Story goes that the Glimmer Twins played a take of this to their kids and "K D Lang"
was shouted... after a demo was sent to her and an agreement was made that it bore similarities to her dit... an equal credit rights was rubber stamped. I reckon Bill would still be plucking his bass now if that treatment was afforded to him... and Taylor!
Got a Stones Boot titled Through the Vault Darkly and its got a great 10mins version of when the whip comes down -
but found this, at a gig I attended - Jagger with an SG and gave not a jot about singing "f.aggot"
I'm not a musicologist by any stretch and even from when young - I didn't talk the talk, I danced or listened. Yet I go straight back to 16years old... watching kids on YouTube reacting to this song literally teleports me back to youthdom. At the time of my purchasing Beggars Banquet things were tough and full of turmoil at home-never mind nationally and inter-wise.
Power cuts, three days weeks, bread queues and shocking school grades were all abound, so the lyrical meaning then had little purchase - not that I missed it mind - but Keith's licks were forefrontal.
But now and in subsequent years I realise just how sophisticated and cleverly constructed this song is. Helped no doubt by well read Marianne Faithfull.
But the boys in the band were right, man alone committed the world's atrocities and blamed Lucifer and his agents.
America killed JFK and his poor Brother,
tank attacks, biblical murder all included and underpinned by Rocky Dijon on percussion and Keith & Bill on bass riffs.
Rumour has it at Olympic Studios that the crew were speechless at the finished product... yet winced at the blunt truth of the words.
In terms of today, it seems tame (yet over the last few years censorship and fabrication of history is back.) and after years of being exposed to all music, I'd become lazy if not numbed by it's importance.
Have a listen and watch the video... for 1968 - groundbreaking.
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