"bad obsession" is about tackling drug abuse and addiction, which had haunted the band since before they had become famous. michael monroe, lead singer of hanoi rocks and a big influence on guns n' roses, plays the harmonica and tenor saxophone on the studio version. a live version from the tokyo dome was featured on the "use your illusion i" dvd as song number six and rose takes a dig at stradlin by saying "this a song that we wrote about one year before "mr. brownstone" with the help of our friend west arkeen and some guy that just, i don't know, his name just escapes me," referencing stradlin.