"Last Child" is a song by American rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler and

Brad Whitford Bradley Ernest Whitford (born February 23, 1952)Putterford, Mark (1991) ''The Fall and Rise of Aerosmith'', Omnibus Press, Strong, Martin C. (2001) ''The Great Metal Discography'' (2nd edn.), MOJO Books, , p. 11-13 is an American musician who i ...

and released as the first single from the album '' Rocks'' in

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

. It peaked at number 21 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, one of a string of hits for the band in the mid-1970s.

Structure

The song is one of

's best-known contributions to the band. "Brad wrote, 'Take me back to sweet

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the population ...

, home sweet home…'" recalled Tyler. "Whatever he put into 'Last Child', that's his moment. He can take that, and that's his, forever."Sharp, Ken: "Country roads"; ''

Classic Rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...

'' #227, September 2016, p41

Reception

'' Cash Box'' said that "it's right in the groove: a straightforward rock tune with a slick, rhythm oriented arrangement."

Legacy

Long after its release, "Last Child" enjoys regular airplay on rock radio and is regularly rotated into Aerosmith's concert setlist. In concert, it is often Whitford's feature spot, in which Tyler introduces him with something like "Brad Whitford, what do you got to show for yourself?" or "What do you got up your sleeve?" Whitford often does a little bit of an intro before playing the opening notes to the song. Although it was often assumed that the guitar solo as heard on the studio recording was played by Joe Perry, it was originally rumored to have been played by an uncited (hired) guitarist. During his appearance as a guest on ''

That Metal Show ''That Metal Show'' is a talk show that premiered on VH1 Classic on November 15, 2008 and ended on May 9, 2015 with a span of 14 seasons. Hosted by Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine, the series features three hosts interviewing musi ...

'' in 2012, Whitford stated that he actually wrote and performed the solo himself. "Last Child" has been rereleased on compilations including ''

Aerosmith's Greatest Hits ''Greatest Hits'' is the first greatest hits compilation album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released by Columbia Records on November 11, 1980. Release and reception Although the official website for Aerosmith lists the release for '' ...

'', ''

O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits ''O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits'' is a greatest hits album by American hard rock band Aerosmith, released in 2002 by Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony C ...

'', and '' Devil's Got a New Disguise'' as well as live collections including '' Live! Bootleg'', ''

Classics Live II ''Classics Live'' and ''Classics Live II'' are a set of albums by American rock band Aerosmith, released in 1986 and 1987, respectively. Together, they constitute the band's second live offering, after '' Live! Bootleg''. ''Classics Live I'' has g ...

'', and '' A Little South of Sanity''.

Charts

References

{{Authority control Aerosmith songs 1976 singles Songs written by Steven Tyler Songs written by Brad Whitford Song recordings produced by Jack Douglas (record producer) Columbia Records singles Funk rock songs