It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, but both say it is largely a Jagger composition. The working title of the song was “The Devil Is My Name”, having earlier been called “Fallen Angels”. Jagger sings in first person narrative as the Devil, boasting his role in each of several historical atrocities. The singer then ironically demands the listener’s courtesy towards him, implicitly chastising all for their collective culpability in the listed killings and crimes. In the 2012 documentary Crossfire Hurricane, Jagger stated that his influence for the song came from Baudelaire and from the Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel The Master and Margarita (which had just appeared in English translation in 1967). The book was given to Jagger by Marianne Faithfull and she confirmed the inspiration in an interview with Sylvie Simmons.
In a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone, Jagger said, “..that was taken from an old idea of Baudelaire’s, I think, but I could be wrong. Sometimes when I look at my Baudelaire books, I can’t see it in there. But it was an idea I got from French writing. And I just took a couple of lines and expanded on it. I wrote it as sort of a Bob Dylansong." It was Richards who suggested changing the tempo and using additional percussion, turning the folk song into a samba.
From The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
The Rolling Stones performing "You Can’t Always Get What You Want"
From The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
Recorded before a live audience in London in 1968, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was originally conceived as a BBC-TV special. Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, it centers on the original line up of The Rolling Stones -- Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman (with Nicky Hopkins and Rocky Dijon) -- who serves as both the show’s hosts and featured attraction. For the first time in front of an audience, “The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band” performs six Stones classics. The program also includes extraordinary performances by The Who, Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, Yoko Ono, and The Dirty Mac.
It just occurred to me quite how many of those involved saw their lives affected by 'junk' we lost keyboard maestro Nicky Hopkins and Jesse Ed Davis, John and Eric had their struggles though we think John restrained his use to smoking it. Marianne's use she documented well and is clearly in her prime here but John's 'Yer Blues' always struck me as being about junk rather than depression . . . . . .
A ‘supergroup’ before the term had even been coined, the band was comprised of Eric Clapton (lead guitar), Keith Richards (bass), Mitch Mitchell of The Jimi Hendrix Experience (drums), and John Lennon on guitar and vocals.
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