A Simple, Pretty Tune from a Complicated, Ugly Band (Figuratively, That Is); The Meaning Behind “Patience” by Guns N’ Roses

Before the whistle-happy folk ballad “Patience,” Guns N’ Roses released the violent Appetite for Destruction in 1987. With its mix of ’60s Stones, ’70s Aerosmith, and punk rock, Appetite was a pivotal moment in late ’80s rock ’n’ roll. The album was extracted from the darkest corners of Los Angeles. 

Something changed when Axl Rose stepped off the bus in the video for “Welcome to the Jungle.” Suddenly, the glam pop-metal bands of the time looked and sounded even sillier than they already were. Axl Rose sounded more interesting, angry, and unpredictable than anything at the time. He was backed by a dynamic band where every member seemed almost like a cartoon character. The band members had names like Axl, Izzy, Slash, Duff, and…Steven. 

The songs were great. The guitar riffs were immediately timeless. Slash was like a new Jimmy Page but instantly his own player. His blues was slippery and imperfect. But the guitar solos were compositions within themselves. Bassist Duff McKagan added punk grit to the band, saving them from the hair-metal leanings of the scene. Rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, Axl’s childhood friend from Indiana, was the Keith Richards-type soul of the band. He was quiet and cool and a brilliant songwriter. Drummer Steven Adler played with swing. The slinky grooves and grit of the band set them apart from the scripted, plastic soul all over MTV at the time. 

Guns N’ Roses were the inversion of the Sunset Strip bands. They chronicled the seediest realities of Los Angeles so directly and plainly, that it was jarring to hear. Their mucky photos contrasted with the other bands’ glossy looks. It didn’t look or sound fabricated. Listening to “Mr. Brownstone,” you were left with the feeling this band probably lived this song (about hard drug culture) at some point.  

The colossal, Lynyrd Skynyrd-influenced “Sweet Child O’ Mine” showed a tender side, and “Paradise City” already sounded like a standard as soon as it came out. Though it wasn’t an immediate success, Guns N’ Roses’ debut eventually became a cultural behemoth. According to Billboard, Appetite for Destruction is the best-selling U.S. debut of all time. 

The Sex, the Drugs, the Violence, the Shocking Truth

In 1988, the band released G N’ R Lies. Made up of two EPs, one half contained the previously released faux-live EP Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide, while the other half consisted of four newly recorded acoustic songs. The only single from Lies was “Patience.”

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The acoustic side of Guns N’ Roses wasn’t new. Many songs on Appetite for Destruction were written on acoustic guitar. “Patience” was recorded quickly by Appetite producer Mike Clink. They used three acoustic guitars, and no drums—Steven Adler did not play on the track. 

Shed a tear cause I’m missin’ you
I’m still all right to smile
Girl, I think about you every day now
Was a time when I wasn’t sure
But you set my mind at ease
There is no doubt you’re in my heart now

It’s a folk-rock ballad about enduring the hardships of a tumultuous relationship. Rose was in a relationship with Erin Everly at the time. Ms. Everly—who inspired “Sweet Child O’ Mine”—is the daughter of Don Everly of The Everly Brothers.  

Said, “Woman take it slow, and it’ll work itself out fine”
All we need is just a little patience
Said, “Sugar make it slow and we’ll come together fine”
All we need is just a little patience (Patience)
Mmm, yeah

The music video was filmed at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. The hotel is unfortunately best known as the site of Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1968. It was the band’s last video to feature Steven Adler. He was fired in 1990 due to a heroin addiction. The song appears in the film Cape Fear, starring Robert De Niro. In the scene, Juliette Lewis’s character, Danielle Bowden, plays “Patience” to avoid her fighting parents. 

Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell covered “Patience,” though it wasn’t released until after his death. Cornell’s cover reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart. It was his first No. 1 single as a solo artist. Axl Rose admired Soundgarden and invited them on tour before they joined GN’R as one of the biggest bands in America. 

G N’ R Lies separated the release between Appetite for Destruction and the Use Your Illusion albums. It was well-received thanks mainly to the success of “Patience.” The single reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.  

Lies wasn’t without controversy. The closing track, “One in a Million,” is criticized for its racist and homophobic slurs. Every song from Lies except “One in a Million” was included on the Appetite for Destruction reissue in 2018. 

The mix of Axl’s switchblade vocals rising above Duff’s Seattle-punk bass playing, Izzy’s cool-Keef rhythm supporting Slash’s snaking blues solos, and Adler’s swing put Guns N’ Roses a tier above the other gutter-glam bands playing the Troubadour in the 1980s.   

With an acoustic EP, they showed another side of the band. “Patience” endures as a signature song for Guns N’ Roses. The song echoes the acoustic side of The Rolling Stones. With a combination of the right influences, great songs, and a magic combination of misfits, it’s no surprise Guns N’ Roses have filled stadiums throughout their career. 

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images