Famous Musical Pieces:
You Can't Always Get What You Want
Information:
Written By: Jaggers/Richards
Performed By: The Rolling Stones
Album: Let It Bleed
Released On: December 5, 1969.
Background:
You
Can't Always Get What You Want (let's call it YCAGWYW for short. Wait, that's look really bad,
we'll just call it You Can't) was recorded almost a year before it
was released, during 16-17 November, 1968. It was recorded in
Olympic Studios in London, a legendary studio where such great acts
as the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Queen, and
David Bowie also worked. The Rolling Stones were among the first
clients of the new Olympic Studios in Barnes, recording six
consecutive LPs there between 1966 and 1972, including Let It Bleed
in 1969. You Can't was actually recorded before the Stones'
previous masterpiece LP, Beggar's Banquet, but it was not released
on Banquet (possibly due to length, or else because Charlie Watts
couldn't play it).
Mick Jagger said of the recording and writing process song, "'You
Can't Always Get What You Want' was something I just played on the
acoustic guitar - one of those bedroom songs. It proved to be quite
difficult to record… I'd also had this idea of having a choir,
probably a gospel choir, on the track, but there wasn't one around
at that point. Jack Nitzsche, or somebody, said that we could get
the London Bach Choir and we said, 'That will be a laugh.'"
It's possible that the song was inspired by the Beatles, as Mick Jagger stated, "I liked the way the Beatles did that with 'Hey Jude'. The orchestra was not just to cover everything up - it was something extra. We may do something like that on the next album." Then again, Jagger's then-girlfriend claimed this song was about her drug use, so it's kind of hard to tell. The song does talk about issues such as love and drug use if you get into the themes hard enough.
Composition and Lyrics:
The song, at a length of 7:31, is the longest track on Let it Bleed and one of the Stones' longest songs of all. It features the London Bach Choir powerfully opening the song and bringing it to an uproarious conclusion (although there are versions recorded without an orchestra). Al Kooper was brought in to play the organ and French horn. These instruments would have been played by Brian Jones, but he was having severe drug problems and was unavailable.
Another
interesting note is that Jimmy Miller, the Stones' producer, played
the drums instead of Charlie Watts, because Watts was technically
unable to figure out the beat for this unusual groove and rhythm.
Al Kooper said he observed Jimmy Miller and Charlie Watts working
on the drum piece. Watts wasn't getting it quick enough so Miller
said, "Here, let me show you." At that point Watts said, "Why don't
you play it then" and walked out. Miller stayed and the song was
cut.
The song is notable for its sing-along chorus, "You can't always
get what you want, but if you try sometimes you'll find you get
what you need". The basic idea behind the song is that happiness is
hard to find, but if you focus on what you really need instead of
what you want, you'll get by. This is relates to the message from
the Stones' classic (I can't Get No) Satisfaction,
as You Can't says that satisfying our needs is easy, although
complete satisfaction with life is rare.
The first verse, as well as the last, describe a party scene with a woman drinking wine. While the first verse points out that "at her feet was her footloose man", the last verse reflects that "in her glass was a bleeding man". Critics claim this stands out as a message of how hard it is to find real love in life, as lovers are quite often "practiced at the art of deception" and can easily break your heart.
The second verse is set at a public demonstration. The point made by the lyrics is that politics always cause frustration, but they also allow for a way to "vent our frustration" instead of the use of violence ("If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse").
The third verse, which is twice as long, introduces a Mr. Jimmy, whom the singer meets at a drugstore, and the two go out to get a soda ("my favourite flavour, cherry red"). Mr. Jimmy comments that the song was "dead". There is a conflict as to the identity of Mr. Jimmy- one theory states that this refers to Jimmy Miller, the producer who played drums on this song (which means the "dead" comment may address Watts' conflict). The second popular theory is that the illusion refers to Jimmy Hutmaker, a local artist from Excelsior, Minnesota. Story has it that Mick Jagger went into a local drugstore to get a Cherry Coke. The store didn't have cherry cokes and Mr. Jimmy, standing in line behind Jagger, commented, "Well, you can't always get what you want." Mr. Jimmy was at the Stones next show in Minneapolis.
Performances:
The
song immediately recognized as a hit, and to this day is considered
a Rolling Stones classic. It received popular airplay on the radio
despite of not being released as a single (a shorter version was
released as a B-side to Honky Tonk Women). It also
appeared on numerous compilations.
The song is also extremely popular during live shows. It's been
played at most Stones shows since its introduction. The sing-along
chorus is a great opportunity for Jagger to let the audience
contribute to the song. Also, during live shows Jagger would often
modify the lyrics from "my favourite flavour, cherry red" to the
question "What's your favourite flavour?" to which the audience
replies "Cherry red". On an unrelated note, my personal favourite
flavour (of many things) is cherry as well.
- Aretha Franklin
- Def Leppard
- Luther Allison
- Band from TV, a cover band consisting of US TV stars including Greg Gunberg, Teri Hatcher, Brad Savage and Hugh Laurie.
Legacy:
You Can't was recognized as a major rock song. It was named as the 100th greatest song of all time in the Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." It also scored the #7 spot of oLahav's Top 100 Songs Ever. At the same time, Let It Bleed (the album on which You Can't appears as the final track) is recognized as a top Stones album, appearing at number 32 on the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
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- The Big Chill
- 21
- Californication
- Nip/Tuck
- Swingtown
- A Coca Cola C2 commercial
- Used 4 times in various episodes of the great TV series House, starring Hugh Laurie.
Listen to You Can't Always Get What You Want here
