I know you've deceived me, now here's a surprise
I know that you have 'cause there's magic in my eyes
I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah
If you think that I don't know about the little tricks you've played
And never see you when deliberately you put things in my way
Well, here's a poke at you
You're gonna choke on it too
You're gonna lose that smile
Because all the while
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah
You took advantage of my trust in you when I was so far away
I saw you holding lots of other guys and now you've got the nerve to say
That you still want me
Well, that's as may be
But you gotta stand trial
Because all the while
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah
I know you've deceived me, now here's a surprise
I know that you have 'cause there's magic in my eyes
I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles
Oh yeah
The Eiffel Tower and the Taj Mahal are mine to see on clear days
You thought that I would need a crystal ball to see right through the haze
Well, here's a poke at you
You're gonna choke on it too
You're gonna lose that smile
Because all the while
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles
and miles and miles and miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
I can see for miles and miles
- Released October 14, 1967
- Recorded in several separate sessions in studios across two continents, the recording of "I Can See for Miles" exemplifies the increasingly sophisticated studio techniques of rock bands in the late 1960s. The backing tracks were recorded in London, the vocals and overdubbing were performed in New York at Talentmasters Studios, and the album was mastered in Los Angeles at the Gold Star Studios.
- The song may have inspired The Beatles' "Helter Skelter". Paul McCartney recalls writing "Helter Skelter" after reading a review of The Who Sell Out in which the critic claimed that "I Can See for Miles" was the "heaviest" song he'd ever heard. McCartney -- without having ever actually heard "I Can See for Miles" -- wrote "Helter Skelter" in an attempt to make an even "heavier" song than the one praised in the review.
- "I Can See for Miles" was rarely performed live by The Who during the Keith Moon era; the complex vocal harmonies were difficult to replicate on stage, as was the percussion style found on the original recording. The song was performed on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, but it was mimed.
- The opening segment combined with the chorus part at 1:03 was used for an automobile headlights advertisement, by Sylvania.
- The commercial:
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Happy Jack
Happy Jack wasn't old, but he was a man.
He lived in the sand at the Isle of Man.
The kids would all sing, he would take the wrong key,
So they rode on ahead on their furry donkey.
The kids couldn't hurt Jack,
They tried, tried, tried.
They dropped things on his back,
They lied, lied, lied, lied, lied.
But they couldn't stop Jack, or the waters lapping,
And they couldn't prevent Jack from being happy.
But they couldn't stop Jack, or the waters lapping,
And they couldn't prevent Jack from being happy.
The kids couldn't hurt Jack,
They tried, tried, tried.
They dropped things on his back
They lied, lied, lied, lied, lied.
But they couldn't stop Jack, or the waters lapping.
And they couldn't prevent Jack from being happy.
- Released December 3, 1966
- "Happy Jack" was the band's first top forty hit in the USA.
- Pete Townshend based the "Happy Jack" character on the strange and not-too-intelligent guys who used to hang around English beaches and play with the kids. Townshend himself, played on the Isle Of Man beach as a kid.
- At the tail end of "Happy Jack", Townshend can be heard shouting "I saw you!", and it is said that he was noticing drummer Keith Moon trying to join in surreptitiously to add his voice to the recording. Apparently, Moon had been banished from the studio and was trying to sneak back in.
He lived in the sand at the Isle of Man.
The kids would all sing, he would take the wrong key,
So they rode on ahead on their furry donkey.
The kids couldn't hurt Jack,
They tried, tried, tried.
They dropped things on his back,
They lied, lied, lied, lied, lied.
But they couldn't stop Jack, or the waters lapping,
And they couldn't prevent Jack from being happy.
But they couldn't stop Jack, or the waters lapping,
And they couldn't prevent Jack from being happy.
The kids couldn't hurt Jack,
They tried, tried, tried.
They dropped things on his back
They lied, lied, lied, lied, lied.
But they couldn't stop Jack, or the waters lapping.
And they couldn't prevent Jack from being happy.
- Released December 3, 1966
- "Happy Jack" was the band's first top forty hit in the USA.
- Pete Townshend based the "Happy Jack" character on the strange and not-too-intelligent guys who used to hang around English beaches and play with the kids. Townshend himself, played on the Isle Of Man beach as a kid.
- At the tail end of "Happy Jack", Townshend can be heard shouting "I saw you!", and it is said that he was noticing drummer Keith Moon trying to join in surreptitiously to add his voice to the recording. Apparently, Moon had been banished from the studio and was trying to sneak back in.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Substitute
you think we look pretty good together
you think my shoes are made of leather
but i'm a substitute for another guy
i look pretty tall but my heels are high
the simple things you see are all complicated
i look pretty young but i'm just back dated
yeah
substitute your lies for fact
I see right through your plastic mac
I look all white, but my dad was black
my fine looking suit is really made out of sack
i was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth
the north side of my town faced east
and the east was facin' south
now you dare to look me in the eye
those crocodile tears are what you cry
it's a genuine problem but you won't try
to work it out at all you just pass it by
pass it by
substitute me for him
substitute my coke for gin
substitute you for my mom
at least I'll get my washing done
i'm a substitute for another guy
i look pretty tall but my heels are high
the simple thiungs you see are all complicated
i look pretty young, but I'm just backdated
i was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth
the north side of my town faced east
and the east was facin' south
now you dare to look me in the eye
those crocodile tears are what you cry
it's a genuine problem but you won't try
to work it out at all you just pass it by
pass it by
substitute me for him
substitute my coke for gin
substitute you for my mum
at least I'll get my washing done
substitute your lies for fact
i see right through your plastic mac
i look all white, but my dad was black
my fine looking suit is really made out of sack
- Released April 5, 1966
- The concept for the song was supposedly originally inspired by Townshend’s idea that The Who were a “substitute” for the Rolling Stones (Townshend had been particularly impressed by The Stones' hit "Satisfaction" and was determined to come up with a memorable riff in response).
- The title was also inspired by Townshend's admiration of The Miracles' 1965 song, "The Tracks of My Tears", in particular, writer Smokey Robinson's use of the word "substitute" in one of the verses.
"The Tracks of My Tears"
- The song is notable not just for the clever lyrics, but also the intense bass of John Entwistle (reportedly Entwistle turned his bass as high as possible for the recording, without the band's knowledge).
- According to Moon: Life and Death Of A Rock Legend by Tony Fletcher, after listening to a recording of the song, Keith Moon began to become paranoid, insisting that it wasn't him drumming, and that the band had gone behind his back and gotten another drummer. John Entwistle refuted this paranoia as ridiculous - he could hear Keith screaming on the recording as he did a difficult fill.
