The General – English Lyrics

• By: Guns N' Roses

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the depths of Guns N' Roses' "The General," a song that masterfully blends introspective lyrics with heavy, atmospheric instrumentation. This track offers a unique opportunity to explore raw emotion and complex storytelling within the English language. Its layered narrative, reflecting on childhood experiences and unresolved feelings, provides a rich context for understanding nuanced vocabulary and expressions of pain, defiance, and regret. The song's blend of hard rock with more experimental elements makes it a compelling listen for those looking to experience English lyrics in a powerful and thought-provoking musical setting.

[English]

Daddy, don't

I swear I won't

I'll be good from now on

And I'm awful sorry

Daddy, don't

The hell I won't

I won't be good anymore

And you'll all be sorry

Can anybody tell me

Why the pain, it just won't stop?

Can anybody help me?

This pain, it just won't stop

My only regret is that I never took the time to forget

All those unspoken feelings that were never spared

At those who understand that love deserves respect

And not your sordid meaning

Daddy, don't

I swear I won't

I'll be good from now on

And I'm awful sorry

Daddy, don't

The hell I won't, I won't be good anymore

And you'll all be sorry

Can anybody tell me

Why the pain, it just won't stop?

Can anybody help me?

This pain, it just won't stop

My only regret is that I never took the time to forget

All those unspoken feelings that were never spared

At those who understand that love deserves respect

And not your sordid meaning

...

Don't know what to tell you now

It's never really what they tell you now

You oughta know what they tell you now

And not really what they tell you now

Don't know what to tell you now

It ain't really what they tell you now

Don't go where they tell you now

It ain't really what they tell you now

My only regret is that I never took the time to forget

All those unspoken feelings that were never spared

At those who understand that love deserves respect

And not your sordid meaning

My only regret is that I never took the time to forget

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
swear /swɛər/ A2	verb - to make a serious promise or statement
regret /rɪˈɡrɛt/ B1	noun - a feeling of sadness about something that you wish you had not done verb - to feel sad about something you wish you had not done
sordid /ˈsɔːrdɪd/ C1	adjective - involving or suggesting immoral or degrading behavior
unspoken /ʌnˈspoʊkən/ B2	adjective - not said aloud or expressed in words
spare /spɛər/ B1	verb - to not harm or punish someone adjective - available for use if needed
deserve /dɪˈzɜːrv/ B1	verb - to be worthy of something, especially as the result of one's actions
understand /ˌʌndərˈstænd/ A2	verb - to know the meaning of something
pain /peɪn/ A1	noun - a strongly unpleasant bodily sensation
stop /stɒp/ A1	verb - to cease moving or progressing noun - the act of stopping
feelings /ˈfiːlɪŋz/ A2	noun - an emotional state or reaction
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - a deep affection for someone verb - to have deep affection for someone
respect /rɪˈspɛkt/ A2	noun - a feeling of deep admiration for someone verb - to admire someone deeply
meaning /ˈmiːnɪŋ/ A2	noun - what is meant by a word or concept
sorry /ˈsɒri/ A1	adjective - feeling regret or sadness about something
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - of a high quality or standard
tell /tɛl/ A1	verb - to communicate information or a story
forget /fəˈɡɛt/ A2	verb - to be unable to remember something

Key Grammar Structures

• Daddy, don't

  ➔ Imperative with negative particle "don't"

  ➔ The word "don't" is used to give a direct negative command: ""don't"".

• I swear I won't

  ➔ Modal verb "won't" (will not) + infinitive omitted after "swear"

  ➔ The speaker uses "won't" to express future refusal: ""won't"" (will not).

• I won't be good anymore

  ➔ Future simple negative with adverb "anymore"

  ➔ "anymore" modifies the negative statement, indicating that a condition will no longer hold: ""anymore"".

• Can anybody tell me why the pain, it just won't stop?

  ➔ Indirect question with auxiliary "can" and subject‑verb inversion omitted

  ➔ "Can" introduces the request, and the clause "why the pain, it just won't stop" is an indirect question: ""why"".

• My only regret is that I never took the time to forget

  ➔ Noun clause as subject complement introduced by "that"

  ➔ "that" introduces a clause explaining the regret: ""that I never took the time to forget"".

• All those unspoken feelings that were never spared

  ➔ Relative clause with passive verb "were spared"

  ➔ "that" introduces a relative clause describing "feelings": ""were never spared"" (passive).

• Don't know what to tell you now

  ➔ Ellipsis of subject "I" and infinitive phrase "what to tell"

  ➔ The subject "I" is omitted for brevity, leaving the infinitive clause "what to tell": ""what to tell"".

• You oughta know what they tell you now

  ➔ Modal verb "ought to" (informal contraction "oughta") + infinitive

  ➔ "oughta" is an informal form of "ought to" meaning obligation: ""oughta"" + infinitive "know".