All about the song "Paradise City" (1987)

How often do musicians of famous rock bands co-operate to write a track together? We are sure that such cases can be counted on the fingers of one hand. "Paradise City." - is a legendary Guns N' Roses song, which became a reflection of an entire era. This is the first song in the band's history to be written by all five members at once.

Below we offer you to remember how the hit was created, without which not a single concert of the band can do without for several decades.

The story of the song's creation

According to one version, the author of the first lyrics was the band's bassist Duff McKagan. In his personal notebook he wrote down some lines and rhymes that came to his mind to share them with his colleagues. The music was selected by the rest of Guns N' Roses after reading McCagan's rough sketches and poems.

Another version of the song's creation was suggested by Slash. So, in one of the interviews he told how, returning from a rock festival in San Francisco in a rented van, they were relaxing after the performance, drinking whiskey and improvising on acoustic guitars.

At one point, Slash had an idea for a future hit, and Stradlin and McCagan, quick to catch on, played along. Exl, in his typical fashion, sang: "Take me down to the paradise city", and the instigator of this creative experiment added: "Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty".

The rest of the song's rhymes were composed gradually: in studio rehearsals, after concerts, in moments of crazy jam sessions. In terms of meaning "Paradise City." very much in tune with "Welcome to the Jungle". Dedicated to violent mores and restrictive boundaries, it illustrated the environment prevailing on the streets of major American cities.

The basic concept of the track was later revealed by the band's lead singer, Exl Rose:
"...the verses of the song - they're more about living in the wild, in the jungle. The chorus is about returning to civilisation - to the West or somewhere else".
He made these clarifications in 1988 during an interview for Hit Parader magazine.

Exl's close friend, Jake Koury, said on a radio show that the lines about green lawns and pretty girls were a reference to the vocalist's childhood memories of trips to Bloomington with his family.

The fate of the song Paradise City

The first LPs of "Paradise City" were released in the United States in the autumn of 1988, while British fans of the band only got the opportunity to listen to the single in the spring of 1989. It was very successful, reaching number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the UK Singles Chart. The song was particularly popular in Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand and Norway, topping the music charts in those countries.

To date, "Paradise City" has several prestigious awards and nominations, and is included in various music rankings ("500 Greatest Songs of All Time according to Rolling Stone", "100 Greatest Songs of All Time according to Total Guitar", etc.).

Paradise City clip...

The music video for the song was directed by Nigel Dick. Earlier he has already co-operated with Guns N' Roses, filming their concert performances. The first time was during a joint concert with Aerosmith, the second time - at the Monsters of Rock music festival.

Interesting...

• In interviews, Slash has repeatedly mentioned that "Paradise City" is his favourite track.
• The cost of filming the video clip was $200,000.
• "Paradise City" is the only song in the band's entire body of work that features a bright synthesiser sound.
• "Paradise City" is the only song in the band's entire body of work that features a bright synthesiser sound.
• The track is often switched on in stadiums before sports games and competitions.
• In 2012, a momentous occasion occurred. Guns N' Roses briefly stayed at a hotel in Vegas, unwittingly forcing the city authorities to rename a local street in their honour for a while.