“Paradise City” is a song by the American rock band Guns N’ Roses. It’s from their first album, “Appetite for Destruction,” released in 1987. They put it out as a single in January 1989, and it’s the only song on the album with a synthesizer.
The lyrics are about a guy who’s not happy with city life and wants to go back home. The chorus is catchy, with “take me back home!” while the verses talk about how the city is causing him problems.
You can also hear this song in the video game “Burnout: Paradise,” where it’s the theme song for a place called “Paradise City.”
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what “Paradise City” is all about.
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“Paradise City” Background
“Guns N’ Roses’ lead guitarist, Slash, said the song was written in the back of a rental van after a gig in San Francisco with the band Rock N Riders.
They were drinking and playing acoustic guitars when Slash came up with the intro. Duff McKagan and Izzy Stradlin joined in, and Slash started humming a melody.
Axl Rose sang, ‘Take me down to the Paradise City,’ and Slash added, ‘Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty.’ Rose sang the first line again, and Slash shouted, ‘Where the girls are fat and they’ve got big titties.’
Rose finished with ‘Take… me… home!’
Slash liked his second line, but the rest of the band disagreed, so they used the first line. The band worked on the rest of the lyrics together, and Slash came up with the heavy riff that drives the song.
In a 1988 interview with Hit Parader magazine, Rose said “the verses are more about being in the jungle; the chorus is like being back in the Midwest or somewhere.”
“Paradise City” Lyrics Meaning
[Verse 1]
Just an urchin living under the street, I’m a
Hard case that’s tough to beat
I’m your charity case, so buy me something to eat
I’ll pay you at another time
Take it to the end of the line
Rags to riches, or so they say, you gotta
Keep pushing for the fortune and fame
You know it’s, it’s all a gamble when it’s just a game
You treat it like a capital crime
Everybody’s doing the time
In Verse 1, the singer describes himself as a person struggling to survive on the streets, a tough guy who’s hard to defeat.
He mentions that he’s in a difficult situation and asks for someone to buy him some food, promising to repay them later, as expressed in the lines, “I’m your charity case, so buy me something to eat, I’ll pay you at another time.”
The line “Take it to the end of the line” suggests that he’s willing to endure the hardships and difficulties of life on the streets or in pursuit of their goals, no matter how tough things get.
In the following lines “Rags to riches, or so they say, you gotta, Keep pushing for the fortune and fame,” he’s expressing his determination to achieve success and fame from a humble or poor beginning.
However, he’s aware that the pursuit of success, such as fame and wealth, can be unpredictable and uncertain, much like a gamble or a game of chance. He sings, “You know it’s, it’s all a gamble when it’s just a game, You treat it like a capital crime, Everybody’s doing the time.”
He knows that everyone who is striving for success will endure a period of hardship or difficulty as they work towards their goals. It reflects the idea that success often requires sacrifices and challenges.
[Verse 2]
Strapped in the chair of the city’s gas chamber
Why I’m here, I can’t quite remember
The Surgeon General says it’s hazardous to breathe
I’d have another cigarette, but I can’t see
Tell me who you’re gonna believe
In Verse 2, the singer describes being in a place referred to as the “city’s gas chamber,” which implies a highly toxic or hazardous environment.
He mentions that he can’t remember why he ended up there.
The Surgeon General’s warning about the dangers of breathing the air is mentioned, suggesting that the air quality is dangerously poor.
He expresses a desire to smoke a cigarette but refrains, likely due to the harmful conditions.
The verse raises questions about the guy’s predicament and the risks associated with being in this city.
[Chorus]
Take me down to the Paradise City
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Take me home, yeah yeah
Take me down to the Paradise City
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh, won’t you please take me home, yeah
In the Chorus, the singer is expressing his desire to go to a place called “Paradise City.”
He describes this place as having green grass and beautiful girls. He is asking someone to take him home to Paradise City, emphasizing his longing to be there.
[Bridge]
So far away
So far away
So far away
So far away
In the Bridge, when the singer repeats the phrase “So far away,” he is indeed suggesting that “Paradise City” is a distant or far-off place.
[Verse 3]
Captain America’s been torn apart, now
He’s a court jester with a broken heart
He said, “Turn me around and take me back to the start”
I must be losing my mind, are you blind?
I’ve seen it all a million times
In Verse 3, the singer mentions a character called “Captain America,” who has been figuratively torn apart and is now portrayed as a court jester with a broken heart. This imagery is used to convey a sense of disillusionment and loss of hope in someone who may have once been seen as heroic or powerful but has now fallen from grace.
He is using “Captain America” as a symbol or character to represent someone who, like him, has faced difficulties or challenges in life.
He expresses Captain America’s desire to be turned around and taken back to the starting point, suggesting a longing for a return to better times.
However, the man also questions his own sanity and the perception of reality, wondering if he’s becoming delusional.
[Outro]
I wanna go, I wanna know
Oh, won’t you please take me home?
I wanna see, how good it can be
Oh, won’t you please take me home?
Take me down to the Paradise City
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
(Take me home) Oh, won’t you please take me home?
Take me down to the Paradise City
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh, won’t you please take me home?
Take me down (oh yeah), spin me ’round
Oh, won’t you please take me home?
I wanna see, how good it can be
Oh, won’t you please take me home?
I wanna see, how good it can be
Oh oh, take me home
Take me down to the Paradise City
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh, won’t you please take me home?
I wanna go, I wanna know
Oh, won’t you please take me home?
Baby
In the Outro, the singer expresses his desire to go home and see how good life can be.
The repeated lines “Take me down to the Paradise City” emphasize his longing for a better, more enjoyable life.
He calls for someone to take him home, reinforcing his yearning.
Deeper Meaning Behind “Paradise City”
“Paradise City” tells a story of a person who is disillusioned and unhappy with city life, longing to return to a a simpler and more fulfilling life. It’s a reflection on the tension between the allure of urban opportunities and the desire for a simple country lifestyle.
The lyrics convey a sense of frustration and dissatisfaction with the fast-paced and chaotic urban environment. The repeated plea of “take me down to the Paradise City, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty,” serves as a powerful expression of the protagonist’s yearning for a place where he feels a deeper sense of belonging and happiness.
In the song, the singer talks about the problems and challenges associated with city life. For example, “Just an urchin living under the street, I’m a hard case that’s tough to beat,” portrays the tough and challenging aspects of life in the city.
He considers the success in the city as a gamble, singing, “You know it’s, it’s all a gamble when it’s just a game.” This suggests that pursuing fortune and fame in the city can be uncertain and risky.
The song is called “Paradise City” because it serves as a metaphorical representation of the idealized place where the singer longs to be. In the song, “Paradise City” is depicted as a utopian destination where the grass is green and the girls are pretty, symbolizing a simpler, happier, and more idyllic life in contrast to the challenges and disillusionment of city living described in the verses.
“Paradise City” makes a reference to Bloomington, Indiana, where Axl Rose and his family would visit. Jake Query, a friend of Axl Rose, told 93.1 WIBC FM, a radio station in Indianapolis, that the lines, “Where the grass is green, and the girls are pretty,” refer to that place.
Jacob Carter is a lyricist. He created the lyrics writing course to teach people how to analyze and write lyrics. He graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in English Literature, so he’s skilled at playing with words.
He’s also an amateur guitarist, which means he knows music and melody very well. With this background, he’s a great lyricist you can rely on to learn writing lyrics.