SA2 Sweet Child O' Mine.

Meredith Davern

Moving between third and first person Guns N’ Roses in “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, utilizes loving hyperbole, memorable personification, and peaceful imagery to show how one’s love can remind them “of a warm safe place”, and childhood innocence.  

The hyperboles throughout “Sweet Child O’ Mine” express the artist’s deep feelings for the subject. “She’s got eyes of the bluest skies.” The artist wants the listener to picture a beautiful woman with amazing attributes. He exaggerates her beauty in order to paint a picture. He also professes that he would “break down and cry” if she left him. Breaking down implies that he would just stop, and it is impossible to just stop everything. He also uses “break down and cry” to tell what he would do if he stared too long. Only a truly powerful picture can evoke tears on command. That image has to cause an influx and just rush of emotion. The hyperbole has the power to paint an amazing picture. The image has to be so perfect and so out of reach because that is how the artist views the subject. She is just to amazing to behold.

Personification helps to create the idea of childhood memories. “Now and then when I see her face…takes me away to that special place” just the image of her cannot take him away anywhere. Her presence reminds him of carefree days. “Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place” The hair is like a child’s safety blanket. The blanket is safe; just like when kids hide from monsters under the covers. The blankets cannot protect anyone, only provide comfort. The smell and feel of the subject’s hair brings the artist to memories of the innocent days of hiding behind mom’s hair; just like when a toddler meets new people. “She’s got a smile that it seems to me reminds me of childhood memories” the artists sees his life in the subject’s facial features. Now a smile cannot regenerate memories, like a photo album, but her smile brings him home. When he sees her face he is reminded of more innocent days. The innocence’s brings out true love. When love is so innocent that a person can be happy just sitting next to one another that is honest and one hundred percent love.

Peaceful and loving, Guns N’ Roses displays beautiful imagery. Using simple phrases like “fresh as the bright blue sky” brings around the image of a gorgeous sunny day. The moments that are so perfect in life are always pictured during a beautiful say. No one picture’s their wedding in the pouring rain. “Bluest skies” brings to mind an ocean, and “She’s got eyes of the bluest skies” creates the idea of swimming in the subject’s eyes. Her beauty is so captivating that no one can look at her without melting. And the artist being reminded of a “warm safe place” also reinforces the idea of a summer day. “Where as a child I’d hide” helps to realize the naïve nature of the song. The childhood idea and peaceful imagery display the artist’s feelings for the subject. The song brings to mind a peaceful summer day, and two people madly in love.

The song “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses brings together non-traditional aspects to create a famous song. The rock music in nature paired with a sweet and loving message is mind boggling. The imagery paints a picture of the most beautiful day available, and the most attractive woman anyone has ever seen in your life. Personification brings the lyrics to life, and showcases many innocent and childlike aspects to love. The hyperbole brings to life the artist’s attachment to the subject, and shows how much the artist cares for the subject. The song truly brings out the idea of innocence in love.