About the Song

Track: Rocket Queen

Length: 6:13

Album: Appetite for Destruction (1987)

Artist: Guns N’ Roses

Songwriters: Axl Rose, Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler, & Slash

Favorite part:

“I see you standin’

Standin’ on your own

It’s such a lonely place for you

For you to be”

Here’s Why I Love It

Guns N’ Roses ruled the Sunset Strip in LA (and lit the world on fire) for a solid five-year period from ‘87 to ‘92. GNR’s short run has held up remarkably well over years. They have their own little spot in rock history as the “it” band between the hair metal 80s and the grunge 90s.

This song is quintessential GNR: Slash doing what Slash does, absolute shredding on the guitar, paired with the piercing vocals of Axl Rose and monster drums of Steven Adler. Let’s be honest, nobody is listening to this song for its lyrical genius. With that being said, the verse above uses repetition as a point of emphasis, a trick that can be very effective in emotional writing.

The song also possesses some unique qualities. It completely shifts gears around the 3:30 mark to what could be mistaken as a totally different song. The first half is basically this raw outcry of emotion toward a “Rocket Queen,” a girl named Barbi who captivated Axl at the time. The second part is a sweeter, more sentimental yearning about the Rocket Queen’s potential loneliness. Tempo changes, tone changes, everything changes. It’s very, very cool.

Oh, and if there was ever a sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll story, this would be it. It’s so absurd. At the 2:35 mark in the song, you begin to hear something that resembles moaning. No, it can’t be? Is it? Oh, it is. Axl wanted sex sounds on the track. In true artist fashion, why sample a sound when you can create it? So he had sex with Adler’s ex-girlfriend in the vocal booth and made the producer record it. And yes, those are the moans mixed over the bridge. And yes, this story has been confirmed by all parties involved. (Catch the repetition?) Why Adler’s ex? I don’t know. He liked her? Like I said, so absurd.

This song comes from one of my favorite albums of all time, Appetite for Destruction. It’s been my go-to gym album for as long as I can remember.

Listen to the song and read the lyrics for full effect.

You can now listen to the Lyrics I Love playlist on Spotify. A new song is added with each edition!

*This article is part of the ongoing Lyrics I Love series: short interpretations of the meaning and story behind one song with lyrics that move me.