- For the American release of the single, the “controversial” lyric “I look all white but my dad was black” was changed to “I try going forward but my feet walk back”
you think my shoes are made of leather
but i'm a substitute for another guy
i look pretty tall but my heels are high
the simple things you see are all complicated
i look pretty young but i'm just back dated
yeah
substitute your lies for fact
I see right through your plastic mac
I look all white, but my dad was black
my fine looking suit is really made out of sack
i was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth
the north side of my town faced east
and the east was facin' south
now you dare to look me in the eye
those crocodile tears are what you cry
it's a genuine problem but you won't try
to work it out at all you just pass it by
pass it by
substitute me for him
substitute my coke for gin
substitute you for my mom
at least I'll get my washing done
i'm a substitute for another guy
i look pretty tall but my heels are high
the simple thiungs you see are all complicated
i look pretty young, but I'm just backdated
i was born with a plastic spoon in my mouth
the north side of my town faced east
and the east was facin' south
now you dare to look me in the eye
those crocodile tears are what you cry
it's a genuine problem but you won't try
to work it out at all you just pass it by
pass it by
substitute me for him
substitute my coke for gin
substitute you for my mum
at least I'll get my washing done
substitute your lies for fact
i see right through your plastic mac
i look all white, but my dad was black
my fine looking suit is really made out of sack
- Released April 5, 1966
- The concept for the song was supposedly originally inspired by Townshend’s idea that The Who were a “substitute” for the Rolling Stones (Townshend had been particularly impressed by The Stones' hit "Satisfaction" and was determined to come up with a memorable riff in response).
- The title was also inspired by Townshend's admiration of The Miracles' 1965 song, "The Tracks of My Tears", in particular, writer Smokey Robinson's use of the word "substitute" in one of the verses.
"The Tracks of My Tears"
- The song is notable not just for the clever lyrics, but also the intense bass of John Entwistle (reportedly Entwistle turned his bass as high as possible for the recording, without the band's knowledge).
- According to Moon: Life and Death Of A Rock Legend by Tony Fletcher, after listening to a recording of the song, Keith Moon began to become paranoid, insisting that it wasn't him drumming, and that the band had gone behind his back and gotten another drummer. John Entwistle refuted this paranoia as ridiculous - he could hear Keith screaming on the recording as he did a difficult fill.
- For the American release of the single, the “controversial” lyric “I look all white but my dad was black” was changed to “I try going forward but my feet walk back”
Thursday, May 21, 2009
My Generation
People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to cause a big s-s-sensation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to d-dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to cause a b-big s-s-sensation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we g-g-get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Yeah, I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
- Released November 5, 1965
- The song, My Generation, has entered the rock and roll pantheon as one of the most celebrated, cited, and referenced songs ever; it was named the 11th greatest song by Rolling Stone magazine on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and 13th on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Songs of Rock & Roll. It's also part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant" value. In 2009 it was named the 37th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
Written by Pete Townshend in 1965 for rebellious British youths called mods, it expressed their feeling that older people "just don't get it".
- The performance of "My Generation" on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (shown in the video above) was another defining moment in the television comedy series. As they often did during that period, The Who destroyed their instruments at the conclusion of their performance. However, a stage hand, at the request of the band, had overloaded Keith Moon's kick drum with explosives. When they were detonated, the explosion was so intense, Moon was injured by cymbal shrapnel and bandmate Pete Townshend's hearing was permanently damaged. Townshend can be seen putting out the fire in his hair.
- Townshend reportedly wrote the song on a train and is said to have been inspired by the Queen Mother who is alleged to have had Townshend's 1935 Packard hearse towed off a street in Belgravia because she was offended by the sight of it during her daily drive through the neighborhood.
- Townshend has also credited Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues" as the inspiration for the song, saying "Without Mose I wouldn't have written 'My Generation'."
- Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues" (Music starts at 18 seconds into the video)
- Roger Daltrey sang the lead vocals with a stutter, which was very unusual. After recording 2 takes of this normally, manager Kit Lambert suggested to Daltrey that he stutter to sound like a British kid on speed. Reference
- Perhaps the most striking element of the song are the lyrics, considered one of the most distilled statements of youthful rebellion in rock history. The tone of the track alone helped make it an acknowledged forebear of the punk rock movement. One of the most-quoted—and patently rewritten—lines in rock history is "I hope I die before I get old", famously sneered out by lead singer Roger Daltrey.
Just because we get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to cause a big s-s-sensation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
Why don't you all f-fade away (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
And don't try to d-dig what we all s-s-say (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm not trying to cause a b-big s-s-sensation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-generation (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
People try to put us d-down (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Just because we g-g-get around (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Things they do look awful c-c-cold (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Yeah, I hope I die before I get old (Talkin' 'bout my generation)
This is my generation
This is my generation, baby
- Released November 5, 1965
- The song, My Generation, has entered the rock and roll pantheon as one of the most celebrated, cited, and referenced songs ever; it was named the 11th greatest song by Rolling Stone magazine on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and 13th on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Songs of Rock & Roll. It's also part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant" value. In 2009 it was named the 37th best hard rock song of all time by VH1.
Written by Pete Townshend in 1965 for rebellious British youths called mods, it expressed their feeling that older people "just don't get it".
- The performance of "My Generation" on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (shown in the video above) was another defining moment in the television comedy series. As they often did during that period, The Who destroyed their instruments at the conclusion of their performance. However, a stage hand, at the request of the band, had overloaded Keith Moon's kick drum with explosives. When they were detonated, the explosion was so intense, Moon was injured by cymbal shrapnel and bandmate Pete Townshend's hearing was permanently damaged. Townshend can be seen putting out the fire in his hair.
- Townshend reportedly wrote the song on a train and is said to have been inspired by the Queen Mother who is alleged to have had Townshend's 1935 Packard hearse towed off a street in Belgravia because she was offended by the sight of it during her daily drive through the neighborhood.
- Townshend has also credited Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues" as the inspiration for the song, saying "Without Mose I wouldn't have written 'My Generation'."
- Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues" (Music starts at 18 seconds into the video)
- Roger Daltrey sang the lead vocals with a stutter, which was very unusual. After recording 2 takes of this normally, manager Kit Lambert suggested to Daltrey that he stutter to sound like a British kid on speed. Reference
- Perhaps the most striking element of the song are the lyrics, considered one of the most distilled statements of youthful rebellion in rock history. The tone of the track alone helped make it an acknowledged forebear of the punk rock movement. One of the most-quoted—and patently rewritten—lines in rock history is "I hope I die before I get old", famously sneered out by lead singer Roger Daltrey.
