In the early 80's, Gilby was a member of the pop band Candy which recorded the album "Whatever Happened To Fun." He left the band sometime in the mid 80's to form the metal band Kill For Thrills as lead singer and rhythm guitarist, while the rest of Candy went on to turn into Electric Angels. Kill For Thrills recorded an EP ("Commercial Suicide") and LP ("Nightmare In Dynamiteland") before Gilby got the call to replace Izzy Stradlin as rhythm guitarist in Guns N' Roses in November of 1991.
Gilby finished the huge Use Your Illusion tour with Guns N' Roses as well as recording the covers album "The Spaghetti Incident?" with the band. In 1994, Gilby released his first solo album "Pawnshop Guitars," which featured guest appearances from every member of Guns N' Roses at the time. Right before Guns N' Roses went in to record a cover of the Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil," Axl Rose fired Clarke from the band, replacing him with Paul Tobias.
Gilby joined Slash's side project Slash's Snakepit and recorded the album "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" with them in 1995, as well as touring in support for them. Gilby Clarke went on to release three more solo albums 1997's "The Hangover," 1998's "Rubber," and 2002's "Swag," as well as a live album in 1999 called "99 Live."
Gilby has also produced for various bands, including producing the only Jizzy Pearl led L.A. Guns record, "Shrinking Violet." He also remixed five demo HollyWood Rose demo tracks for 2005's "The Roots of GN'R" with Tracii Guns laying down lead guitars on the track. He also produced the next Crash Kelly record.
Gilby played with the reformed MC5 on their 2005 European tour. Also, Gilby was a member of the band Rock Star Supernova, along with Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe), Jason Newsted (Metallica), and singer Lukas Rossi. They only released an eponymous album in 2006.
Gilby's latest album, "The Gospel Truth", appeared in 2021.
Sweet Child O' Mine
Gilby Clarke Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I stared too long
Sweet child o' mine
Sweet love of mine
She's got eyes of the bluest skies
As if they thought of rain
I'd hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place
Where as a child I'd hide
And pray for the thunder and the rain
To quietly pass me by
Sweet child o' mine
Sweet love of mine
Sweet child o' mine
Sweet love of mine
Where do we go?
Where do we go now?
Where do we go?
Sweet child o' mine
In Gilby Clarke's song "Sweet Child O' Mine," the singer reminisces about a woman who reminds him of his childhood memories. Her smile is the trigger to all the beautiful memories he had as a child when everything was fresh and blooming just like the blue sky. Whenever he sees her, she takes him away from reality to the world of memories. However, staring at her for too long could crack him up into tears, as the memories are so powerful and intense. She is his sweet child, and he loves her intensely.
Furthermore, the woman has the bluest eyes that seem like they are thinking about rain. The thought of seeing her in pain breaks the singer, and he hates the thought of it. Her hair reminds him of a warm place where he would hide, pray for thunder and rain to pass by without any disturbance. The woman is his sweet love, and he cherishes her presence. The song concludes by asking, "Where do we go? Where do we go now?"; the singer may be wondering where the relationship is heading.
Line by Line Meaning
She's got a smile that it seems to me
The woman being described has a captivating smile that catches the attention of the singer
Reminds me of childhood memories
The smile reminds the singer of happy memories from their childhood
Where everything
The memories being recalled are ones where everything seemed perfect and carefree
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky
These childhood memories were full of freshness and vigor, much like a clear blue sky
Now and then when I see her face
Occasionally, when the singer sees this woman's face, it triggers nostalgic memories
She takes me away to that special place
The presence of this woman transports the singer back to that happy place of their childhood memories
And if I stared too long
If the singer were to look at the woman for too long,
I'd probably break down and cry
they believe they would become emotional and possibly even cry because the memories are so powerful
Sweet child o' mine
A term of endearment for the woman being described
Sweet love of mine
Another term of endearment for the woman being described
She's got eyes of the bluest skies
The woman's eyes are a stunning, vivid blue color
As if they thought of rain
The color of her eyes makes it seem as though they are anticipating a rainy day
I'd hate to look into those eyes
The singer is acknowledging the power of the woman's gaze
And see an ounce of pain
The singer would be hurt to see any sign of pain or sadness in the woman's eyes
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place
The woman's hair has a comforting and protective quality that calls to the singer's memories of safety as a child
Where as a child I'd hide
This feeling of safety is what made the singer seek refuge in places like under covers or in closets as a child
And pray for the thunder and the rain
During those times of hiding, the singer would be comforted by the sound of thunder and rain outside, as it created a feeling of coziness
To quietly pass me by
The singer wanted the storm to end soon, but for the time being, it provided a sense of security
Sweet child o' mine
A term of endearment once again used to name this special woman
Sweet love of mine
A reminder of how much the singer cares for this woman
Sweet child o' mine
A concluding call back to the woman and the importance of the entire experience to the singer
Where do we go?
A rhetorical question asked by the singer, as they are unsure what comes next
Where do we go now?
An emotional plea for direction and guidance in their life
Where do we go?
A reminder of the uncertainty of the future and the search for direction
Sweet child o' mine
A final term of endearment used to capture the love and importance this person has in the singer's life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: W. Axl Rose, Saul Hudson, Duff Rose McKagan, Izzy Stradlin, Steven Adler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind