The Rolling Stones have done a good job of not taking themselves too seriously. Obviously, their commitment to their craft can’t go unnoticed, but their songs often reflect a unique viewpoint on the world–one that isn’t often without tinges of humor or irreverence.
Videos by American Songwriter
That being said, there is one song that Mick Jagger found particularly unserious: “Dead Flowers.” Find out why the frontman had trouble singing this song with any real weight, below.
[RELATED: Ranking the 5 Best Songs on ‘It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll’ by The Rolling Stones]
The Rolling Stones Song Mick Jagger Found Hard to Take Seriously
Well, when you’re sitting there in your silk upholstered chair
Talking to some rich folk that you know
Well, I hope you won’t see me in my ragged company
Well, you know I could never be alone
“Dead Flowers” is a country tinged song released on Sticky Fingers. To play up the southern rock angle, Jagger puts on a twang. While a completely oblivious listener might believe Jagger’s fake persona upon first listen, it made Jagger feel detached from the mid-tempo track.
When asked about the song, Jagger once redirected his thoughts to country music as a whole saying, “I love country music, but I find it hard to take seriously.”
“I also think a lot of country music is sung with the tongue in cheek, so I do it tongue-in-cheek,” he continued. “The harmonic thing is very different from the blues. It doesn’t bend notes in the same way, so I suppose it’s very English, really. Even though it’s been very Americanised, it feels very close to me, to my roots, so to speak.”
You can hear Jagger’s jokey approach to country music in “Dead Flowers.” He lays the faux accent on thick, making anything he sings a little less heavy. It feels very much like a bunch of rockers sitting around a circle, playfully performing this song.
“The ‘country’ songs we recorded later, like ‘Dead Flowers’ on Sticky Fingers, or ‘Far Away Eyes’ on Some Girls are slightly different [than our earlier ones],” Jagger continued. “The actual music is played completely straight, but it’s me who’s not going legit with the whole thing, because I think I’m a blues singer not a country singer – I think it’s more suited to Keith’s voice than mine.”
And you can send me dead flowers every morning
Send me dead flowers by the US mail
Send me dead flowers to my wedding
And I won’t forget to put roses on your grave
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
