"don't cry" is a power ballad and two versions were released simultaneously on different albums. the version with the original lyrics is featured on "use your illusion i", while the version with alternate lyrics is the 13th track on "use your illusion ii". only the vocal tracks differ, and even then only in the verses; however, in those verses, not only are the words entirely different, but the meter and melody are also slightly different. there is also a third version, officially released only on the single for the song, which was recorded during the "appetite for destruction" sessions in 1986. rose has stated that the song was written about a girl named monique lewis (the face tattooed on his right bicep). she was romantically involved with both rose and stradlin at different times.