Meaningful songs #29 - THE ROLLING STONES

This  is the twenty-ninth in an occasional series of songs from my collection, with the intent of introducing music to younger readers that they may gain appreciation of music from the classic years, 1957-1990. 

I have lived long enough to hear the "popular" music industry become ever-more formulaic, lazy, uninspiring and cynical; delivering "units" and "artistes" as interesting and memorable as polished mud.

Meaningful songs that eloquently convey a story, sentiment, or social comment and make it to national consciousness are rare these days. If you agree this song is meaningful, please introduce it to someone young; they might enjoy becoming "musical archaeologists".

Todays song, titled "Sympathy For The Devil", released in 1968, is by a group called The Rolling Stones.

Hear the song here

The release of Sympathy For The  Devil, especially in America, an incendiary and febrile country fighting for social change, racial equivalence and the end of the Vietnam war, was an "edgy" decision, but that's the (early) Stones - edgy!

Mick Jagger sings a song about the influence of "the devil", from the perspective of the devil, with  lyrics sung over a passive-aggressive and then snarling tune that perfectly fits the zeitgeist then; the world was in a mess and the devil was to blame. This song exemplifies the adventurous and dynamic prowess of the early Stones.

If want more about this song start here or here.

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
    
Please allow me to introduce myself

I'm a man of wealth and taste

I've been around for a long, long year

Stole many a man's soul and faith

And I was 'round when Jesus Christ

Had his moment of doubt and pain

Made damn sure that Pilate

Washed his hands and sealed his fate

 

Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name

But what's puzzlin' you is the nature of my game

Stuck around St. Petersburg

When I saw it was a time for a change

Killed the Tsar and his ministers

Anastasia screamed in vain

I rode a tank, held a general's rank

When the Blitzkrieg raged and the bodies stank

Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name

Oh yeah

Ah, what's puzzlin' you is the nature of my game

Aww yeah

I watched with glee while your kings and queens

Fought for ten decades for the gods they made

I shouted out, "Who killed the Kennedys?

When after all, it was you and me

Let me please introduce myself

I'm a man of wealth and taste

And I laid traps for troubadours

Who get killed before they reach Bombay

Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name

Oh yeah

But what's puzzlin' you is the nature of my game

Aww yeah

Pleased to meet you, hope you'll guess my name

Oh yeah

But what's confusin' you is just the nature of my game

Mmm yeah

Just as every cop is a criminal

And all the sinners saints

As heads is tails, just call me Lucifer

'Cause I'm in need of some restraint

So if you meet me, have some courtesy

Have some sympathy and some taste

Use all your well-learned politesse

Or I'll lay your soul to waste

Mmm, yeah

Pleased to meet you, hope you guessed my name

Mmm, yeah

But what's puzzlin'' you is the nature of my game

Mmm, mean it, get down

Woo hoo!

Aww yeah

Get on down

Oh yeah

Ba bum bum, ba ba bum

Ah yeah

Tell me baby, what's my name?

Tell me honey, can you guess my name?

Tell me baby, what's my name?

I'll tell you one time, you're to blame

Ooo hoo hoo, ooo hoo hoo, ooo hoo hoo

All right

Ooo hoo hoo, ooo hoo hoo, ooo hoo hoo

Ah yeah

Ooo hoo, ooo hoo hoo

Ah yes, what's my name?

Tell me baby, what's my name?

Tell me sweetie, what's my name?

Ooo hoo hoo, ooo hoo hoo, ooo hoo hoo, ooo hoo hoo

Ah yeah

What's my name

Return to the first article in this series or hear the first song in this series.

Read the next article in this series or hear the next song in the series.

For the index of all songs in this blog click here.