The Rolling Stones are known for many things. Their insatiable riffs and anthemic melodies are often a topic of discussion. But, their lyrics deserve a high amount of praise as well. Hidden underneath the instrumentation are powerful lines that could rival any of their peers. Find our five favorite lyrical selections from the Stones, below.
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1. I’m glad to be alive and kicking / I’m glad to hear my heart’s still ticking / so pass me the wine baby, and let’s make some love (“Pass the Wine (Sophia Loren”)
Few lines in the Rolling Stones’ discography are as rock & roll as this one from “Pass the Wine (Sophia Loren).” It’s somewhat of a thesis statement for the band. With the lines above, they revel in being alive and lean into any and all hedonistic pleasures. The bread and butter of a rock star.
2. I saw her today at the reception / in her glass was a bleeding man / she was practiced at the art of deception / well I could tell by her blood-stained hands (“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”)
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” features some of the Stones’ most impressive lyricism. You can see the woman they describe in the lines above in acute detail. It’s one of the band’s most memorable songs for a reason. You can’t shake the imagery they deliver.
3. War, children, it’s just a shot away / It’s just a shot away / War, children, it’s just a shot away / It’s just a shot away (“Gimme Shelter”)
In the chorus for “Gimme Shelter,” the band comments on the fragility of peace. War…It’s just a shot away, they sing. It’s a hard truth that only a rocker would be brave enough to shove in their listeners’ faces. While many of their peers were also delivering protest songs in the ’60s, few take the discerning approach the Stones do here.
4. The sound of strangers sending nothing to my mind / Just another mad, mad day on the road / I am just living to be lying by your side / But I’m just about a moonlight mile on down the road (“Moonlight Mile”)
In “Moonlight Mile,” Mick Jagger seems to be describing a long, restless night on the tour bus. They take something every touring band goes through and make it sound completely original–almost mystic. Just another mad, mad day on the road, Jagger sings, exhausted from the never-ending line of shows.
5. Only a crowd can make you feel so alone and it really hit home / Gonna find my way to heaven, ’cause I did my time in hell (“Before They Make Me Run”)
“Before They Make Me Run” also captures the band’s feelings while out on the road. Only a crowd can make you feel so alone, the lyrics read. It’s a dichotomy many musicians have described before. The impossible high of being loved by thousands each night and the inevitable crash when the screams stop.
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