- Like many of The Who's earlier mod output, the song boasts clear influences of American R&B, most explicitly in the call and response form of the verses. Daltrey would sing a line, and the backing vocalists, Pete Townshend and John Entwistle, would respond with the refrain "Talkin' 'bout my generation"
- "My Generation" also featured one of the first bass solos in rock history. This was played by Entwistle on his Fender Jazz Bass, rather than the Danelectro bass he wanted to use, but after buying three Danelectros with rare thin strings that kept breaking easily, a frustrated Entwistle used his Fender.Wednesday, May 20, 2009
I Can't Explain
Got a feeling inside (Can't explain)
It's a certain kind (Can't explain)
I feel hot and cold (Can't explain)
Yeah, down in my soul, yeah (Can't explain)
I said ... (Can't explain)
I'm feeling good now, yeah, but (Can't explain)
Dizzy in the head and I'm feeling blue
The things you've said, well, maybe they're true
I'm gettin' funny dreams again and again
I know what it means, but
Can't explain
I think it's love
Try to say it to you
When I feel blue
But I can't explain (Can't explain)
Yeah, hear what I'm saying, girl (Can't explain)
Dizzy in the head and I'm feeling bad
The things you've said have got me real mad
I'm gettin' funny dreams again and again
I know what it means but
Can't explain
I think it's love
Try to say it to you
When I feel blue
But I can't explain (Can't explain)
Forgive me one more time, now (Can't explain)
I said I can't explain, yeah
You drive me our of my mind
Yeah, I'm the worrying kind, babe
I said I can't explain
- Released February 13, 1965
- The Who's first release, and first hit, was January 1965's "I Can't Explain", a record influenced by the Kinks, with whom they shared American producer Shel Talmy. The song was first played in the USA by DJ Peter C Cavanaugh on WTAC AM 600 in Flint, Michigan, where [Keith] Moon drove a car into a hotel pool on his 21st birthday.
- The song was not released on an album until 1971. It is the first song on their compilation album, Meaty, Beaty, Big And Bouncy.
- [Pete] Townshend notes the song's similarity to its contemporary hit single "All Day and All of the Night" by The Kinks: "It can’t be beat for straightforward Kink copying. There is little to say about how I wrote this. It came out of the top of my head when I was 18 and a half."
- The Kinks "All Day and All of the Night"
- Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame was a session musician at the time and was brought in to play guitar on this. [Shel] Talmy knew the guitar would be very prominent on this and had Page ready in case Townshend couldn't handle it. Pete did just fine, and quickly established himself as a premier Rock guitarist.
- The Clash used the main riff as the basis for two songs, "Guns On The Roof," and "Clash City Rockers."
- John Carter and Ken Lewis provided the background vocals. They were part of a group called The Ivy League, and went on to have a hit called "Let's Go To San Francisco" as The Flower Pot Men.
It's a certain kind (Can't explain)
I feel hot and cold (Can't explain)
Yeah, down in my soul, yeah (Can't explain)
I said ... (Can't explain)
I'm feeling good now, yeah, but (Can't explain)
Dizzy in the head and I'm feeling blue
The things you've said, well, maybe they're true
I'm gettin' funny dreams again and again
I know what it means, but
Can't explain
I think it's love
Try to say it to you
When I feel blue
But I can't explain (Can't explain)
Yeah, hear what I'm saying, girl (Can't explain)
Dizzy in the head and I'm feeling bad
The things you've said have got me real mad
I'm gettin' funny dreams again and again
I know what it means but
Can't explain
I think it's love
Try to say it to you
When I feel blue
But I can't explain (Can't explain)
Forgive me one more time, now (Can't explain)
I said I can't explain, yeah
You drive me our of my mind
Yeah, I'm the worrying kind, babe
I said I can't explain
- Released February 13, 1965
- The Who's first release, and first hit, was January 1965's "I Can't Explain", a record influenced by the Kinks, with whom they shared American producer Shel Talmy. The song was first played in the USA by DJ Peter C Cavanaugh on WTAC AM 600 in Flint, Michigan, where [Keith] Moon drove a car into a hotel pool on his 21st birthday.
- The song was not released on an album until 1971. It is the first song on their compilation album, Meaty, Beaty, Big And Bouncy.
- [Pete] Townshend notes the song's similarity to its contemporary hit single "All Day and All of the Night" by The Kinks: "It can’t be beat for straightforward Kink copying. There is little to say about how I wrote this. It came out of the top of my head when I was 18 and a half."
- The Kinks "All Day and All of the Night"
- Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame was a session musician at the time and was brought in to play guitar on this. [Shel] Talmy knew the guitar would be very prominent on this and had Page ready in case Townshend couldn't handle it. Pete did just fine, and quickly established himself as a premier Rock guitarist.
- The Clash used the main riff as the basis for two songs, "Guns On The Roof," and "Clash City Rockers."
- John Carter and Ken Lewis provided the background vocals. They were part of a group called The Ivy League, and went on to have a hit called "Let's Go To San Francisco" as The Flower Pot Men.
Waiting on a Friend
Watching girls go passing by
It ain't the latest thing
I'm just standing in a doorway
I'm just trying to make some sense
Out of these girls go passing by
The tales they tell of men
I'm not waiting on a lady
I'm just waiting on a friend
A smile relieves a heart that grieves
Remember what I said
I'm not waiting on a lady
I'm just waiting on a friend
I'm just waiting on a friend
Don't need a whore
I don't need no booze
Don't need a virgin priest
But I need someone I can cry to
I need someone to protect
Making love and breaking hearts
It is a game for youth
But I'm not waiting on a lady
I'm just waiting on a friend
- Released November 30, 1981
- The song was first played as early as 1970, when Mick Taylor first joined the group and was recording with Jagger in London. Recording on "Waiting on a Friend" began in late 1972 through early 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica, during the Goats Head Soup sessions when the band still had Taylor as a member.
- Jagger said, "We all liked it at the time but it didn't have any lyrics, so there we were... The lyric I added is very gentle and loving, about friendships in the band." Jagger also had stated that the 1981 lyrics were contemplated for a future possible video, making the song the first Stones single to be packaged as a possible video for the emergingly important MTV channel. The video, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg (who also directed their 1968 special Rock and Roll Circus), became very popular on MTV and featured reggae artist Peter Tosh sitting on a stoop with Jagger who is seen waiting on Richards. The building is found at 96-98 St. Mark's Place in Manhattan, which is the same building featured on the album cover of Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti.
