Posted on 05/28/2015 10:22:46 AM PDT by mojito
For the first time in years, the Rolling Stones are performing Moonlight Mile at arenas during their 15-city North American Zip Code concert tour. Written by Mick Jagger in 1970, the eclectic road song closed Sticky Fingers, the bands 1971 album, which is being reissued on June 9 by Universal as a two-CD set with bonus material.
Fans have long speculated about the songs meaning, with many assuming that lyrics such as a head full of snow and moonlight mile were code for cocaine. Mr. Jagger dismissed such suggestions last week, saying the song was written about his loneliness during a rigorous European tour in the summer of 1970 and his elation upon returning home.
The original basic studio recording of Moonlight Mile featured only Mr. Jagger, guitarist Mick Taylor and drummer Charlie Watts, with additional guitars, piano, bass and strings overdubbed later. Mr. Jagger, 71, talked about how the song was written and recorded.
Edited from an interview:
Mick Jagger: I wrote some of the early lyrics to Moonlight Mile in a songbook I carried around when we were on tour in the summer of 1970. I was growing road-weary and homesick then. Im sure the idea for the song first came to me one night while we were on a train and the moon was out. I dont recall. I know I didnt want to literalize how I was feeling. Thats not really a very good thing to do when youre writing lyrics, you know? The feeling I had at that moment was how difficult it was to be touring and how I wasnt looking forward to going out and doing it again. Its a very lonely thing, and my lyrics reflected that.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
“I have, however, always assumed that “head full of snow” was a drug reference, since the rest of the album is saturated with them.”
I was always a Beatles fan, Stones were not my thing but I did love the album Flowers.
Mick might be telling the truth about it not being about drugs, but it made me remember John Lennon saying Lucy in the Sky was not about LSD, but was a picture his son drew and told him it was Lucy in the sky, with diamonds.
Didn’t really believe it, although I’m always tempted to try to but it’s pretty hard to.
“This is what Murdochs WSJ wastes space and money on?
Pathetic.”
Why not? In another issue, they might cover musicians over 70 yrs. of age with platinum albums, and over 25 years sober, like Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Elton John, and others.
I would much rather follow the lives and music of people who have withstood the rigors of time, culture etc. than substandard music of later years.
“This is what Murdochs WSJ wastes space and money on?”
The Rolling Stones are worth more than a half a billion dollars. For a financial paper, I don’t think it is a waste.
It was about a lousy song, not their finances.
They are responsible for some great music over the years, I can still remember my Dad when he saw Mick Jagger singing Heart of Stone on Ed Sullivan. He said, “Who’s that girl?”
Over 30 years later and he's still doing it. Well he has my respect and admiration. But I"m not paying to see it anymore!
not just them but a bunch of hypocritical bands....i believe U2 moved their offices from Ireland to Norway to avoid taxation- meanwhile they want to spend our (American taxpayer) money for every left wing cause...
I remember seeing that album with a pair of blue jeans on the cover and a real zipper.
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