Song
Sweet Child O Mine
Guns N Roses
Album:
Appetite for Destruction
Song meaning of Sweet Child O Mine by Guns and Roses, and what it is about
Based on a love letter written by Rose to his then-girlfriend Erin Everly (Don's daughter).
According to Slash, he was merely "f*cking around with the intro riff, making a joke." Although Rose knew better, the guitarist didn't give it any thought. The steely-yet-sensitive guitar riff would go well with Rose's creative Southern rock costume.
He said at the time, “I went out and got some old Lynyrd Skynyrd tapes to make sure we’d got that down-home, heartfelt feeling,” Despite Rose and Everly's brief marriage, the song proved to be a crucial turning point for the group and is still its only U.S. Number One success.
Slash and drummer Steven Adler were warming up before a jam session at the band's home in the Sunset Strip when Slash started playing a "circus" theme and making faces at Adler. Slash was asked to play it once more by rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin. Adler prepared a beat, Duff McKagan came up with a bassline, and Stradlin came up with some chords. In his autobiography Slash said "within an hour my guitar exercise had become something else"
Producer Spencer Proffer proposed including a breakdown at the end of the song when the band was recording demos with him. Although they agreed, the musicians were unsure about what to do. Listening to the demo, Rose started saying to himself, "Where do we go? Where do we go now?" and Proffer advised him to sing it.
Sweet Child O Mine lyrics by Guns and Roses
She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky (Sky)
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I stared too long I'd probably break down and cry
Whoa-oh-oh! Sweet child o' mine
Whoa, oh-oh-oh! Sweet love of mine
She's got eyes of the bluest skies
As if they thought of rain
I hate to look into those eyes and see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm, safe place
Where as a child I'd hide
And pray for the thunder and the rain to quietly pass me by
Whoa-oh-oh! Sweet child o' mine
Ooh, oh-oh-oh! Sweet love of mine
Oh yeah! Whoa-oh-oh-oh! Sweet child o' mine
Ooh-oh, oh, oh! Sweet love of mine
Whoa, oh-oh-oh! Sweet child o' mine, ooh yeah
Ooh! Sweet love of mine
Where do we go?
Where do we go now?
Where do we go?
Ooh, where do we go?
Where do we go now?
Oh, where do we go now?
Where do we go? (Sweet child)
Ooh, where do we go now?
Ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay
Where do we go now? Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, wow
Where do we go?
Oh, where do we go now?
Oh, where do we go?
Where do we go now?
Where do we go?
Ooh, where do we go now?
Now, now, now, now, now, now, now
Sweet child, sweet child o' mine
Release Date
1988
Songwriter/s
Guns N' Roses
Producer/s
Mike Clink
Label/s
Geffem