The Real Reason Why Mick Jagger Can’t Take Country Music “Seriously”

To anyone who isn’t American, country music seems a bit odd and too nationalistic for their liking. Nobody can blame them, after all, country music is a genre of American music mainly crafted by Americans to be heard particularly by Americans. It is just the way the cookie has crumbled since its origins. However, there have been a few non-American bands to tackle the challenge. One of them being Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones.

With songs such as “Honky Tonk Women,” “Country Honk,” and “Dead Flowers,” the Stones have built up a fairly credible repertoire of country songs. The Stones’ limited country catalog comes as no surprise, as the band’s talents allowed them to pivot to different genres of music when they deemed fit. Though, it’s their versatility that raises a problematic question. That question—Is The Rolling Stones’ country music serious country?

“Dead Flowers” & Mick Jagger’s Vocal Style

Despite being a hit song both on the country and rock charts, it’s Jagger’s disbelief in his voice that causes him to not view it as real or serious country music, particularly on “Dead Flowers.” Jagger testified to this notion stating, “The actual music is played completely straight, but it’s me who’s not going legit with the whole thing” and “I think I’m a blues singer not a country singer,” per Far Out.

“I love country music, but I find it very hard to take it seriously” and “I also think a lot of country music is sung with the tongue in cheek, so I do it tongue-in-cheek,” Jagger shared in 1995. Given these comments, it seems it is Jagger’s vocal inability that causes him to have this perspective on country music. Which, to an extent isn’t necessarily a horrible one. However, it’s rather limiting to all the other “real” and or “serious” country songs currently existing in the world.

Jagger is not bashing country music, instead, he’s merely shedding light on his point of view. A point of view deriving from his experience as a British vocalist and musician. So, of course, his perspective might seem flawed to country purists. However, Jagger’s claims and country music style solely provide a different shade to the many ones the genre already has. Yes, his statement about taking it “seriously” might seem detrimental and insulting. On the contrary and through a different lens, it might just be a different style to add to the eclectic pot of American country music.

Photo by Alan Messer/Shutterstock