- St. Mark's Place in Manhattan
- This is a rare mature reflection from The Stones, as Mick Jagger sings about the values of friendship as opposed to women. Then again, it may be about drugs. Keith Richards was a known heroin user at the time, and the song could be a euphemism for waiting on the "connection" - the man with the drugs. Should Keith (or in this case, Mick, as he is singing in the video) get questioned by the police, his response would be, "I'm just waiting on a friend." Reference
- The Stones hired jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins to perform the solo on this song, as well as two others on the album. Stones-recording veteran Nicky Hopkins plays piano.
It ain't the latest thing
I'm just standing in a doorway
I'm just trying to make some sense
Out of these girls go passing by
The tales they tell of men
I'm not waiting on a lady
I'm just waiting on a friend
A smile relieves a heart that grieves
Remember what I said
I'm not waiting on a lady
I'm just waiting on a friend
I'm just waiting on a friend
Don't need a whore
I don't need no booze
Don't need a virgin priest
But I need someone I can cry to
I need someone to protect
Making love and breaking hearts
It is a game for youth
But I'm not waiting on a lady
I'm just waiting on a friend
- Released November 30, 1981
- The song was first played as early as 1970, when Mick Taylor first joined the group and was recording with Jagger in London. Recording on "Waiting on a Friend" began in late 1972 through early 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica, during the Goats Head Soup sessions when the band still had Taylor as a member.
- Jagger said, "We all liked it at the time but it didn't have any lyrics, so there we were... The lyric I added is very gentle and loving, about friendships in the band." Jagger also had stated that the 1981 lyrics were contemplated for a future possible video, making the song the first Stones single to be packaged as a possible video for the emergingly important MTV channel. The video, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg (who also directed their 1968 special Rock and Roll Circus), became very popular on MTV and featured reggae artist Peter Tosh sitting on a stoop with Jagger who is seen waiting on Richards. The building is found at 96-98 St. Mark's Place in Manhattan, which is the same building featured on the album cover of Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti.
- St. Mark's Place in Manhattan
- This is a rare mature reflection from The Stones, as Mick Jagger sings about the values of friendship as opposed to women. Then again, it may be about drugs. Keith Richards was a known heroin user at the time, and the song could be a euphemism for waiting on the "connection" - the man with the drugs. Should Keith (or in this case, Mick, as he is singing in the video) get questioned by the police, his response would be, "I'm just waiting on a friend." Reference
- The Stones hired jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins to perform the solo on this song, as well as two others on the album. Stones-recording veteran Nicky Hopkins plays piano.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Hang Fire
In the sweet old country where I come from
Nobody ever works
Yeah nothing gets done
We hang fire, we hang fire
You know marrying money is a full time job
I don't need the aggravation
I'm a lazy slob
I hang fire, I hang fire
Hang fire, put it on the wire
We've got nothing to eat
We got nowhere to work
Nothing to drink
We just lost our shirts
I'm on the dole
We ain't for hire
Say what the hell
Say what the hell, hang fire
Hang fire, hang fire, put it on the wire
Doo doo doo
Take a thousand dollars go have some fun
Put it all on at a hundred to one
Hang fire, hang fire, put it on the wire.
- Released April 1982
- The song is a bleak look at English society at the time, where labor unrest was common and high taxes prevented growth. The lyrics parody the English economy, lamenting an unemployed working class Englishman who would rather bet on the horses than try to marry into the upper class- the only way to get ahead in English society.
- "hang fire" - The term has been adapted as a form of early 20th-Century slang to describe an occurrence of incontinence.
- Keith Richards was asked about the track in a 1981 Rolling Stone magazine interview where he admits the track relates to England and the "ugly politicians" who had caused the country to decline when the "money got tight."
Nobody ever works
Yeah nothing gets done
We hang fire, we hang fire
You know marrying money is a full time job
I don't need the aggravation
I'm a lazy slob
I hang fire, I hang fire
Hang fire, put it on the wire
We've got nothing to eat
We got nowhere to work
Nothing to drink
We just lost our shirts
I'm on the dole
We ain't for hire
Say what the hell
Say what the hell, hang fire
Hang fire, hang fire, put it on the wire
Doo doo doo
Take a thousand dollars go have some fun
Put it all on at a hundred to one
Hang fire, hang fire, put it on the wire.
- Released April 1982
- The song is a bleak look at English society at the time, where labor unrest was common and high taxes prevented growth. The lyrics parody the English economy, lamenting an unemployed working class Englishman who would rather bet on the horses than try to marry into the upper class- the only way to get ahead in English society.
- "hang fire" - The term has been adapted as a form of early 20th-Century slang to describe an occurrence of incontinence.
- Keith Richards was asked about the track in a 1981 Rolling Stone magazine interview where he admits the track relates to England and the "ugly politicians" who had caused the country to decline when the "money got tight."
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The Annotated Lyrics on Kindle
Kindle Subscription
For only $1.99/month, you may now enjoy The Annotated Lyrics on your Kindle device.
For more information on Kindle, please refer this link.
For only $1.99/month, you may now enjoy The Annotated Lyrics on your Kindle device.
For more information on Kindle, please refer this link.
Start Me Up
If you start me up
If you start me up I'll never stop
If you start me up
If you start me up I'll never stop
I've been running hot
You got me ticking gonna blow my top
If you start me up
If you start me up I'll never stop
You make a grown man cry
Spread out the oil, the gasoline
I walk smooth, ride in a mean, mean machine
Start it up
If you start it up
Kick on the starter give it all you got, you got, you got
I can't compete with the riders in the other heats
If you rough it up
If you like it you can slide it up, slide it up
Don't make a grown man cry
My eyes dilate, my lips go green
My hands are greasy
She's a mean, mean machine
Start it up
If you start me up
Give it all you got
You got to never, never, never stop
Never, never
Slide it up
You make a grown man cry
Ride like the wind at double speed
I'll take you places that you've never, never seen
Start it up
Love the day when we will never stop, never stop
Never stop, never stop
Tough me up
Never stop, never stop, never stop
You, you, you make a grown man cry
You, you make a dead man cum
You, you make a dead man cum
- Released August 14, 1981
- "Start Me Up" was first recorded in Munich during the 1975 Black and Blue sessions, and later in the 1978 Some Girls sessions under the working titles "Never Stop" and "Start It Up."
- The song opens with what has since become a trademark riff for Keith Richards. It is this, coupled with Charlie Watts' steady backbeat and Bill Wyman's echoing bass, that comprises most of the song. Lead guitarist Ronnie Wood can clearly be heard playing a layered variation of Richards' main riff. Throughout the song Jagger breaks in with a repeated bridge of "You make a grown man cry," followed by various pronouncements of his and his partner's sexual nature
- Keith Richards: "The story here is the miracle that we ever found that track. I was convinced - and I think Mick was - that it was definitely a Reggae song. And we did it in 38 takes - 'Start me up. Yeah, man, cool. You know, you know, Jah Rastafari.' And it didn't make it. And somewhere in the middle of a break, just to break the tension, Charlie and I hit the Rock And Roll version. And right after that we went straight back to Reggae. And we forgot totally about this one little burst in the middle, until about 5 years later when somebody sifted all the way through these Reggae takes. After doing about 70 takes of "Start Me Up" he found that one in the middle. It was just buried in there. Suddenly I had it. Nobody remembered cutting it. But we leapt on it again. We did a few overdubs on it, and it was like a gift, you know? One of the great luxuries of The Stones is we have an enormous, great big can of stuff. I mean what anybody hears is just the tip of an iceberg, you know. And down there is vaults of stuff. But you have to have the patience and the time to actually sift through it."
- The infectious "thump" to the song was achieved using mixer Bob Clearmountain's famed "bathroom reverb," a process involving the recording of some of the song's vocal and drum tracks with a miked speaker in the bathroom of the Power Station recording studio in New York City. It was there where final touches were added to the song, including Jagger's switch of the main lyrics from "start it up" to "start me up."
- Microsoft Corporation used this song in the Windows 95 marketing campaign.
- In 2003, "Start Me Up" became the first Rolling Stones song used in a car commercial when it was used in a campaign for Ford.
- The Blue Angels use this song when starting up their engines before a performance.
- The Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bulls, Montreal Canadiens and Iowa Hawkeyes football team are among those known to use the song during sporting events.
If you start me up I'll never stop
If you start me up
If you start me up I'll never stop
I've been running hot
You got me ticking gonna blow my top
If you start me up
If you start me up I'll never stop
You make a grown man cry
Spread out the oil, the gasoline
I walk smooth, ride in a mean, mean machine
Start it up
If you start it up
Kick on the starter give it all you got, you got, you got
I can't compete with the riders in the other heats
If you rough it up
If you like it you can slide it up, slide it up
Don't make a grown man cry
My eyes dilate, my lips go green
My hands are greasy
She's a mean, mean machine
Start it up
If you start me up
Give it all you got
You got to never, never, never stop
Never, never
Slide it up
You make a grown man cry
Ride like the wind at double speed
I'll take you places that you've never, never seen
Start it up
Love the day when we will never stop, never stop
Never stop, never stop
Tough me up
Never stop, never stop, never stop
You, you, you make a grown man cry
You, you make a dead man cum
You, you make a dead man cum
- Released August 14, 1981
- "Start Me Up" was first recorded in Munich during the 1975 Black and Blue sessions, and later in the 1978 Some Girls sessions under the working titles "Never Stop" and "Start It Up."
- The song opens with what has since become a trademark riff for Keith Richards. It is this, coupled with Charlie Watts' steady backbeat and Bill Wyman's echoing bass, that comprises most of the song. Lead guitarist Ronnie Wood can clearly be heard playing a layered variation of Richards' main riff. Throughout the song Jagger breaks in with a repeated bridge of "You make a grown man cry," followed by various pronouncements of his and his partner's sexual nature
- Keith Richards: "The story here is the miracle that we ever found that track. I was convinced - and I think Mick was - that it was definitely a Reggae song. And we did it in 38 takes - 'Start me up. Yeah, man, cool. You know, you know, Jah Rastafari.' And it didn't make it. And somewhere in the middle of a break, just to break the tension, Charlie and I hit the Rock And Roll version. And right after that we went straight back to Reggae. And we forgot totally about this one little burst in the middle, until about 5 years later when somebody sifted all the way through these Reggae takes. After doing about 70 takes of "Start Me Up" he found that one in the middle. It was just buried in there. Suddenly I had it. Nobody remembered cutting it. But we leapt on it again. We did a few overdubs on it, and it was like a gift, you know? One of the great luxuries of The Stones is we have an enormous, great big can of stuff. I mean what anybody hears is just the tip of an iceberg, you know. And down there is vaults of stuff. But you have to have the patience and the time to actually sift through it."
- The infectious "thump" to the song was achieved using mixer Bob Clearmountain's famed "bathroom reverb," a process involving the recording of some of the song's vocal and drum tracks with a miked speaker in the bathroom of the Power Station recording studio in New York City. It was there where final touches were added to the song, including Jagger's switch of the main lyrics from "start it up" to "start me up."
- Microsoft Corporation used this song in the Windows 95 marketing campaign.
- In 2003, "Start Me Up" became the first Rolling Stones song used in a car commercial when it was used in a campaign for Ford.
- The Blue Angels use this song when starting up their engines before a performance.
- The Kansas City Chiefs, Chicago Bulls, Montreal Canadiens and Iowa Hawkeyes football team are among those known to use the song during sporting events.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Miss You
I've been holding out so long
I've been sleeping all alone
Lord I miss you
I've been hanging on the phone
I've been sleeping all alone
I want to kiss you
Ooh, ooh.....
Ooh, ooh...
Well I've been haunted in my sleep
You've been starring in my dreams
Lord I miss you
I've been waiting in the hall
Been waiting on your call
When the phone rings
It's just some friends of mine
That say
"Hey, what's the matter man?
We're gonna come around at 12
With some Puerto Rican girls
That's just dying to meet you
We're gonna bring a case of wine
Hey, let's go and mess and fool around
You know, like we used to..."
Aah, aah...
Aah, aah...
Oh
Everybody waits so long
Oh
Baby, why you wait so long
Won't you come on
Come on
I've been walking Central Park
Singing after dark
People think I'm crazy
I've been stumbling on my feet
Shuffling through the street
Asking people
"What's the matter with you, boy?"
Sometimes
I want to say to myself
Sometimes
I say
Ooh, ooh...
Ooh, ooh...
Ooh, ooh...
Ooh, ooh...
I won't miss you, child
I guess I'm lying to myself
It's just you and no one else
Lord I won't miss you, child
You've been blotting out my mind
Fooling on my time
No I won't miss you, baby
Yeah
Lord
I miss you, child
Aah, ahh....
Aah, ahh...
Lord
I miss you, child
Aah, aah...
Lord
I miss you, child
Aah, aah...
Aah, aah...
- Released May 18, 1978
- "Miss You" was written by singer Mick Jagger while jamming with keyboardist Billy Preston.
- "Miss You" was the first Rolling Stones single with prominent disco influences, most noticeably in Charlie Watts' thumping, four-on-the-floor drum beat, and in Bill Wyman's funky, grooving bass-lines, which provide another riff in addition to the main melody. That melody, sung in playful falsetto by Jagger, or else intoned by a chorus of dreamy, borderline-campy backup singers, forms the principal hook used throughout the track, often underlined by Sugar Blue's harmonica lines and incisive solos. The funky beat and the rapping during the verses are reminiscent of hip-hop, although it would be a couple of years before hip-hop was commonly recognized as a distinct genre in its own right.
- "Miss You" would be one of the highly successful Stones singles, becoming their eighth number-one hit in the U.S. on its initial release in 1978. The song was originally nearly nine minutes long, but was edited to four-and-a-half minutes for the album version, and to three-and-a-half minutes for the radio single.
- Session musicians included Sugar Blue (James Whiting) on harmonica, Mel Collins on sax and Ian MacLagan on electric piano. Mel Collins had played with King Crimson, MacLagan had been in the band Faces with Stones guitarist Ron Wood.
- According to this link -[Sugar Blue] Whiting moved to Paris in 1976, and was playing at a party when he met someone who claimed to know Mick Jagger, and that Whiting should give Jagger a call at his Paris residence. Skeptical, he tried the number, but it panned out, and the result was a guest solo on Miss You from the Some Girls album. He also recorded with the Stones on the Emotional Rescue and Tattoo You albums, and appeared with them on the Steel Wheels tour.
- In the book Playboy Interviews with John Lennon & Yoko Ono (the book version has sections that were edited out of the official interview published in the magazine), [John] Lennon is quoted as saying: "'Bless You' is again about Yoko. I think Mick Jagger took 'Bless You' and turned it into 'Miss You'... The engineer kept wanting me to speed that up--he said, 'This is a hit song if you'd just do it fast.' He was right. 'Cause as 'Miss You' it turned into a hit. I like Mick's record better. I have no ill feelings about it. I think it's a GREAT Stones track, and I really love it. But I do hear that lick in it."
John Lennon's "Bless You"
I've been sleeping all alone
Lord I miss you
I've been hanging on the phone
I've been sleeping all alone
I want to kiss you
Ooh, ooh.....
Ooh, ooh...
Well I've been haunted in my sleep
You've been starring in my dreams
Lord I miss you
I've been waiting in the hall
Been waiting on your call
When the phone rings
It's just some friends of mine
That say
"Hey, what's the matter man?
We're gonna come around at 12
With some Puerto Rican girls
That's just dying to meet you
We're gonna bring a case of wine
Hey, let's go and mess and fool around
You know, like we used to..."
Aah, aah...
Aah, aah...
Oh
Everybody waits so long
Oh
Baby, why you wait so long
Won't you come on
Come on
I've been walking Central Park
Singing after dark
People think I'm crazy
I've been stumbling on my feet
Shuffling through the street
Asking people
"What's the matter with you, boy?"
Sometimes
I want to say to myself
Sometimes
I say
Ooh, ooh...
Ooh, ooh...
Ooh, ooh...
Ooh, ooh...
I won't miss you, child
I guess I'm lying to myself
It's just you and no one else
Lord I won't miss you, child
You've been blotting out my mind
Fooling on my time
No I won't miss you, baby
Yeah
Lord
I miss you, child
Aah, ahh....
Aah, ahh...
Lord
I miss you, child
Aah, aah...
Lord
I miss you, child
Aah, aah...
Aah, aah...
- Released May 18, 1978
- "Miss You" was written by singer Mick Jagger while jamming with keyboardist Billy Preston.
- "Miss You" was the first Rolling Stones single with prominent disco influences, most noticeably in Charlie Watts' thumping, four-on-the-floor drum beat, and in Bill Wyman's funky, grooving bass-lines, which provide another riff in addition to the main melody. That melody, sung in playful falsetto by Jagger, or else intoned by a chorus of dreamy, borderline-campy backup singers, forms the principal hook used throughout the track, often underlined by Sugar Blue's harmonica lines and incisive solos. The funky beat and the rapping during the verses are reminiscent of hip-hop, although it would be a couple of years before hip-hop was commonly recognized as a distinct genre in its own right.
- "Miss You" would be one of the highly successful Stones singles, becoming their eighth number-one hit in the U.S. on its initial release in 1978. The song was originally nearly nine minutes long, but was edited to four-and-a-half minutes for the album version, and to three-and-a-half minutes for the radio single.
- Session musicians included Sugar Blue (James Whiting) on harmonica, Mel Collins on sax and Ian MacLagan on electric piano. Mel Collins had played with King Crimson, MacLagan had been in the band Faces with Stones guitarist Ron Wood.
- According to this link -[Sugar Blue] Whiting moved to Paris in 1976, and was playing at a party when he met someone who claimed to know Mick Jagger, and that Whiting should give Jagger a call at his Paris residence. Skeptical, he tried the number, but it panned out, and the result was a guest solo on Miss You from the Some Girls album. He also recorded with the Stones on the Emotional Rescue and Tattoo You albums, and appeared with them on the Steel Wheels tour.
- In the book Playboy Interviews with John Lennon & Yoko Ono (the book version has sections that were edited out of the official interview published in the magazine), [John] Lennon is quoted as saying: "'Bless You' is again about Yoko. I think Mick Jagger took 'Bless You' and turned it into 'Miss You'... The engineer kept wanting me to speed that up--he said, 'This is a hit song if you'd just do it fast.' He was right. 'Cause as 'Miss You' it turned into a hit. I like Mick's record better. I have no ill feelings about it. I think it's a GREAT Stones track, and I really love it. But I do hear that lick in it."
John Lennon's "Bless You"
Beast of Burden
I'll never be your beast of burden
My back is broad but it's a hurtin
All I want is for you to make love to me
I'll never be your beast of burden
I've walked for miles, my feet are hurtin
All I want is for you to make love to me
Am I hard enough
Am I rough enough
Am I rich enough
I'm not too blind to see
I'll never be your beast of burden
So let's go home and draw the curtains
Music on the radio
Come on baby make sweet love to me
Am I hard enough
Am I rough enough
Am I rich enough
I'm not too blind to see
Oh little sister
Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty girls
You're a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty girl
Pretty, pretty such a pretty, pretty, pretty girl
Come on baby please, please, please
I'll tell ya
You can put me out on the street
Put me out with no shoes on my feet
But put me out, put me out
Put me out of misery
All your sickness I can suck it up
Throw it all at me I can shrug it off
There's one thing that I don't understand
You keep on telling me I ain't your kind of man
Ain't I rough enough
Oh ain't I tough enough
Ain't I rich enough
In love enough ooh ooh please
I'll never be your beast of burden
I'll never be your beast of burden
Never, never, never, never, never, never, never be
I'll never be your beast of burden
I've walked for miles and my feet are hurtin
All I want is you to make love to me
I don't need no beast of burden
I need no fussing, I need no nursing
Never, never, never, never, never, never, never be
- Released September 1978
- A "beast of burden" is a semi-domesticated animal that labors for the benefit of man, such as oxen or horses.
