Estranged Lyrics
When you're talkin' to yourself
And nobody's home
You can fool yourself
You came in this world alone, alone
[Chorus]
So nobody ever told you, baby
How it was gonna be?
What'll happen to you, baby?
Guess we'll have to wait and see
(One, two)
[Verse 1]
Old at heart, but I'm only 28
And I'm much too young to let love break my heart
Young at heart, but it's getting much too late
To find ourselves so far apart
[Bridge]
I don't know how you're s'posed to find me lately
And what more could you ask from me?
How could you say that I never needed you?
When you took everything
Said, you took everything from me
Hey, yeah
Young at heart, and it gets so hard to wait
When no one I know can seem to help me now
Old at heart, but I mustn't hesitate
If I'm to find my own way out
[Pre-Chorus]
Still, talkin' to myself
And nobody's home, alone
[Chorus]
So nobody ever told us, baby
How it was gonna be
What'll happen to us, baby?
Guess we'll have to wait and see
[Instrumental Break 03:38-05:21]
[Verse 3]
When I find out all the reasons
Maybe I'll find another way
Find another day
With all the changin' seasons of my life
Maybe I'll get it right next time
And now that you've been broken down
Got your head out of the clouds
Back down on the ground
And you don't talk so loud
And you don't walk so proud
Anymore and what for?
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 4]
Well I jumped into the river
Too many times to make it home
I'm out here on my own
And drifting all alone
If it doesn't show
Give it time to read between the lines
'Cause I see the storm is getting closer
And the waves, they get so high
Seems everything we've ever known's here
Why must it drift away and die?
[Instrumental Break 07:25-08:22]
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 5/Outro]
I'll never find anyone to replace you
Guess I'll have to make it through
This time
Woah, this time
Without you
I knew the storm was getting closer
And all my friends said I was high
But everything we've ever known's here
I never wanted it to die
About
The third song in the unofficial “Del James trilogy” including “Don’t Cry” and “November Rain.”
The director of the music video, Andy Morahan, said:
By the time we got to ‘Estranged’, Axl had split up with Stephanie Seymour, and he said, ‘I never want a girl in a video again. I’d rather go out with a dolphin.’ Which is why I put dolphins all over the video.
According to Matt Sorum, “November Rain,” “Don’t Cry” and “Estranged” form a trilogy of sorts. Sorum played the same drum fill throughout those three songs, and took some criticism for doing so – notably from former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy.
Sorum points out that this was intentional, a way of unifying the songs. “That was my part in tying enough songs together to make it one voice,” he told us.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Axl has previously said this song is very close to him, even calling it his ‘baby’ while introducing it at a show. In the ‘Making F@cking Videos’ series, he explains the nature of the song:
“November Rain” is a song about not wanting to be in a state of having to deal with unrequited love. “Estranged” is acknowledging it and being there and having to figure out what the fuck to do… I wrote the song basically about who I am and how I feel, the break up of my marriage with Erin and how I didn’t want it to die. But also apply it to a lot of other situations or friendships where you knew it had to end.
