"Used to Love Her" is a song by American rock band Guns N' Roses from the 1988 album G N' R Lies. The song was used as a B-side on some releases of the "Paradise City" single.[2]
| "Used to Love Her" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Guns N' Roses | |
| from the album G N' R Lies | |
| Released | November 29, 1988 |
| Recorded | 1988 |
| Genre | Roots rock[1] |
| Length | 3:13 |
| Label | Geffen |
| Songwriter(s) | Guns N' Roses |
| Producer(s) | Guns N' Roses, Mike Clink |
Background
editContrary to popular belief that the song is about a girlfriend of Axl Rose, the song was written as a joke. Izzy Stradlin stated, "I was sitting around listening to the radio and some guy was whining about a broad who was treating him bad. I wanted to take the radio and smash it against the wall. Such self-pity! What a wimp! So we rewrote the same song we heard with a better ending."[3] Rose would later say that the song that inspired Stradlin was from the band Great White.[4]
Live performances
editThe band debuted the song live at CBGB in October 1987, during the Appetite for Destruction Tour.[5] The song has been a live staple at Guns N' Roses concerts.[6] After last being played with the previous lineup in 1993, the song re-debuted in 2006 during the Chinese Democracy Tour.[7] It was played at every tour since, being played by the reunited lineup in 2016 during the Not In This Lifetime... Tour stop at Coachella.[8]
Reception
editStephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described the song as a "country-fried boogie", but criticized it as misogynistic.[9] Rolling Stone described it as a "hilarious countryish number that will probably have feminist hot lines jammed across the country".[10]
In 2016, Spin ranked the song 42nd out of 79 on their rankings of every Guns N' Roses song, saying "strip away the misogynist, dark, and twisted fantasy, though, and you’ve got a terrific, rootsy little mimic of an Allman Brothers’ on-the-road jam."[11] That same year, Medium ranked the song 20th out of 80, stating "The crowning achievement of the “remember this was written in 1988 [1987]; that doesn’t make it right, but still” manifesto that encompasses so much of Guns' oeuvre."[12] L.A. Weekly ranked the song 18th of 64,[13] and Ultimate Classic Rock ranked it 28th out of 80.[14]
In 2018, Loudwire ranked the song 83rd out of 87, stating "This song feels like their attempt at the Stones’ “Dead Flowers”... The song was likely meant to be taken with a grain of salt, but that was tough to swallow given that Axl’s ex-wife Erin Everly accused him of domestic abuse."[15] Houston Press named the song 5th on their list of "10 Worst Guns N' Roses Songs".[16]
Cover versions
editWhite Lung covered the song as part of a SiriusXMU live session.[17][18][19] In February 2018, Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus joined Blackberry Smoke on stage to cover the song.[6] L7 released a cover of the song as the B-side to their 1992 single "Monster", changing the lyric and title to "Used to Love Him".[20]
References
edit- ^ Rolli, Bryan (August 6, 2022). "The 10 Weirdest Guns N' Roses Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
- ^ "Guns N' Roses - Paradise City".
- ^ "One-on-one with Guns N' Roses' gutsy guitarist Izzy Stradlin". Superstar Facts & Pics (16). 1988. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
- ^ Tavana, Art (2021). Goodbye, Guns N' Roses: The Crime, Beauty, and Amplified Chaos of America's Most Polarizing Band. ECW Press. ISBN 9781773057262.
- ^ Greene, Andy (March 1, 2016). "Flashback: Guns N' Roses Perform Acoustic CBGB Set in 1987". Rolling Stone.
- ^ a b Gage, Jeff (February 20, 2018). "See Blackberry Smoke, Richard Fortus Play Guns N' Roses' 'Used to Love Her'". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "Here Today... Gone To Hell! - Guns N' Roses History". www.heretodaygonetohell.com.
- ^ Kreps, Daniel (April 24, 2016). "See Guns N' Roses Bring Back 'Used to Love Her' at Coachella". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "G N' R Lies - Guns N' Roses - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
- ^ Neely, Kim (January 26, 1989). "G N' R Lies". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "Every Guns N' Roses Song, Ranked". Spin. February 19, 2016. p. 2.
- ^ Busbee, Jay (July 30, 2016). "All 80 Guns N' Roses Songs, Ranked". Medium.
- ^ Tavana, Art (February 18, 2016). "The Ultimate Ranking of Every Guns N' Roses Song". LA Weekly.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo (December 10, 2015). "Every Guns N' Roses Song Ranked Worst to Best". Ultimate Classic Rock.
- ^ "Every Guns N' Roses Song Ranked, Worst to Best". Loudwire. June 27, 2018.
- ^ Rouner, Jef (May 21, 2015). "The 10 Worst Guns N' Roses Songs". Houston Press.
- ^ Lozano, Kevin (June 16, 2016). "White Lung Covers Guns N' Roses' "Used to Love Her": Listen". Pitchfork.
- ^ Darville, Jordan (June 16, 2016). "Mish Way Of White Lung Covers Guns N' Roses's "Used To Love Her"". The Fader.
- ^ Rettig, James (June 16, 2016). "Hear White Lung's Mish Barber-Way Cover Guns N' Roses' "Used To Love Her"". Stereogum.
- ^ "L7 - Monster". Discogs. Retrieved April 22, 2019.