The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones inspired a generation of music and played a key role in the encouragement of the glam rock genre. The Rolling Stones are an English Rock band formed in 1962 consisting originally of five members. Today, four members remain. These members are Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood. The Rolling Stones was one of the bands that took part in the “British Invasion” which was a time when rock bands from the UK became increasingly popular in the US. Other bands playing a major role in the “invasion” include the Who, the Beatles, and the Kinks. These bands, and the Stones in particular, succeeded by focusing on themes of rebellion and exploration within their music. With nearly twenty-five studio albums, in which nineteen went Platinum or Multi-Platinum in multiple countries, the Stones were an extremely influential band in the rock genre and music in general. Without the Rolling Stones, music would just not be the same. (Wikipedia)
One of the genres greatly affected by this band is Glam Rock. The Glam Rock genre peaked between 1970 and 1974, which was a time that forced people to question just about everything. With music that supported themes of sexual exploration, drug exploration, and exploration of self, it was difficult to avoid getting sucked in by the controversy and weirdness put forth by the genre. The Rolling Stones were not necessarily a part of the Glam Rock genre, but they did play a significant part in the movement leading up to it.
Every song means something different to each and every person. The challenge is always finding that meaning and applying it to your life. One of the Stones’ most meaningful songs is “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” off of their tenth studio album Let It Bleed (Wikipedia). This song demonstrates the common glam theme of self-exploration. From a lyrical standpoint, the song produces several very strong messages. The first and more obvious message comes from the lyrics:
“You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you might find
You get what you need”
(The Rolling Stones)
I think these lyrics are the primary focus of the song and teach us a very powerful lesson about life. The lesson is that as people go through life, they will not always succeed or be able to get what they ask for. This being said, sometimes they may end up getting what is essential, even if it was not necessarily what they were looking for. This message is demonstrated throughout the song. The middle verse of the song reads as follows:
“And I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, We're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse”
(The Rolling Stones)
This particular verse paints a picture of a protest. The meaning behind these lyrics is that even though the protesters may not get the exact change they are protesting for, they find a place in which they can express their feelings.
The other major point to be made about the lyrics is the variation between the first and last verse. In these verses, they read:
First Verse
I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she was gonna meet her connection
At her feet was a footloose man
(The Rolling Stones)
Last Verse
I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands
(The Rolling Stones)
The first verse describes a man who sees an extremely attractive woman and “wants” her as shown by the line “footloose man.” However, at the end of the song in the last verse, it depicts this same man from the first verse but he has been hurt and deceived by her which is revealed through the lines “In her glass was a bleeding man” and “She was practiced at the art of deception” based upon her blood-stained hands. The overarching message of the song is that the man cannot necessarily have the girl that he “wants” but it is better this way because all she is going to do is hurt and deceive him if he were to be with her.
As for the sound of the vocals and instrumentation, the song has a very uplifting feel. This is done through the use of ALL major chords. Most people associate these types of chords with happiness and inspiration as opposed to minor chords, which are typically associated with sadness. The instrumentation in this song features smooth, uplifting guitar riffs that put the listener in a good mood. As for the vocals, the song features a chamber choir singing the first verse and main chorus. This gives the song a “proper” and more sophisticated feeling. As the song goes on, this “proper” church choir turns into a soulful (almost gospel) choir that sings backup to Mick. I feel the chorus aspect of this song gives it a strong message that can be applied to the listener’s life. I feel that the song would not have the same powerful meaning and implications if that aspect were not there.
This song acknowledges the core theme of self-exploration in the glam rock genre. I believe this song played an essential part in the creation of the glam rock movement with its strong messages relating to making discoveries about life and what to expect. This song as well as many other songs written and produced in this era, reflected strong themes seen throughout the Glam Rock genre. If it were not for the Rolling Stones’ influence on the genre of Glam Rock and music in general, the progression of music would not have been the same.
Citations:
"The Rolling Stones." Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones
AZ Lyrics. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. <http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/
rollingstones/youcantalwaysgetwhatyouwant.html>.
