Lead guitarist Slash has been quoted as having an initial disdain for the song due to its roots as simply a "string skipping" exercise and a joke at the time. During a jam session at the band's house in the Sunset Strip,[7] drummer Steven Adler and Slash were warming up and Slash began to play a "circus" melody while making faces at Adler. Rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin asked Slash to play it again. Stradlin came up with some chords, Duff McKagan created a bassline and Adler planned a beat. In his autobiography, Slash said "within an hour my guitar exercise had become something else". Meanwhile, lead singer Axl Rose was listening to the musicians upstairs in his room and was inspired to write lyrics, which became complete by the following afternoon. He based it on his girlfriend Erin Everly, and declared that Lynyrd Skynyrd served as an inspiration "to make sure that we'd got that heartfelt feeling." On the next composing session in Burbank, the band added both a bridge and a guitar solo.
While the band was recording demos with producer Spencer Proffer, he suggested adding a breakdown at the song's end. The musicians agreed, but were not sure what to do. Listening to the demo in a loop, Axl started saying to himself, "Where do we go? Where do we go now?" and Proffer suggested that he sing that.
The song is composed in the key of D flat major and played in the key of D major tuned down a half step on guitars and bass (as all their songs are). The ending solo is in E flat minor harmonic key.
Tracklist
A - Sweet Child O' Mine (Remix/Edit) (3:57)
Written-By – Guns N' Roses
B - Out Ta Get Me (LP Version) (4:20)
Written-By – Guns N' Roses
Companies, etc.
- Phonographic Copyright (p) – The David Geffen Company
- Phonographic Copyright (p) – WEA International Inc.
- Copyright (c) – The David Geffen Company
- Record Company – Warner Communications
- Manufactured By – TELDEC Record Service GmbH
- Made By – WEA Musik GmbH
- Published By – Guns N' Roses Music
Credits
- Mixed By – Steve Thompson & Michael Barbiero
- Photography By – Robert John
- Producer – Mike Clink
Notes
Release: 1988
Genre: Rock
Style: Hard Rock, Arena Rock
Label - Geffen Records
