6 Guns N' Roses Songs that Should Be on the 'Jungle Book' Soundtrack

This weekend Disney is releasing their live-action/CGI remake of the beloved animated film The Jungle Book.  Everything from the very first trailer has looked amazing.  The computer generated animal population of the titular jungle, who make up almost the entire cast except for the young protagonist Mowgli, look absolutely spectacular.  Director Jon Favreau has been more or less out of the limelight since his 2011 flop Cowboys & Aliens but this could be just the thing to put him back on top; back where he was after the unequivocal success of Iron Man in 2008.  A major part of that movie's appeal was the grounded but breathtaking special effects.  Now the CGI is taking center stage in a way that hasn't been done to this scale and this well since Avatar.  Of course, this is Disney so likely the biggest challenge for both filmmakers and audiences is the suspension of disbelief surrounding talking animals no matter how well animated.  Fortunately, these beasts are voiced by an outstanding cast including Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong'o, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba and Scarlett Johansson.  The biggest disappointment for many is likely the decreased part music plays in comparison to the 1967 animated musical version.  Coincidentally, one of the biggest stories in music news this year is the reunion of the classic Guns N' Roses lineup of their peak in the late 80's and early 90's.  For some reason I can't help but feel that Guns N' Roses would make an excellent compensation to the Jungle Book soundtrack, if only their lyrics were a little more Disney friendly.  Here are a few GNR songs that would go well with The Jungle Book (with a bit of censorship) based on what I remember from the animated version.

From the iconic music video "Welcome to the Chapel"

Sweet Child o' Mine

The main character of The Jungle Book is Mowgli, a child who was lost in the wilderness as an infant.  He is fortunate enough to be found by some of the more gentle members of the wildlife.  A pack of wolves welcome him into their home in the jungle and raise him, which is apparently a much better way to go than the common use of that idiom would lead you to believe.  Mowgli grows into a kind, strong, and curious boy.  That likely wouldn't be the case without the love and care of his adopted lupine parents.  If you want a song about parentage, look no farther than the Guns N' Roses hit "Sweet Child o' Mine."  Unless "Cat's in the Cradle" is farther.  Or "Surrender" by Cheap Trick.  Or "Danny's Song" by Loggins and Messina.  Barring those, "Sweet Child o' Mine" is one of the better songs that is vaguely about parental relationships.  Although, it's hard to be sure if it's about parental or romantic love and considering that there's any uncertainty at all makes either option pretty creepy.  Regardless, it really is a great song, as evidenced by its status as the number one way for closed off teenage boys to acknowledge the possibility that they might have emotions for nineteen years running.  Also, The Jungle Book has a prevailing sense of lostness and wandering that is similarly evoked by the song's ending, with frontman Axl Rose succinctly asking "Where do we go now?"

Out Ta Get Me

As Robert Frost once said, "nothing gold can stay."  Mowgli's oddly domestic life must come to an end when the vicious Shere Khan makes his return like an outlaw in the Wild West.  Mowgli is forced to flee from the tiger and his taste for human flesh.  He is escorted by the stern but loving panther Bagheera back to the world of man.  More than ever before Mowgli faces the true peril of life in the wilderness.  He is hunted from every direction, not just by Shere Khan but also by a bumbling python and an ape who wants to be people.  That feeling of constant danger is echoed by a Guns N' Roses song called "Out Ta Get Me," one of the lesser known tracks from the band's iconic debut Appetite for Destruction.  In the song's defense, it's hard to stand out on an album than includes "Sweet Child o' Mine," "Paradise City," and others.  It's about Rose's fear of the police as a delinquent teenager in Indiana.  There isn't much law to be found in the jungle but the song's atmosphere of vulnerability and the need for escape would still ring familiar to Mowgli.

Catcher In The Rye

The boy is able to survive his journey largely thanks to the help of Bagheera and the panther's comic foil Baloo, the chillest bear who ever lived.  His two dads have wildly different philosophies on life and parenting but they are able to put that aside to protect their adopted son.  They're the people who can find whatever he may need.  Preservation of innocence is a major theme in J.D. Salinger's classic novel The Catcher in the Rye, which inspired a song on Guns N' Roses' 2008 album Chinese Democracy.  The record was largely considered a disappointment thanks to a long wait and the absence of founding guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan but "Catcher In The Rye" was one of the more memorable tracks.

Hair of the Dog (Nazareth cover)

Eventually the time had to come when Mowgli confronted Shere Khan face to face.  With a little help from his friends, his wits, and the elements the boy manages to get the better of an objectively stronger foe.  He brings the feline ferocity to his sha na na na knees in a thrilling conflict.  It's a perfect time for a down and dirty rock song, of which Guns N' Roses has plenty but the best choice for this occasion is their cover of Nazareth's "Hair of the Dog."  It's a highlight of GNR's cover album The Spaghetti Incident? released in 1993.  You've probably heard it before.  It's an amusing ditty with a chorus of "now you're messing with / a son of bitch."  Get it?  "Hair" sounds like "heir."  It's an especially triumphant song for Mowgli, who was raised by a female canine, making him a literal son of bitch.

Don't Cry

Finally, Mowgli makes it to the "Man-Village" where he is greeted into the town by a girl, the likes of which he's never seen before.  In a bittersweet moment he leaves his friends and family behind for a new life with his own kind and the looming threat of puberty.  Bagheera and Baloo watch him leave then turn to the sight of their empty nest of a jungle.  Tonally, the scene is similar to the ballad "Don't Cry," which appears on both parts of the double album Use Your Illusion.  Like "Sweet Child," it's probably about a romantic relationship, specifically a break-up, but it could almost be about a parent watching their child grow up with lines like "something's changing inside you" and "you gotta make it your own way."

Epilogue: Move To The City

Since the 1967 film's release there have been a few stories exploring Mowgli's life after his return to human civilization.  Long story short, he learns that man's world isn't all it cracked up to be.  It ironically resembles the likely autobiographical story of GNR's "Move To The City," in which a young person escapes their troubled small town life in favor of the big city, only to find out just how harsh and cruel the world can be when you're young and alone.  It calls to mind this video to another GNR obscurity.  Fortunately, the direct-to-VHS Jungle Book 2 has a much happier ending.  Still, Guns N' Roses couldn't pair better with The Jungle Book if they had a song with the word "jungle" in the title.