Exploring Songs on Guns N' Roses' Not in This Lifetime Setlist

Guns N' Roses are ripping through North America on their Not in This Lifetime Tour.

The tour kicked off September 25 in Charlotte, North Carolina and is expected to run through November 2 in Las Vegas.

The band has been busting out a slew of covers on this tour, ranging from their famous cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" to their more obscure rendition of Velvet Revolver's "Slither," which they played live for the first time in June 2018.

Along with the covers, Axl Rose and Co. have been playing fan-favorites off of albums Appetite for Destruction, Use Your Illusion I and II and Chinese Democracy.

Cue up our Not in This Lifetime Tour Setlist Playlist on Spotify and keep reading for a closer look at some of the songs Guns N' Roses are playing live!

"Welcome To The Jungle"

This song was featured on the band's 1987 debut, Appetite for Destruction.

Slash says he came up with the riff while living in the basement of his mother's house, and that Rose reminded him of it during the songwriting process. He credits Duff McKagan with coming up with the breakdown for the song.

Legend has it, Rose came up with the lyrics after encountering a homeless man in New York City. He says the man yelled, "You know where you are? You're in the jungle baby; you're gonna die!"

In 2009, "Welcome To The Jungle" was named the greatest rock song of all time by VH1. The band has played it live a whopping 914 times, making it their most played song, ever.

Guns N' Roses, "Welcome To The Jungle"

"Live And Let Die"

This song is a cover of Paul McCartney and Wings' song of the same name that was featured in the James Bond film, Live and Let Die.

At first, Rose says the band didn't think they were ready to take on the song.

"To me it’s like Tom Waits meets Metallica," he said.

"It’s the way I sing it, so rough and scratchy, like I sound like Tom Waits. It’s working out really good, it sounds like us. Everybody who hears it thinks that it sounds like the perfect song for us."

Slash compared the song to "Knocking on Heaven's Door," saying that he and Rose had always loved it. "It’s actually heavier when we play it live than it is on the record," he said.

"Because of the horns and synthesizer. Live it’s got more bottom to it."
Guns N' Roses, "Live and Let Die"

"November Rain"

This piano ballad became the centerpiece of the band's double releases Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II.

The music video for "November Rain" was quite the production. Rose recruited friend and writer Del James to allow the band to loosely base the song around one of James' short stories, "Without You," in which a singer is haunted by the death of his girlfriend. The bride in the music video is actually played by Rose's girlfriend at the time, Stephanie Seymour.

The video cost $1.5 million to make.

Guns N' Roses, "November Rain"

"Don't Cry"

This power ballad was also featured on both Use Your Illusion albums in 1991. The original version is on the first Use Your Illusion, with an alternate recording on Use Your Illusion II.

Like "November Rain" and "Estranged," "Don't Cry" was also partly inspired by the Del James short story, "Without You." It features vocals from the late Blind Melon singer, Shannon Hoon.

"Don't Cry" was a tour-favorite in the band's early years, especially during the Use Your Illusion Tour in 1991-1993. It was absent from the setlist on the first leg of 2001's Chinese Democracy Tour, but reappeared briefly during 2007 and once again in 2009.

It's been played live 440 times.

Guns N' Roses, "Don't Cry"

Guns N' Roses are back on the road Friday, October 4 at Austin City Limits. Check out their full list of tour dates below!

Guns N' Roses 2019 tour dates:

10/04 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits

10/07 – Wichita, KS @ INTRUST Bank Arena #

10/11 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits

10/15 – Lincoln, NE @ Pinnacle Bank Arena $

10/13 – Manchester, TN @ Exit 111 Festival

10/18 – Guadalajara, MX @ Estadio Jalisco

10/20 – Tijuana, MX @ Estadio Caliente

10/23 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena *

10/25 – New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Music Experience

10/29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena *

11/01 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Colosseum at Caesars Palace %

11/02 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Colosseum at Caesars Palace %

# = w/ Bishop Gunn

$ = w/ Blackberry Smoke

* = w/Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown

% = w/ Dirty Honey

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