Mr. Brownstone

"Mr. Brownstone" is a song by the American rock band Guns N' Roses, featured on their debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction (1987). Slash relates that the song was begun by him and Izzy Stradlin while they were at Izzy and his girlfriend Desi's apartment. He states that they were sitting around, complaining about being heroin addicts, when they started improvising lyrics and music ("Brownstone" is a slang term for heroin). The lyrics make a clear reference to the tolerance that the drug causes in the verse that says:"I used to do a little, but a little wouldn't do, so the little got more and more. I just keep trying to get a little better, said a little better than before". When they had the lyrics all together, they wrote it down on the back of a grocery bag and brought it to Axl Rose. Slash said the lyrics describe a typical day in the life of Slash and Izzy. He also states that it was the first song the band wrote after being signed by Geffen Records.^[1]

Mr. Brownstone was the first Guns N' Roses single released outside of the USA. appearing as a double A-Side, alongside "It's So Easy".

This song exhibits the Bo-Diddley beat originally created by Bo Diddley. This beat is often-used in many rock songs starting from the 1960s.^[2]

The song briefly reemerged in the media when the writings of Virginia tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho were released to the public. One of his two one-act plays is entitled "Mr. Brownstone" and contains lyrics from the song.

Single release

"Mr. Brownstone" was not released as a single worldwide like all the other singles from Appetite for Destruction. It was released as a single only in the UK, but was also released as the B-Side to the singles "It's So Easy" and "Welcome to the Jungle".

Live

• "Mr. Brownstone" is a staple at Guns N' Roses shows and has been included in the set list at nearly every show since 1986, generally played early during the set.
• On April 14, 2012, it was one of three Appetite For Destruction songs played at the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies celebrating the induction of Guns N' Roses, performed by Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum, Gilby Clarke and Myles Kennedy.
• Slash has included "Mr. Brownstone" frequently in set lists during most of his post-Guns N' Roses career, beginning with Slash's Snakepit in the mid-1990s to his most recent 2014 tour with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators.
• Velvet Revolver, which includes former GN'R members Slash, McKagan, and Sorum, played "Mr. Brownstone" frequently with Scott Weiland on vocals.
• Steven Adler's band Adler's Appetite performs this song on their set list.

See also

• Songs about drug use

References

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics