14 Years
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox song|
| name = 14 Years
| cover = GNR_14Years.jpg
| alt =
| type = Promotional single
| artist = Guns N' Roses
| album = Use Your Illusion II
| released = 1991
| format =
| recorded = September 1990
| studio = Record Plant (Los Angeles)
| venue =
| genre = Hard rock, blues rock, heavy metal
| length = 4:16
| label = Geffen
| writer = * Izzy Stradlin
| producer = * Mike Clink
- Guns N' Roses
}}
"14 Years" is a song by the American rock band Guns N' Roses, released in 1991 on their album Use Your Illusion II.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/use-your-illusion-ii-mw0000035625|title=Use Your Illusion II - Guns N' Roses | Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=AllMusic|access-date=June 1, 2021}}
Background
The song is one of the few Guns N' Roses tunes sung almost entirely by Izzy Stradlin with Axl Rose singing the chorus.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gnrsource.net/discography/use-your-illusion-ii/14-years/|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130413183506/http://www.gnrsource.net/discography/use-your-illusion-ii/14-years/|url-status=dead|title=14 Years | GN'R Source|archive-date=April 13, 2013|access-date=June 1, 2021}}
"14 Years" was only performed live when Stradlin was still in the band. According to fan-site GNRsource, the song is about Rose's and Stradlin's friendship, with people pointing out that they had known each other for 14 years by the time the song was supposedly written.
An earlier demo had different lyrics with the first verse and the chorus slightly modified, while the second and third verses were given a complete makeover. Parts of the demo's second verse would be used in the third verse of the final version, while the third verse is a slightly modified version of the demo's first verse. Stradlin would sometimes change the lyrics a bit when singing the song live. {{Citation needed|date=December 2017}}
The song was part of the set list at a few live concerts in 2012 featuring Izzy Stradlin.{{Cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/guns-n-roses/2012/the-o2-arena-london-england-53dfebbd.html|title=Guns N' Roses Setlist at The O2 Arena, London|website=Setlist.fm|access-date=June 1, 2021}}
Personnel
- W. Axl Rose – backing and co-lead vocals, piano
- Slash – lead guitar
- Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar, lead vocals
- Duff McKagan – bass, backing vocals
- Matt Sorum – drums
- Dizzy Reed – organ, (in the video, he's playing the piano)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Guns N' Roses}}
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Category:Songs written by Axl Rose