Sweet Child O' Mine
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"Sweet Child O' Mine" is the name of a song by the hard rock band Guns N' Roses. It was released on their debut album Appetite for Destruction on August 10, 1987.
"Sweet Child O' Mine" was Guns N' Roses' first #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, spending three weeks at the top spot in the summer of 1988. The song is credited as being written by Guns N' Roses as a band. The subject of the song is generally thought to be lead singer Axl Rose's then-girlfriend and eventual wife, Erin Everly.
This song is listed on the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos" from Guitar World as number thirty-seven, and also came in at #3 on Blender Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born, and at #196 on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. This song has been covered by Sheryl Crow and was partially performed by Linkin Park at Rock am Ring on March 6, 2001. The Manic Street Preachers also frequently play it as an introduction to their song Motown Junk in live concerts. The introduction's famous D-flat based riff was also voted #1 riff of all-time by the readers of Total Guitar magazine. Former Guns N' Roses' lead guitarist, Slash, had been quoted as having a disdain for the song due to its roots as simply a technical exercise and a joke at the time. He later stated he gained an appreciation for the song after performing it live. The lyrics were written by Axl Rose as a poem, although it is credited as being written simply by 'Guns N' Roses'.
In a recent VH1 special, it was stated that Slash played the riff in a jam session as a joke. Drummer Steven Adler and Slash were warming up and Slash began to play a "circus" melody while making faces at Steven. Adler asked him to play the riff again, and Izzy Stradlin came in with the chords. Axl became intrigued and started singing the poem he had written. It was then that, in the opinion of many of their fans, one of the greatest rock songs ever written was born.
It is also one of Guns N' Roses' best known and most emotional songs.
In 1999, the song was re-recorded with the (then) new Guns N' Roses members and was in the film Big Daddy. It was not featured on the original soundtrack album of the movie.