From the facts stated above in “Don’t Cry”, the researcher found that
Stephanie was actually a good person while Axl was the evil one . Axl’s fear was
too excessive at that time. His fear was actually because his need to receive love that he has actually got from Stephanie, while he was the one who didn’t give his
love to Stephanie, instead. Entirely, this song is about fear inside a flawed relationship. In this song, the
meaning of fear itself was Ax l’s fear that someday Stephanie is owned by another
man. That was why he murdered her by a gunshot, so that no one could own her; and so did Axl. Flawed relationship here was not a flaw inside the relation itself,
but it was flawed because of Axl’s cunning who murdered Stephanie in order to
make her owned by no one.
c. Estranged
Estranged is a condition where a husband or wife who is not now living with the person they are married to. From that brief title which is clearly showed the
meaning of the word, the researcher found that it was because Axl wanted everyone to know that he was the one to blame. It might be his expression of an apologize.
This song is actually the climax of the trilogy since the trilogy ended in Axl’s long
lasting regrets that maybe still continuing until this time. This song considered as the last song of the trilogy since the song is about a
very deep regret of Axl Rose; which was known as an ignorant person, and it completely depicts Axl’s regrets. From the statement above, the researcher
concludes that the regret was very serious and the pressure was very strong. One of
his regrets depicted on a scene in “November Rain” where there is a blood-crying
Jesus sculpture which means: as a rock star, Axl depicted himself at that time as a Jesus a person who is known by everyone and can do anything see appendix D.
There are many statements which showed Axl’s regrets after he lost Stephanie that
found in this song. The first is on the whole third stanza.
Old at heart but Im only 28 9 And Im much too young 10
To let love break my heart 11 Young at heart but its getting much too late 12
To find ourselves so far apart 13
That stanza can be interpreted as Axl’s regrets because he has messed up his
own life since he has done everything without thinking forward. He thought that he was the center of the world so that he became arrogant and he
didn’t notice to anyone’s suggestions due to his relation; until the time he realized that everything
that he has afforded was too late and useless. The stanza also clearly showed his confession that his acts were too reckless, whereas at that time he was still a young
man who still needed more experiences and advices. From the statement above, the researcher found that
Axl’s regret was actually because he has nobody to love; while everyone needs love, and it is match
with Maslow’s statement 1970 about the need to belong to a family and the need to receive love.
The next statements are on some lines in the fourth stanza.
I dont know how youre sposed 14 To find me lately 15
Those lines implied that Axl realized everything lately. He shouldn’t have
lost Stephanie if only he could bear his ego and take his anger off early. From that explanation, Axl did that action because of the need to receive love so he doggedly
asked for Stephanie’s attention, whereas Stephanie was the one who had given her love
. That Axl’s need is match with Maslow’s statement 1970 about the need to receive love.
The other reason that strengthen the statement that this song is about Axl regret was found in some lines on eighth stanza.
And now that youve been broken down 35 Got your head out of the clouds 36
Youre back down on the ground 37 And you dont talk so loud 38
And you dont walk so proud 39 Any more, and what for 40
That stanza showed that after Axl and Stephanie had divorced, all the good memories of their good times
were suddenly appeared and haunting surround Axl’s mind. Axl implicitly said that the memories were useless and it only made him sink
deeper in his regrets. If only the memories came earlier when they were still together, maybe Axl would made it as a reminder that his happiness was actually
his relationship with Stephanie. From the statement above, the researcher concludes that it is match with Maslow’s statement 1970 due to the aspect of human contact
and the need to receive love. In the ninth stanza, the researcher also found some lines that strengthen the
statement in the paragraph above.
Seems everything weve ever knowns here 48 Why must it drift away and die 49
Those lines implicitly said that all the good things they have done now mean nothing since they have no time to spend together anymore. There should be more
good memories to be made actually if they were still together, but unfortunately it was not the way they took. This statement is also strengthened by some line in the
eleventh stanza which is almost the same with the lines above, but it has deeper meaning in term of long lasting regrets faced by Axl.
But everything weve ever knowns here 56 I never wanted it to die 57
The only thing Axl could get from Stephanie now was only the memories of them; so that he
doggedly didn’t want to forget it. From the statement above, the researcher found that Axl trapped his own in his memories, and he intentionally
tortured himself within it so that he could feel what Stephanie also felt in the past; or at least he still owned her although it was just her memories.
Entirely, the song is clearly about Axl’s very deep regret caused by his
recklessness in the past which caused the loss of his beloved. The word “beloved”
here is not only related to a person, but also it could be interpreted as a dream. It also answered the question why this song is the climax of the trilogy, since the
trilogy depicted an image of love, dishonestly, and regrets. The researcher found that the trilogy here actually
means Axl’s journey in living his glamorous life which ended because of dishonesty, and finally put him in a regret; while the common
problem that may ends someone’s prosperity are also wealth, throne, and love.