- The song can be seen as allegorical, with [Keith] Richards saying in 2003, "When I returned to the fold after closing down the laboratory [referring to his drug problems throughout the 1970s], I came back into the studio with Mick [Jagger]... to say, 'Thanks, man, for shouldering the burden' - that's why I wrote "Beast of Burden" for him, I realize in retrospect."
- Ron Wood: "That's another one that just came very naturally in the studio. And I slipped into my part and Keith had his going. It may have appeared as though it was planned. We can pick it up today and it will just naturally slip into the groove again with the guitars weaving in a special way. It's quite amazing really. Ever since Keith and I first started to trade licks, it was a very natural thing that, for some unknown reason, if he's playing up high, I'm down low and the other way around. We cross over very naturally. We call it an ancient form of weaving-- which we still are impressed by it to this day. Unexplainable, wonderful things happen with the guitar weaving. There's no plan." Reference
- Recording on "Beast of Burden" began in October of 1977 and ended in December of that same year. Although written before entering the studio, many of the lyrics were improvised by Jagger to fit with the smooth running guitars of Richards and Wood. Note the rolling, fluid licks traded off by the two. Neither is really playing lead or rhythm; they both slip in and out, one playing high while the other is low. The song is another of the famed Some Girls songs which feature each member of the band playing their respective instruments without any outside performers; both Richards and Wood play acoustic and electric guitars, with Wood performing the solo. Reference
- The song would later be covered by Bette Midler whose video for the song had Mick Jagger as a guest star. Midler's version modified several lines of lyric, for example changing "Pretty, pretty, girls" to "my little sister is a pretty, pretty girl." It would be on her album No Frills
released in 1983.
My back is broad but it's a hurtin
All I want is for you to make love to me
I'll never be your beast of burden
I've walked for miles, my feet are hurtin
All I want is for you to make love to me
Am I hard enough
Am I rough enough
Am I rich enough
I'm not too blind to see
I'll never be your beast of burden
So let's go home and draw the curtains
Music on the radio
Come on baby make sweet love to me
Am I hard enough
Am I rough enough
Am I rich enough
I'm not too blind to see
Oh little sister
Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty girls
You're a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty girl
Pretty, pretty such a pretty, pretty, pretty girl
Come on baby please, please, please
I'll tell ya
You can put me out on the street
Put me out with no shoes on my feet
But put me out, put me out
Put me out of misery
All your sickness I can suck it up
Throw it all at me I can shrug it off
There's one thing that I don't understand
You keep on telling me I ain't your kind of man
Ain't I rough enough
Oh ain't I tough enough
Ain't I rich enough
In love enough ooh ooh please
I'll never be your beast of burden
I'll never be your beast of burden
Never, never, never, never, never, never, never be
I'll never be your beast of burden
I've walked for miles and my feet are hurtin
All I want is you to make love to me
I don't need no beast of burden
I need no fussing, I need no nursing
Never, never, never, never, never, never, never be
- Released September 1978
- A "beast of burden" is a semi-domesticated animal that labors for the benefit of man, such as oxen or horses.
- The song can be seen as allegorical, with [Keith] Richards saying in 2003, "When I returned to the fold after closing down the laboratory [referring to his drug problems throughout the 1970s], I came back into the studio with Mick [Jagger]... to say, 'Thanks, man, for shouldering the burden' - that's why I wrote "Beast of Burden" for him, I realize in retrospect."
- Ron Wood: "That's another one that just came very naturally in the studio. And I slipped into my part and Keith had his going. It may have appeared as though it was planned. We can pick it up today and it will just naturally slip into the groove again with the guitars weaving in a special way. It's quite amazing really. Ever since Keith and I first started to trade licks, it was a very natural thing that, for some unknown reason, if he's playing up high, I'm down low and the other way around. We cross over very naturally. We call it an ancient form of weaving-- which we still are impressed by it to this day. Unexplainable, wonderful things happen with the guitar weaving. There's no plan." Reference
- Recording on "Beast of Burden" began in October of 1977 and ended in December of that same year. Although written before entering the studio, many of the lyrics were improvised by Jagger to fit with the smooth running guitars of Richards and Wood. Note the rolling, fluid licks traded off by the two. Neither is really playing lead or rhythm; they both slip in and out, one playing high while the other is low. The song is another of the famed Some Girls songs which feature each member of the band playing their respective instruments without any outside performers; both Richards and Wood play acoustic and electric guitars, with Wood performing the solo. Reference
- The song would later be covered by Bette Midler whose video for the song had Mick Jagger as a guest star. Midler's version modified several lines of lyric, for example changing "Pretty, pretty, girls" to "my little sister is a pretty, pretty girl." It would be on her album No Frills
released in 1983.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Far Away Eyes
I was driving home early sunday morning through Bakersfield
Listening to gospel music on the colored radio station
And the preacher said "You know you always have the
Lord by your side"
And I was so pleased to be informed of this that I ran
Twenty red lights in his honor
Thank you Jesus, thank you lord
I had an arrangement to meet a girl, and I was kind of late
And I thought by the time i got there she'd be off, she'd be
Off with the nearest truck driver she could find
Much to my surprise, there she was sittin in the corner
A little bleary, worse for wear and tear
Was a girl with far away eyes
So if you're down on your luck
And you can't harmonize
Find a girl with far away
And if you're downright disgusted
And life ain't worth a dime
Get a girl with far away eyes
Well the preacher kept right on saying that all I had to do was send
10 dollars to the church of the sacred bleeding heart of Jesus,
Located somewhere in Los Angeles, California
And next week they'd say my prayer on the radio and all my
Dreams would come true
So I did, the next week, I got a prayer with a girl
Well, you know what kind of eyes she got
So if you're down on your luck
I know you all sympathize
Find a girl with far away eyes
And if you're downright disgusted
And life ain't worth a dime
Get a girl with far away eyes
- Released May 18, 1978
- The Stones, longtime country music fans, incorporated many aspects of Bakersfield-style country music into this song. These included in particular Ron Wood's use of a pedal steel guitar for a solo and highlights
- In a 1978 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, [Mick] Jagger said, "You know, when you drive through Bakersfield on a Sunday morning or Sunday evening - I did that about six months ago - all the country music radio stations start broadcasting black gospel services live from L.A. And that's what the song refers to. But the song's really about driving alone, listening to the radio." On influences, Jagger stated "I wouldn't say this song was influenced specifically by Gram (Parsons). That idea of country music played slightly tongue in cheek - Gram had that in 'Drugstore Truck Drivin' Man', and we have that sardonic quality, too." Asked by the interviewer if the girl in the song was a real one, Jagger replied, "Yeah, she's real, she's a real girl."
