I always looked at it as a story of a man who dwells in a bad neighborhood (“Welcome to the Jungle”) and spends his days in sin and careless pleasures (“It’s So Easy”, “Nightrain”). He then runs into some trouble with the law (“Out Ta Get Me”) and falls deep into drug addiction (“Mr. Brownstone”) while dreaming of a happier place (“Paradise City”). He meets a girl (“My Michelle”), what starts out as another one of his usual meaningless liaisons but he finds himself unable to stop thinking about her (“I Think About You”) and realizes he is in love (“Sweet Child O’Mine”). They fight (“You’re Crazy”) and for a little while he throws himself back into pleasure-seeking (“Anything Goes”) but finally meets the woman he loves again and realizes she is the thing that will save him (“Rocket Queen”).
Is this just coincidental? Does anyone know if the band intended it that way? Can we read a story into it even if it wasn’t intended? My friend who got me into GNR said she had never thought of the story aspect of it before. I don’t think there’s one right answer to this question but I’m curious to see if anyone else has perceived it this way.
I can sort of see that now but it just seems like so many of the themes are so common (drugs, women, sex) that you could probably read that kind of story into most albums. So I guess I’m not really sure. It does seem a bit of a stretch, but you never know…
I seem to remember that “Sweet child o’mine” was about one of the band member’s daughter.
I think what does it for me is that there seems to be a progression, from someone who is very cavalier about drugs, sex, and sin - using women to get what he wants without regard for their humanity, etc - to someone who would say “all I ever wanted was for you to know that I care”.
In that way I can sort of see what you mean. From the subject matter of “Jungle” to “Rocket Queen” there does seem to be a big progression. I actually always thought of “Rocket Queen” that way in and of itself–like it’s a guy going from sex/drugs/sin to caring.
It’s about Axl’s girlfriend/fiancee at the time, Erin Everly, daughter of one of the Everly Brothers.
This is not a concept album - at the time, they didn’t have a concept about that 
Gn’R was just trying to get an album made, and when they did, it sat for a while until Welcome to the Jungle got traction on Headbangers Ball on MTV…
…but it’s only rock n’ roll.
(In a really good way - I was just messing around with Out ta Get Me the other day…fun to play in Open G…)