In the early 80's, Gilby was a member of the pop band Candy which recorded the album "Whatever Happened To Fun." He left the band sometime in the mid 80's to form the metal band Kill For Thrills as lead singer and rhythm guitarist, while the rest of Candy went on to turn into Electric Angels. Kill For Thrills recorded an EP ("Commercial Suicide") and LP ("Nightmare In Dynamiteland") before Gilby got the call to replace Izzy Stradlin as rhythm guitarist in Guns N' Roses in November of 1991.
Gilby finished the huge Use Your Illusion tour with Guns N' Roses as well as recording the covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" with the band. In 1994, Gilby released his first solo album "Pawnshop Guitars," which featured guest appearances from every member of Guns N' Roses at the time. Right before Guns N' Roses went in to record a cover of the Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil," Axl Rose fired Clarke from the band, replacing him with Paul Tobias.
Gilby joined Slash's side project Slash's Snakepit and recorded the album "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" with them in 1995, as well as touring in support for them. Gilby Clarke went on to release three more solo albums 1997's "The Hangover," 1998's "Rubber," and 2002's "Swag," as well as a live album in 1999 called "99 Live."
Gilby has also produced for various bands, including producing the only Jizzy Pearl led L.A. Guns record, "Shrinking Violet." He also remixed five demo HollyWood Rose demo tracks for 2005's "The Roots of GN'R" with Tracii Guns laying down lead guitars on the track. He also produced the next Crash Kelly record.
Gilby played with the reformed MC5 on their 2005 European tour. Also, Gilby was a member of the band Rock Star Supernova, along with Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe), Jason Newsted (Metallica), and singer Lukas Rossi. They only released an eponymous album in 2006.
Gilby's latest album, "The Gospel Truth", appeared in 2021.
Judgement Day
Gilby Clarke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd leave this world and all the thrills, like girls and 7/11
My families fine, my friends are all the guys on lives of the rich and famous
Will someone meet me at the pearly gates and let me in when I start knocking
Whoa, I wonder how I'll be remembered
Whoa, How about a star on Hollywood Blvd?
I hope my hairs OK and my tattoos fade as he hands down my penance
He said what did you do in 82' with that girl you weren't in love with?
I said I was young and dumb
Was there something wrong with having fun with one of your creations?
Whoa, I wonder how I'll be remembered
Whoa, How about a star on Hollywood Blvd.?
I want a window seat I don't want anything to pass me
It's a new parade it's Judgement Day for me
What ever happened to the records that were going platinum
Everybody just stood up and cheered and said the next big thing is coming
So I dropped a lot of acid, just to hear what the Beatles were saying
It's been 32 years and I really don't care, everyone's so depressing
The lyrics of "Judgement Day" by Gilby Clarke depict an individual yearning for salvation and contemplatively wondering what their legacy will be when they're gone. In the first verse, the singer expresses their desire to leave behind worldly pleasures like girls and 7/11 convenience store for a shot at eternal paradise. They boast of having famous friends and wonder who will meet them at the pearly gates. The second verse reveals anxieties about how they will be judged upon arrival, hoping their tattoos have faded, and their hair is okay. The singer also acknowledges any wrongdoings and fun had in the past, justifying youthful mistakes by asserting that they were simply having fun with a divine creation.
The chorus of the song repeats twice, "Whoa, I wonder how I'll be remembered, Whoa, How about a star on Hollywood Blvd?" Here, the singer questions the kind of legacy they'll leave behind, dreaming of a Hollywood star memorializing their memory. They lament the passage of time and how the music industry no longer excites them. The song ends with the singer yearning for a window seat for 'Judgement Day,' a new parade of sorts ready to pass them by.
"Judgement Day" was released in 1994 and featured on Gilby Clarke's debut studio album "Pawnshop Guitars." The album also contained a cover of My Michelle by Guns N' Roses, where Gilby played rhythm guitar for three years.
Line by Line Meaning
If anything could happen, I'd start on my way to heaven
If I had my choice of the perfect life, I would leave everything behind and enter heaven.
I'd leave this world and all the thrills, like girls and 7/11
I would give up all the fun things in life, such as girls and convenience stores, to have a better life in heaven.
My families fine, my friends are all the guys on lives of the rich and famous
My family is doing well, and my friends are all well-known celebrities from the show 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.'
Will someone meet me at the pearly gates and let me in when I start knocking
Will someone be there to greet me at the gates of heaven and allow me in?
Whoa, I wonder how I'll be remembered
I am curious about how people will remember me after I am gone.
Whoa, How about a star on Hollywood Blvd?
Wouldn't it be nice to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
If I met God I'd smile alot
If I ever had the chance to meet God, I would be happy and friendly.
I hope my hairs OK and my tattoos fade as he hands down my penance
I hope my physical appearance is acceptable in God's eyes, and my tattoos are not a problem when he punishes me for my sins.
He said what did you do in 82' with that girl you weren't in love with?
God is asking me about a decision I made in 1982 with a girl I did not have feelings for.
I said I was young and dumb
I replied to God that I was inexperienced and foolish.
Was there something wrong with having fun with one of your creations?
I asked God if there was anything wrong with enjoying myself with one of his creations, a woman.
I want a window seat I don't want anything to pass me
I want to have an unobstructed view of everything, and not let anything slip by me.
It's a new parade it's Judgement Day for me
It is a day of reckoning for me, and everything in my life is now examined.
What ever happened to the records that were going platinum
What happened to the records that were super popular and selling millions of copies?
Everybody just stood up and cheered and said the next big thing is coming
People were excited about the possibility of the next big thing in music, and cheered on every new trend.
So I dropped a lot of acid, just to hear what the Beatles were saying
I took a lot of LSD in order to better hear and understand the lyrics of the Beatles' music.
It's been 32 years and I really don't care, everyone's so depressing
It has been more than three decades since then, but I still do not care, and everyone around me is gloomy and unhappy.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GILBY CLARKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind