Gilby Clarke is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record produce… Read Full Bio ↴Gilby Clarke is an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio on August 17, 1962. He has been a guitarist for various bands, most famously as the rhythm guitarist for Guns N' Roses.

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.

Skin & Bones
Gilby Clarke Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The last time I fell I left a piece of myself I was so broken
up, I should've stayed down Heaven can't you help me I'm
losing this war I don't wanna die young from with just battle
scars

Keep the devil out of my soul; c'mon and save me From a
heart of stone Tell the Lord he can take me now, I'm a shell
of a man Just skin and bones

I had a little sister who could drink up a storm If the liquor
didn't kill her she'd be twenty-one The good times, bad
times can't remember them all Must have been the thunder
and alcohol

The skeletons in the closet keep me awake at night The
thing that really scares me are the monsters I live with
everyday

SONG INFO:

Gilby: Acoustic guitars, Piano, Lead vocals
Jo Almieda: Dobro slide guitar
Marc Danzeisen: Drums, Percussion
Will Effertz: Bass
Roberta Freeman: Harmony vocals
Tim P. : Harmonica

Joel Derouin: Fiddle
Eric Skodis: Jews harp

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Gilby Clarke’s song Skin & Bones delve into the inner turmoil and emotional struggles of the singer. The opening lines indicate that the singer has been through a traumatic experience where they fell and got shattered. The reference to ‘a piece’ of themselves suggests that the individual has lost something vital in the ordeal. The lines, ‘I was so broken up, I should’ve stayed down, Heaven can’t you help me I’m losing this war’ suggest that the singer is in a constant battle with self and is pleading for divine intervention to help them overcome their inner demons. The phrase, ‘I don’t wanna die young from just battle scars’ indicates the fear of the singer that their inner battles may lead to their self-destruction.

The following verses take the listener on a journey of the singer’s struggles with addiction and the resultant guilt and regret. The singer refers to their sister, who was a heavy drinker, and implies that addiction runs in the family. The lines, ‘The skeletons in the closet keep me awake at night, the thing that really scares me are the monsters I live with every day’ suggest that the singer is haunted by their past and their habit and desires to be freed from the agony.

The song Skin & Bones brings out the feelings of those who have been through emotionally trying times and are struggling with their inner demons. The lyrics express the fear, the guilt, the regrets, and the constant battle for overcoming whatever has broken them down.

Line by Line Meaning

The last time I fell I left a piece of myself I was so broken up, I should've stayed down Heaven can't you help me I'm losing this war I don't wanna die young from with just battle scars
I have been hurt before and it has left me broken. I feel like I am losing the battle and I don't want to die young with only scars from this war. I am reaching out to Heaven for help.

Keep the devil out of my soul; c'mon and save me From a heart of stone Tell the Lord he can take me now, I'm a shell of a man Just skin and bones
I want to be saved from the devil and the hardness that has taken over my heart. I feel like I am just a shell of a man, with no substance left. I am ready for the Lord to take me now.

I had a little sister who could drink up a storm If the liquor didn't kill her she'd be twenty-one The good times, bad times can't remember them all Must have been the thunder and alcohol
My sister had a drinking problem and if it hadn't killed her, she would have turned 21. I can't remember all of our good times and bad times, but I think the alcohol may have played a part in that.

The skeletons in the closet keep me awake at night The thing that really scares me are the monsters I live with everyday
I have secrets that haunt me and keep me up at night. However, the monsters I am referring to are the ones that I have to face every day, whether it be my inner demons or the struggles I have with the people in my life.

Contributed by Brooklyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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