"Estranged"
Single by Guns N' Roses
from the album Use Your Illusion II
A-side	"Estranged" (LP version)
B-side	"The Garden" (LP version)
Released	January 17, 1994
Format	CD single
Recorded	1991
Genre	Hard rock, Progressive rock, blues rock, heavy metal
Length	9:23
Label	Geffen
Writer(s)	Axl Rose
Producer	Mike Clink, Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses singles chronology
"Ain't It Fun" (1993) "Estranged" (1994) "Since I Don't Have You" (1994)
Music video "Estranged" on YouTube

"Estranged" is a song and music video by the American rock band Guns N' Roses from the second part of their two-part Use Your Illusion album, Use Your Illusion II.

At over nine minutes long, "Estranged", also known for its music video, is the longest song on Use Your Illusion II and Guns N' Roses' second longest song overall (after "Coma" from Use Your Illusion I). It has many verses, no set chorus, and several distinguished guitar and piano solos. Use Your Illusion II's liner notes thank lead guitarist Slash for "the killer guitar melodies", which captured Axl Rose's vision. Slash has specifically stated that recording the guitar parts for this song was very intensive for him; he recorded it using a Les Paul Gold Top, using the rhythm pickup with the tone turned all the way down.^[1]

According to Slash, the song was written while the band was rehearsing for an extended period of time in Chicago.^[2] Axl revealed that he wrote the song during a more "bummed out" time in his life when his marriage with Erin Everly was annulled.^[3]

Music video [edit]

Released in December 1993, the music video is the third and final part of an unofficial Del James trilogy of videos (preceded by "Don't Cry" and "November Rain") from the Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II albums.^[4] The estimated budget was US$4 million.^[5]

The almost ten-minute-long video for "Estranged" is similar in style to the previous two in the trilogy; however, it appears only loosely to pick up the theme. This is mainly because Axl Rose and then-girlfriend Stephanie Seymour (who played Axl's love interest in "Don't Cry" and "November Rain") had broken up prior to filming, making the theme of separation/divorce highly relevant.

The video begins by showing Axl pursued by a group of SWAT team members while hidden in what appeared to be an abandoned mansion (his actual house). Later, in a flashback, Axl is shown being escorted off that same (presumably marital) property. During this sequence, dictionary definitions for "Estranged" are flashed across the screen suggesting that Axl is going through a separation. Definitions of illusion and disillusion also appear. The next segment features the entire band boarding an Antonov An-124 transport aircraft with their equipment. In the final sequence, Axl is seen walking on the deck of the Judith Prosperity, an oil tanker, where in the video's climax, he leaps into the water in an apparent suicide attempt but ends up being rescued by a group of bottlenose dolphins. The video is also known for the memorable scene where Slash walks on water while playing a guitar solo. The video contains multiple shots of the Rainbow Bar, which is also seen in the music video for "November Rain". The video ends with a note from Axl which says, "Lose your Illusions, Love Axl GNR '93". Parts of the video were filmed at the Olympic Stadium of Munich, Germany during a concert and show stage shots as well as views of the Olympic Park where the summer games of 1972 took place.

Live [edit]

"Estranged" was played live very frequently during the Use Your Illusion Tour from 1991 to 1993. During performances of this song, Dizzy Reed would play piano instead of Axl Rose. A live version of this song can be heard on Live Era: '87-'93. During the Chinese Democracy Tour, a riff from the song was sometimes included in Ron Thal's solo interpretation of the Pink Panther Theme. In December 2008, Axl spoke of his desire to bring Estranged back into the live set.^[6] The song appeared in Guns N' Roses' live set list at Rock In Rio on October 3rd, 2011, with Axl Rose stating after playing the song, "I don't think I've sung that song in 18 years".

Formats and track listing [edit]

Personnel [edit]

• Axl Rose – lead vocals, piano, production
• Izzy Stradlin – rhythm guitar, additional lead guitar, production
• Slash – lead guitar, production
• Duff McKagan – bass, production
• Matt Sorum – drums, production

See also [edit]

• List of most expensive music videos

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• "Estranged" -- a music video retrospective
• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics