"My Michelle"
Song by Guns N' Roses
from the album Appetite for Destruction
ReleasedJuly 21, 1987 (1987-07-21)
GenreGlam metal[1]
Length3:39
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)Guns N' Roses
Producer(s)Mike Clink

"My Michelle" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on the band's 1987 debut studio album Appetite for Destruction.

Recording

For the recording of this song, guitarist Slash used a slightly different setup. For the rest of the album, he used a Gibson Les Paul copy through a modified Marshall amplifier on the same settings for each song. However, for this song, he swapped to a 1960s Gibson SG because he felt it had a darker sound.

Composition and lyrical intent

The song is about a friend of the band, a girl named Michelle Young who is thanked in the Appetite for Destruction cover sleeve. Slash knew Young throughout junior high, as she was a friend of Slash's first girlfriend.[2] According to Axl Rose, he and Young were in a car together when "Your Song" by Elton John came on the radio and Young happened to mention that she had always wanted someone to write a song about her.[3]

Rose's first attempt was a sweet, almost romantic song, but one that had absolutely nothing to do with the reality of Michelle's life. He was unhappy with this version and re-wrote it, this time seeking to be completely honest.[4] Several members of the band expressed concern over this version of the song, especially Slash, fearing it would upset Young.[5] Rose himself then became hesitant, but finally decided to show it to her. She liked the song and the attention it brought to her, and was especially pleased with its honesty, most notably regarding her drug addiction, the death of her mother and her father's work in the pornography industry,[5] all of which are mentioned within the first verse. According to Slash's self-titled autobiography, Young managed to clean up and move across the country to escape her lifestyle.

During the 2006 New York and European tours, Axl Rose shared the vocal duties with former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach.[6]

Personnel

Covers

References

  1. ^ Hoskins, Zachary (June 22, 2018). "Review: Guns N' Roses, Appetite for Destruction: Super Deluxe Edition". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  2. ^ Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. pp. 119
  3. ^ "Appetite for Self-Destruction". Spin. SPIN Media LLC. 15 (7): 87. July 1999. ISSN 0886-3032. I'm the subject of the song "My Michelle". I was driving Axl to a gig and "Your Song" by Elton John came on the radio. I said that I wished somebody would write a beautiful song about me. But, you know the song. At the time, I didn't care because I was so fucked up, but what it says is all true: My dad does distribute porno films and my mom did die.
  4. ^ An Interview With The Gunners, Hit Parader - March 1988; retrieved January 3, 2008, from "Meaning Behind Songs - N.i.r." Archived from the original on December 31, 2007. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Bozza, Anthony, & Slash (2007). Slash. Harper Entertainment: New York. pp. 120
  6. ^ Guns N Roses - My Michelle w/Sebastian Bach (Download 2006) on YouTube
  7. ^ Decoymusic.com - Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan Archived June 25, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
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