Estranged (song)

This article is about the single named Estranged. For a definition of the term "estranged", see the Wiktionary entry estranged.

"Estranged"
Song

"Estranged" is a song and music video by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, from their fourth album Use Your Illusion II.

"Estranged" is one of Guns N' Roses' longest running songs (and the longest on Use Your Illusion II), as well as one of the longest and most expensive music videos ever made. It has many verses, and no set chorus, as well as distinguished guitar and piano solos. Use Your Illusion IIs liner notes thank Slash for "the killer guitar melodies," which captured Axl Rose's vision.

Video

The music video is the third and final part of an unofficial trilogy of videos (preceded by "Don't Cry" and "November Rain") from the two Use Your Illusion albums which featured a stunning theatrical film type cinematography and massive budget of about $4 million.

The over 9 minutes long video for "Estranged" is similar in style to the previous videos in the unofficial trilogy. However, it appears only loosely to pick up the theme of the previous two videos. This is mainly because Axl Rose and then-girlfriend Stephanie Seymour (who played Axl's girlfriend in "Don't Cry" and "November Rain") had broken up prior to filming the video, making the theme of separation/divorce highly relevant.

The video for "Estranged" was a big budget music video film that initially saw Axl being pursued by a group of SWAT team members while sleeping hidden in what appeared to be an abandoned mansion. Later, in a flashback, Axl is shown being escorted off that same (presumably marital) property. During this sequence, definitions for "Estranged" are flashed across the screen suggesting that Axl is going through a separation or divorce. In the end sequence, Axl goes to an abandoned ship in the middle of the ocean, where in the video's climax, he jumps into the water in an apparent suicide attempt but ends up being rescued by a group of dolphins and gains a level of inner peace in doing so.

In the video, the definitions of illusion, estrange(d) and disillusion appear.