not realising how deeply she loved him(thats why her love is refrained), and he is a person who needs a lot of space in the relationship, his time alone..and finally the girl gives up and commits suicide..so he finally understands how much she loved him..
18. anonymous

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    Aug 11th 2012 !⃝

    You're all missing an important element. The November rain isn't a metaphor...it literally means the women who rain in from the beach. It's a southern cali expression, when the beach bunnies start looking for a place to shack up for the winter.
    
    In the summertime, no strung out rocker like axl can compete with the surfers for girls, but in the fall, things are different.
    
    It's axl rose saying, if you walk out now, ill just go play in the rain. (All of these women.)

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