"Yesterdays" is a melancholic rocker from Use Your Illusion II, co-written by Axl Rose, West Arkeen, Del James, and Billy McCloud. The track moves at a moderate 86 BPM in B-flat minor, with Rose delivering a reflective vocal performance over a descending chord progression that evokes a sense of nostalgia and loss. Slash's guitar solo is compact but emotionally potent, weaving between the song's sections with a melodic sensibility that complements the wistful lyrical content. The composition balances acoustic and electric textures, with clean arpeggiated guitar figures giving way to heavier, distorted passages that build toward the song's emotional peaks. The production captures the polished yet powerful sound that characterized the Use Your Illusion sessions at A&M Studios and Record Plant, with the expanded Guns N' Roses lineup contributing layers of instrumentation. Yesterdays served as a single from the album and was accompanied by a music video that interspersed performance footage with scenes from the band's history. The song represents the more introspective, emotionally vulnerable side of the band's repertoire, a dimension that the Use Your Illusion albums explored far more deeply than their debut.
