Paradise City 1169368 222022647 2008-06-27T05:12:34Z 189.82.49.66 /* Music video */ {{otheruses}} {{Infobox Single | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Songs --> | Name = Paradise City | Cover = Paradisecity.jpg | | Artist = Guns N' Roses | from Album = [[Appetite for Destruction]] | Released = 1987 | Format = [[Gramophone record|Vinyl]]<br>[[Compact Cassette|Cassette]]<br>[[Compact Disc|CD]] | Recorded = [[1987 in music|1987]] | Genre = [[Hard rock]] | Length = 6:46 | Label = [[Geffen Records|Geffen]] | Writer = [[Axl Rose]]<br>[[Slash (musician)|Slash]]<br>[[Izzy Stradlin]]<br>[[Duff McKagan]] | Producer = Mike Clink | Chart position = * #4 <small>([[Billboard Hot 100]])</small> | Last single = "[[Nightrain]]"<br>(1988) | This single = "'''Paradise City'''"<br>(1989) | Next single = "[[Patience (Guns N' Roses song)|Patience]]"<br>(1989) | Misc = {{Extra tracklisting | Album = [[Appetite for Destruction]] | Type = studio | prev_track = "[[Mr. Brownstone]]" | prev_no = 5 | this_track = "Paradise City" | track_no = 6 | next_track = "[[My Michelle]]" | next_no = 7 }} }} "'''Paradise City'''" is a song written by the [[hard rock]] band [[Guns N' Roses]]. It is included on the 1987 album ''[[Appetite for Destruction]]'' and was released as a single in [[1988 in music|1988]]. It is also the only song on the album to use a [[synthesizer]]. The song peaked at number five on the [[Billboard Hot 100]], the third single of the band's to go Top 10. ==Song== [[Slash (musician)|Slash]] states that the song was written in the back of a rental van as they were on their way back from playing a gig in [[San Francisco]] with the band [[Jetboy (Band)|Jetboy]]. He states that the band was in the back of the van, drinking and playing acoustic guitars when he came up with the intro. [[Duff McKagan]] and [[Izzy Stradlin]] started playing along. Slash started humming a melody when [[Axl Rose]] sang, "Take me down to the Paradise City." Slash chimed in with "Where the girls are fat and they've got big titties." but the rest of the band wanted to make the song more 'radio-friendly', so Axl sang the first line again, where Slash chimed in with "Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty." Axl finished with "Take . . . me . . . home!" The band then expanded upon the rest of the lyrics in rounds. Finally Slash wrapped up by coming up with the heavy riff that drives the song.<ref name ="book">Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. pp. 131-132</ref> "Paradise City" is thought by some to be about [[Los Angeles]] and its [[political corruption|corruption]] at the time. Some believe the song to be written about [[Axl Rose]] and Izzy Stradlin's hometown of [[Lafayette, Indiana]] and the nearby [[Purdue University]] campus. During a 1988 interview, Rose told ''[[Hit Parader]]'' Magazine that "the verses are more about being in the jungle; the chorus is like being back in the [[Midwest]] or somewhere". This song was often used as the band's show-closing song during the [[Use Your Illusion Tour]] and [[Chinese Democracy Tour]] It was also ranked #21 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs of All Time,<ref>''"VH1 40 Greatest Metal Songs"'', 1-4 May 2006, although Guns N' Roses were never a metal band. ''VH1'' Channel, reported by [http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/the_greatest/103446/episode_this_list.jhtml VH1.com]; last accessed [[September 10]], [[2006]].</ref> #3 in ''[[Total Guitar]]'' Magazine's list of the 100 greatest solos of all time, and has won various similar awards over the years. It ranked #453 on [[Rolling Stone]]s' "[[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]". Velvet Revolver later played "Paradise City" together with [[Cypress Hill]], hence partially transforming the song into a raptrack. [[Camp Freddy]], a cover band performed the song along with the original guitarists, [[Slash]] and Duff McKagan, and [[Chester Bennington]] of [[Linkin Park]] The song is the theme tune for the racing game [[Burnout Paradise]] which is set in a fictional locale also called "Paradise City". Slash has stated that this is his favorite Guns N' Roses song.<ref name ="book" /> ==Live== During live Guns N' Roses shows, "Paradise City" is usually performed last, as an encore. This has been a tradition since at least 1988, up to their latest tour. They also performed the song live at the [[Freddie Mercury]] tribute concert in 1992. ==Music video== Half of the [[music video]] was filmed at [[Giants Stadium]] in New Jersey while Guns N' Roses were on tour with [[Aerosmith]], midway through the video, they are seen boarding the [[Concorde]] jet so they could make an appearance in England, and return as quickly as possible back to the USA to continue touring with one of their major influences. The concert in England is the [[Monsters of Rock]] event at [[Donington Park]]. The reason for this is because of some deaths that took place while Guns N' Roses were performing. As a result, they thought the footage taken at the concert would be good music video footage and a proper show of respect to those who died at the concert. Duff can also be seen wearing an Aerosmith t-shirt in the video. In the music video [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsrDv3K7RNI], about 4 minutes into the video, Axl Rose is seen sporting a [[World War II]] [[Nazi]] officer cap and a stage pass which appears to bear the [[SS]] eagle. Axl opens the pass, shows off the SS eagle, closes it again and gives a meaningful look to the camera. ==Cover versions== *[[N-Trance]] recorded a version of "Paradise City" (using the song's [[riff]]), on their [[1999 in music|1999]] album [[Happy Hour (N-Trance album)|''Happy Hour'']].<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:a9fexqykldhe ''Happy Hour''], AMG, accessed June 12, 2007</ref> *[[Post-hardcore]] band [[Eighteen Visions]] made a cover of the song which appeared on the Guns N' Roses tribute compilation ''Bring You To Your Knees: A Tribute to Guns & Roses''. The [[key (music)|key]] of the song is dropped a whole step lower, and played on guitars tuned to drop-B. The low B [[open chord]] can actually be heard on the bridge following the solo. Also, the fast punk ending of the GNR version is replaced with an ironically slow, almost [[sludge metal|sludge]]-like turn on the original riff. *[[Warrior Soul]] performed this song in a more psychedelic and metal style for the GNR-tribute album, "Appetite For Reconstruction". *In 1999, [[Hole (band)|Hole]] performed "Paradise City" live at the [[Big Day Out]] in Australia. *Velvet Revolver have also covered this song with [[Cypress Hill]] *Notable [[rock n' roll]] era singer [[Pat Boone]] included the song on his 1997 heavy metal covers album ''[[In a Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy]]''. *''[[American Idol]]'' winner and country singer [[Carrie Underwood]] has performed "Paradise City" several times during her ''Carnival Ride tour''.[http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080326/NEWS/803260315] ==References== {{reflist|1}} ==External links== *[http://www.vh1classic.com/view/artist/846/8749/Guns_N_Roses/Paradise_City/index.jhtml Music Video] at [[VH1 Classic]] *{{youtube|lf0rIV6j2H4|Paradise City}} {{Guns N' Roses}} [[Category:Guns N' Roses songs]] [[Category:1987 singles]] [[Category:Hard rock songs]] [[Category:Songs about California]] [[cs:Paradise City]] [[es:Paradise City]] [[it:Paradise City]] [[no:Paradise City]] [[pl:Paradise City]] [[pt:Paradise City]] [[fi:Paradise City]] [[sv:Paradise City]]