The song is played using three acoustic guitars and was recorded in a single session by producer Mike Clink.
A music video of the song was shot and appears on the band's music video DVD, Welcome to the Videos.
The music and lyrics of "Patience" were both written by Izzy Stradlin.
The motivation for the track is generally accepted to be the troublesome relationship between Axl Rose and his now ex-wife Erin Everly, though this was never stated in the album or interviews.
The song peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.