It can be interpreted as the Satan being the agent of everything evil in the world, but having no choice in the matter, as he made his choice long ago to defy the will of God. I see it, since it is written from the Lucifer's point of view, as Satan gloating over his power to confuse us (Just as every cop is a criminal, And all the sinners saints, As heads is tails) and convince us to make the wrong choices (I was there when Pilate washed his hands and sealed his fate). The song recognizes that good and evil exists, and the inability of man to recognize evil is his downfall. Just after the part about sympathy and curtesy that you mentioned, Satan threatens you (or I will lay your soul to waste).
No moral relativism in this little tune. It also recognizes the Christian god, Jesus, and is anti-Communist.
Excellent points. Guess it’s just hard for me to think of Mick and Keith, uber-decadent hedonists both, as writing a conservative song.
It also had an anti-Nazi stanza (i.e., Satan was a Nazi): “I rode a tank, held a general's rank, when the blitzkrieg raged, and the bodies stank”
It also had an anti-Nazi stanza (i.e., Satan was a Nazi): “I rode a tank, held a general's rank, when the blitzkrieg raged, and the bodies stank”
I like the song quite a bit, the lyric above is just brutal. Try explained that song to your southern baptist mother!