This is the 100% correct meaning of this songs lyrics. Plus the correction of some incorrect lyrics up there.
First of all, Slash did come up with the lyrics and they just said Ozzy did it because like @eighteencandles said above Axl would never sue Ozzy but he would sue Slash.
Some of what the others have said is right but some is very wrong. It's not through the fans perspective. It's through Slash's, and it's pretty much about how much he hates Axl.
Now for the interpretations. Lyrics on the left, translation on the right.
The fire started long ago - The 'fire' is the hatred between Slash and Axl.
The flames burned down but embers glow- Through the years they lost the fieriness of their hate but they still hat each other.
So charred and black there's nothing left to burn- They've exhausted their hate for each other with the fact that there's no reason to keep hating but they still do.
We had the same dream- They both wanted to be rock-stars
Lived life to extremes- They lived the insane life in Guns 'n' Roses
A loaded gun jammed by your rose- A reference to the name Guns 'n' Roses, meaning indeed that they were a band that were loaded and ready to become great but got jammed by their Rose. Namely, Axl Rose
The thorns are not around your head- Slash telling Axl that he's not Jesus.
Your ego cursed you til you bled- Axl's ego made the band (Mainly Slash) hate him
You cannot crucify the dead, to me your dead- Slash would like to crucify Axl but Axl is dead to slash and you can't crucify something that's not living
The future isn't set in stone, decisions past leave you alone- A reunion is possible in future but the decisions Axl made in the past will most likely leave him alone
Betrayed us all with your own selfish greed- Axl betrayed his band-mates by making everything what he wanted, which was extremely greedy
New soldiers now stand- The new members of Guns 'n' Roses
To your beck and command- They follow what Axl tells them to do
Recruited and paid by you- Axl recruited them and pays them to be in his band which is why their so loyal
We were like brothers with the world in our hands- They used to be good friends and their music was commanding the attention of millions of people
You always had to much to say- Axl was a spaz who couldn't stop insisting about the things he wanted
Some day you'll look back and you'll wonder why you let it all slip away- One day in the future, as Guns 'n' Roses gets less and less popular, and Axl is old and broke and miserable, he will look back and and hate himself for being such a spaz and letting the opportunity of a lifetime slip away.
This is the 100% correct meaning of this songs lyrics. Plus the correction of some incorrect lyrics up there.
First of all, Slash did come up with the lyrics and they just said Ozzy did it because like @eighteencandles said above Axl would never sue Ozzy but he would sue Slash. Some of what the others have said is right but some is very wrong. It's not through the fans perspective. It's through Slash's, and it's pretty much about how much he hates Axl. Now for the interpretations. Lyrics on the left, translation on the right.
The fire started long ago - The 'fire' is the hatred between Slash and Axl.
The flames burned down but embers glow- Through the years they lost the fieriness of their hate but they still hat each other.
So charred and black there's nothing left to burn- They've exhausted their hate for each other with the fact that there's no reason to keep hating but they still do.
We had the same dream- They both wanted to be rock-stars
Lived life to extremes- They lived the insane life in Guns 'n' Roses
A loaded gun jammed by your rose- A reference to the name Guns 'n' Roses, meaning indeed that they were a band that were loaded and ready to become great but got jammed by their Rose. Namely, Axl Rose
The thorns are not around your head- Slash telling Axl that he's not Jesus.
Your ego cursed you til you bled- Axl's ego made the band (Mainly Slash) hate him
You cannot crucify the dead, to me your dead- Slash would like to crucify Axl but Axl is dead to slash and you can't crucify something that's not living
The future isn't set in stone, decisions past leave you alone- A reunion is possible in future but the decisions Axl made in the past will most likely leave him alone
Betrayed us all with your own selfish greed- Axl betrayed his band-mates by making everything what he wanted, which was extremely greedy
New soldiers now stand- The new members of Guns 'n' Roses
To your beck and command- They follow what Axl tells them to do
Recruited and paid by you- Axl recruited them and pays them to be in his band which is why their so loyal
We were like brothers with the world in our hands- They used to be good friends and their music was commanding the attention of millions of people
You always had to much to say- Axl was a spaz who couldn't stop insisting about the things he wanted
Some day you'll look back and you'll wonder why you let it all slip away- One day in the future, as Guns 'n' Roses gets less and less popular, and Axl is old and broke and miserable, he will look back and and hate himself for being such a spaz and letting the opportunity of a lifetime slip away.
And that's it! -Shredd108