The Rolling Stones inspired a generation of music and played a key role in the encouragement of the glam rock genre. The Rolling Stones are an English Rock band formed in 1962 consisting originally of five members. Today, four members remain. These members are Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood. The Rolling Stones was one of the bands that took part in the “British Invasion” which was a time when rock bands from the UK became increasingly popular in the US. Other bands playing a major role in the “invasion” include the Who, the Beatles, and the Kinks. These bands, and the Stones in particular, succeeded by focusing on themes of rebellion and exploration within their music. With nearly twenty-five studio albums, in which nineteen went Platinum or Multi-Platinum in multiple countries, the Stones were an extremely influential band in the rock genre and music in general. Without the Rolling Stones, music would just not be the same. (Wikipedia)
One of the genres greatly affected by this band is Glam Rock. The Glam Rock genre peaked between 1970 and 1974, which was a time that forced people to question just about everything. With music that supported themes of sexual exploration, drug exploration, and exploration of self, it was difficult to avoid getting sucked in by the controversy and weirdness put forth by the genre. The Rolling Stones were not necessarily a part of the Glam Rock genre, but they did play a significant part in the movement leading up to it.
Every song means something different to each and every person. The challenge is always finding that meaning and applying it to your life. One of the Stones’ most meaningful songs is “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” off of their tenth studio album Let It Bleed (Wikipedia). This song demonstrates the common glam theme of self-exploration. From a lyrical standpoint, the song produces several very strong messages. The first and more obvious message comes from the lyrics:
“You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you might find
You get what you need”
(The Rolling Stones)
I think these lyrics are the primary focus of the song and teach us a very powerful lesson about life. The lesson is that as people go through life, they will not always succeed or be able to get what they ask for. This being said, sometimes they may end up getting what is essential, even if it was not necessarily what they were looking for. This message is demonstrated throughout the song. The middle verse of the song reads as follows:
“And I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, We're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse”
(The Rolling Stones)
This particular verse paints a picture of a protest. The meaning behind these lyrics is that even though the protesters may not get the exact change they are protesting for, they find a place in which they can express their feelings.
The other major point to be made about the lyrics is the variation between the first and last verse. In these verses, they read:
First Verse
I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she was gonna meet her connection
At her feet was a footloose man
(The Rolling Stones)
Last Verse
I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands
(The Rolling Stones)
The first verse describes a man who sees an extremely attractive woman and “wants” her as shown by the line “footloose man.” However, at the end of the song in the last verse, it depicts this same man from the first verse but he has been hurt and deceived by her which is revealed through the lines “In her glass was a bleeding man” and “She was practiced at the art of deception” based upon her blood-stained hands. The overarching message of the song is that the man cannot necessarily have the girl that he “wants” but it is better this way because all she is going to do is hurt and deceive him if he were to be with her.
As for the sound of the vocals and instrumentation, the song has a very uplifting feel. This is done through the use of ALL major chords. Most people associate these types of chords with happiness and inspiration as opposed to minor chords, which are typically associated with sadness. The instrumentation in this song features smooth, uplifting guitar riffs that put the listener in a good mood. As for the vocals, the song features a chamber choir singing the first verse and main chorus. This gives the song a “proper” and more sophisticated feeling. As the song goes on, this “proper” church choir turns into a soulful (almost gospel) choir that sings backup to Mick. I feel the chorus aspect of this song gives it a strong message that can be applied to the listener’s life. I feel that the song would not have the same powerful meaning and implications if that aspect were not there.
This song acknowledges the core theme of self-exploration in the glam rock genre. I believe this song played an essential part in the creation of the glam rock movement with its strong messages relating to making discoveries about life and what to expect. This song as well as many other songs written and produced in this era, reflected strong themes seen throughout the Glam Rock genre. If it were not for the Rolling Stones’ influence on the genre of Glam Rock and music in general, the progression of music would not have been the same.
Citations:
"The Rolling Stones." Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Web. 2 Mar. 2014.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones
AZ Lyrics. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. <http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/
rollingstones/youcantalwaysgetwhatyouwant.html>.