Yesterdays (Guns N' Roses song)

"Yesterdays"
Single by Guns N' Roses
from the album Use Your Illusion II
B-side"Yesterdays" (live)
ReleasedNovember 2, 1992 (1992-11-02)
Genre
Length3:13
LabelGeffen
Songwriters
Producers
Guns N' Roses singles chronology
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door"
(1992) 		"Yesterdays"
(1992) 		"Civil War"
(1993)
Music video
"Yesterdays" on YouTube

"Yesterdays" is a song by the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, which appears as the third track on their fourth studio album, Use Your Illusion II (1991). It was written by the band's vocalist, Axl Rose, with American musicians West Arkeen, Del James and Billy McCloud. The song is featured in the 2004 compilation album Greatest Hits, while a live version from Las Vegas was included as the single's B-side and on the 1999 live album Live Era '87–'93.

It was released as the album's third single on November 2, 1992, reaching number eight on the UK Singles Chart and number 72 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Composition

"Yesterday" has been described as combining the "rancorous blues-rock" of the band's debut studio album, Appetite for Destruction," with the "high-brow art-rock" of the rest of Use Your Ilusion I and Use Your Illusion II. Slash's arpeggiated guitar chords recall the intro of "Paradise City," while Axl Rose's piano chords and Dizzy Reed's organ work highlights the band's new direction.[1]

Music video

The music video of the song was directed by Andy Morahan.[2] Filmed in black and white, the first version featured the band playing in an empty warehouse. The second version mixes clips of the band playing in the warehouse and photographs of band members during the Use Your Illusion Tour, as well as former members Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler, who had left the group by then. It is included on their Welcome to the Videos DVD.

Track listings

UK 7-inch vinyl (GEFS)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Yesterdays" (LP version)  
2."November Rain" (LP version)Axl Rose 
UK 12-inch picture disc vinyl (GEFST)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Yesterdays" (LP version)  
2."November Rain" (LP version)Rose 
3."Yesterdays" (Live in Las Vegas)  
UK and Korea CD (GEFSTD)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Yesterdays" (LP version)  
2."November Rain" (LP version)Rose 
3."Yesterdays" (Live in Las Vegas)  
4."Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Live at the Marquee in 1987 [previously released on Guns N' Roses (EP)])Bob Dylan 

Personnel

Charts

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Australia November 2, 1992
  • CD
  • cassette
 Geffen [24]
United Kingdom November 9, 1992
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [25]
November 16, 1992 12-inch vinyl [26]
Japan December 16, 1992 CD [27]

References

  1. ^ Rolli, Bryan (September 19, 2021). "How Guns N' Roses Kissed Their Past Goodbye on 'Yesterdays'". WBUF. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  2. ^ "Guns 'n' Roses - 'Yesterdays'". MVDBase.com (video). ASG. 1998–2017. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  3. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Yesterdays". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  4. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Yesterdays" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  5. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Yesterdays" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  6. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Image 1855". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  7. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 3. January 16, 1993. p. 16. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  8. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 49. December 5, 1992. p. 19. Retrieved April 9, 2020.
  9. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  10. ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  11. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Yesterdays / November Rain". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  12. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 50, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  13. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Yesterdays" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  14. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Yesterdays". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  15. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Yesterdays". VG-lista. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  16. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 5. January 30, 1993. p. 44. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  17. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Yesterdays". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  18. ^ "Guns N' Roses – Yesterdays". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  19. ^ "Official Singles Chart on 28/11/1992 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  20. ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. December 5, 1992. p. 20. Retrieved November 11, 2025.
  21. ^ "Guns N' Roses Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  22. ^ "Guns N' Roses Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2017.
  23. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1992". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
  24. ^ "New Release Summary – Product Available from : 02/11/92: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 144. November 1, 1992. p. 19.
  25. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. November 7, 1992. p. 19. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  26. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. November 14, 1992. p. 25.
  27. ^ "ガンズ・アンド・ローゼズ | イエスタデイズ" [Guns and Roses | Yesterdays] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
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