Music

This piano ballad grand masterpiece became the signature song and the centerpiece of their simultaneous twin double album releases Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II.

Clocking in at almost 9 minutes, “November Rain” features Rose’s desperate vocal and heartfelt piano. A depressing autumn tale of lost love, Slash’s inspired soaring guitar solos and the band’s dramatic dynamics over a crescendo of a swirling string section backed by a powerful choir make the song an instant classic.

The song had been a work-in-progress since 1983. Former GNR co-founder and guitarist Tracii Guns explained:

When we were doing that EP for L.A. Guns, like ‘83? He was playing “November Rain”—and it was called “November Rain”—you know, on piano. Way back then, it was the only thing he knew how to play, but it was his. He’d go, “Someday this song is gonna be really cool.” And I’d go, “It’s cool now.” “But it’s not done”, you know, he used to say. And, like, anytime we’d be at a hotel or anywhere, there’d be a piano; he’d just kinda play that music. And I’d go, “When are you gonna finish that already”, you know? And he’d go, “I don’t know what to do with it.”

The lyrics and video are based on a short story by Del James called “Without You” from a collection called The Language of Fear, which was brought back to market in 2008 after being out of print. The new version of the book contains an intro by Axl Rose, who wrote:

Del James has a personal knowledge of most of the situations he writes about, and has a love of the gutter from having been there.

James has also contributed lyrics to GNR songs The Garden" and “Yesterdays” and has directed several music videos.

“November Rain” hit #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, #9 in Germany where it charted for 51 weeks, #5 in Australia riding the Top 10 for 22 weeks and #7 in New Zealand ending 1992 as their second best-selling single.^[[1] https://genius.com/Guns-n-roses-november-rain-lyrics]