ROCK MOMENT – Motley Crue ‘Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)’
Released in 1989 on the band’s blockbuster album Dr. Feelgood, Mötley Crüe’s ‘Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)’ stands as one of their most melodic and emotionally grounded songs. Written by Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars, it captures the band at a rare moment of clarity, discipline, and creative focus. The title line—an old pop-culture phrase that Sixx loved for its sarcastic humor—became the basis of a breakup song that offers honesty without bitterness. Instead of drama or heartbreak, it delivers a shrug and a smirk: sometimes it’s best if someone just goes away
The song owes much of its polish to the environment in which it was created. By 1987, Mötley Crüe had hit a breaking point with drug use and personal conflict. Their previous album, Girls, Girls, Girls, was successful but recorded during a period of heavy addiction that made the process chaotic. When they began work on Dr. Feelgood, producer Bob Rock insisted the band clean up, separate themselves from Los Angeles, and work in Vancouver. For the first time in their career, all four members were sober during the recording of an album.
This new focus transformed the band’s chemistry. Rock pushed for better performances, tighter arrangements, and powerful production. The result was the most polished and cohesive album Mötley Crüe ever made. Dr. Feelgood produced five hit singles—’Kickstart My Heart,’ ‘Same Ol’ Situation,’ ‘Without You,’ ‘Dr. Feelgood,’ and ‘Don’t Go Away Mad’—and became the band’s first No. 1 album on the Billboard charts. Its combination of slick production and hard-rock energy marked the creative high point of their career.
Within this context, ‘Don’t Go Away Mad’ shines as an example of how the band could blend attitude with melody. Mick Mars delivered one of his most memorable guitar solos, and Vince Neil’s vocal performance balances toughness with vulnerability. Released as a single in 1990, it quickly became a fan favorite and remains a live staple.
Today, ‘Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)’ represents the maturity and musical strength of a band temporarily at peace, captured during the brief but brilliant window when Mötley Crüe was sober, focused, and operating at peak power.