- In the 1950s and -60s, local [Bakersfield, California] musicians such as Bill Woods, Tommy Collins, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Wynn Stewart developed a streamlined country music style called the Bakersfield sound, which emphasized pedal steel guitar, the Fender Telecaster electric guitar and intense vocals. Bakersfield country was considered a spinoff of the honky-tonk style of country music that emerged from Texas, appropriate since many musicians there hailed from either Texas or surrounding states.
Listening to gospel music on the colored radio station
And the preacher said "You know you always have the
Lord by your side"
And I was so pleased to be informed of this that I ran
Twenty red lights in his honor
Thank you Jesus, thank you lord
I had an arrangement to meet a girl, and I was kind of late
And I thought by the time i got there she'd be off, she'd be
Off with the nearest truck driver she could find
Much to my surprise, there she was sittin in the corner
A little bleary, worse for wear and tear
Was a girl with far away eyes
So if you're down on your luck
And you can't harmonize
Find a girl with far away
And if you're downright disgusted
And life ain't worth a dime
Get a girl with far away eyes
Well the preacher kept right on saying that all I had to do was send
10 dollars to the church of the sacred bleeding heart of Jesus,
Located somewhere in Los Angeles, California
And next week they'd say my prayer on the radio and all my
Dreams would come true
So I did, the next week, I got a prayer with a girl
Well, you know what kind of eyes she got
So if you're down on your luck
I know you all sympathize
Find a girl with far away eyes
And if you're downright disgusted
And life ain't worth a dime
Get a girl with far away eyes
- Released May 18, 1978
- The Stones, longtime country music fans, incorporated many aspects of Bakersfield-style country music into this song. These included in particular Ron Wood's use of a pedal steel guitar for a solo and highlights
- In a 1978 interview with Rolling Stone magazine, [Mick] Jagger said, "You know, when you drive through Bakersfield on a Sunday morning or Sunday evening - I did that about six months ago - all the country music radio stations start broadcasting black gospel services live from L.A. And that's what the song refers to. But the song's really about driving alone, listening to the radio." On influences, Jagger stated "I wouldn't say this song was influenced specifically by Gram (Parsons). That idea of country music played slightly tongue in cheek - Gram had that in 'Drugstore Truck Drivin' Man', and we have that sardonic quality, too." Asked by the interviewer if the girl in the song was a real one, Jagger replied, "Yeah, she's real, she's a real girl."
- In the 1950s and -60s, local [Bakersfield, California] musicians such as Bill Woods, Tommy Collins, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and Wynn Stewart developed a streamlined country music style called the Bakersfield sound, which emphasized pedal steel guitar, the Fender Telecaster electric guitar and intense vocals. Bakersfield country was considered a spinoff of the honky-tonk style of country music that emerged from Texas, appropriate since many musicians there hailed from either Texas or surrounding states.
Angie
Angie, Angie, when will those clouds all disappear?
Angie, Angie, where will it lead us from here?
With no loving in our souls and no money in our coats
You can't say we're satisfied
But Angie, Angie, you can't say we never tried
Angie, you're beautiful, but ain't it time we said good-bye?
Angie, I still love you, remember all those nights we cried?
All the dreams we held so close seemed to all go up in smoke
Let me whisper in your ear:
Angie, Angie, where will it lead us from here?
Oh, Angie, don't you weep, all your kisses still taste sweet
I hate that sadness in your eyes
But Angie, Angie, ain't it time we said good-bye?
With no loving in our souls and no money in our coats
You can't say we're satisfied
But Angie, I still love you, baby
Ev'rywhere I look I see your eyes
There ain't a woman that comes close to you
Come on Baby, dry your eyes
But Angie, Angie, ain't it good to be alive?
Angie, Angie, they can't say we never tried
- Released August 20, 1973
- Recorded in November and December 1972, "Angie" was written primarily by Keith Richards. The song is an acoustic guitar driven ballad which tells of the end of a romance. The song is noted for its poignant lyrics concerning lost love and the grieving involved. Singer Mick Jagger gives a wrenching performance for the recording, while Stones-recording regular Nicky Hopkins plays the song's distinctive piano chords. The strings on the piece were arranged by Nicky Harrison.
- Questions about the song's origins have never ceased. Despite wide-ranging rumors that "Angie" was written by Jagger about a relationship he had with David Bowie's wife Angela, Jagger denies this. Richards claims to have come up with the title and chord sequence a year before production on the album began. In the liner notes to the compilation disc Jump Back, Richards says, "I'd recently had my daughter born, whose name was Angela, and the name was starting to ring around the house. 'Angie' just fitted."
- Angela Richards
Angie, Angie, where will it lead us from here?
With no loving in our souls and no money in our coats
You can't say we're satisfied
But Angie, Angie, you can't say we never tried
Angie, you're beautiful, but ain't it time we said good-bye?
Angie, I still love you, remember all those nights we cried?
All the dreams we held so close seemed to all go up in smoke
Let me whisper in your ear:
Angie, Angie, where will it lead us from here?
Oh, Angie, don't you weep, all your kisses still taste sweet
I hate that sadness in your eyes
But Angie, Angie, ain't it time we said good-bye?
With no loving in our souls and no money in our coats
You can't say we're satisfied
But Angie, I still love you, baby
Ev'rywhere I look I see your eyes
There ain't a woman that comes close to you
Come on Baby, dry your eyes
But Angie, Angie, ain't it good to be alive?
Angie, Angie, they can't say we never tried
- Released August 20, 1973
- Recorded in November and December 1972, "Angie" was written primarily by Keith Richards. The song is an acoustic guitar driven ballad which tells of the end of a romance. The song is noted for its poignant lyrics concerning lost love and the grieving involved. Singer Mick Jagger gives a wrenching performance for the recording, while Stones-recording regular Nicky Hopkins plays the song's distinctive piano chords. The strings on the piece were arranged by Nicky Harrison.
- Questions about the song's origins have never ceased. Despite wide-ranging rumors that "Angie" was written by Jagger about a relationship he had with David Bowie's wife Angela, Jagger denies this. Richards claims to have come up with the title and chord sequence a year before production on the album began. In the liner notes to the compilation disc Jump Back, Richards says, "I'd recently had my daughter born, whose name was Angela, and the name was starting to ring around the house. 'Angie' just fitted."
- Angela Richards
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
