Humble Pie was a British rock music band from 1969-82, best known for its h… Read Full Bio ↴Humble Pie was a British rock music band from 1969-82, best known for its hard-rocking recordings and concert performances during their peak period on A&M records from 1970-1975.

The band initially consisted in 1969 of Steve Marriott (formerly of Small Faces; lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Peter Frampton (from The Herd; lead guitar), Greg Ridley (from Spooky Tooth; bass) and Jerry Shirley (from The Apostolic Intervention; drums).

The joining of all these fairly known players resulted in Humble Pie being considered a bit of a “supergroup”. Worried about great expectations, the group began working together in secret at Marriott's cottage in Moreton, Essex. Signed to Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate Records, their debut single "Natural Born Boogie" was rushed out in 1969 and was a UK number five hit; it was quickly followed by the album As Safe As Yesterday Is, praised as a progressive album in the vein of Small Faces. Their second album Town and Country was also released in 1969 and featured a more acoustic sound. Humble Pie concerts at this time featured an acoustic set followed by an electric set, an approach that would become popular decades later.

1970 saw the financial collapse of Immediate, a switch to A&M Records, and a change in band management. The albums Humble Pie and Rock On, both released that year, alternated between progressive rock and boogie rock excess. A concert at the Fillmore East in NYC was captured on Perfomance Rockin' The Fillmore (1971); it is considered one of the best live rock albums of its era, with Marriott, Frampton, and the rest of the group in fine form. The loud-quiet-loud epic "I Don't Need No Doctor" was an FM radio hit in the United States, propelling the album to the group's biggest commercial success yet.

However, Frampton had already left the band by the time of the album's release, to pursue a solo career that would become extremely successful later in the 1970s. With Dave "Clem" Clempson replacing Frampton, Humble Pie moved towards an even harder sound at the urging of manager Dee Anthony, emphasizing Marriott's blues and soul roots.

Smokin' (1972) had a minor hit in "Thirty Days in the Hole" and was reasonably successful commercially based on the group's constant touring. As a premiere US concert attraction, they traveled in a customized private jet, and partook in all forms of the rock n roll excess available to formerly working class musicians that rose to fame and riches in this era, even hiring The Blackberries, a trio of black backup singers including Vanetta Fields formerly of The Ikettes. Nevertheless the band's extended, long form concert boogie jam rock style was unable to break them into the mainstream radio. Eat It (1974) was three sides of mostly R&B covers and one side live, and while appreciated by their core fans, did nothing to expand the group's audience. The group staged the Goodbye Pie Tour in 1975 and essentially broke up.

In 1980 Marriott, divorced, and with financial problems in the UK, relocated to Atlanta Georgia and revived Humble Pie with Shirley, adding Bobby Tench (from Jeff Beck Group) on guitar and Anthony "Sooty" Jones on bass. Two albums with a more modern heavy metal sound were released but the effort soon fell apart. In 1991 Marriott and Frampton began collaborating again, with another Humble Pie rebirth possibly in the offing, but an unfortunate house fire took Marriott's life before anything tangible could materialise. http://rockandrollgarage.com/the-tragic-story-of-steve-marriott-death/

Rolling Stone
Humble Pie Lyrics

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Yer! I wish, I was a rambling
I'd ramble as far as you could see
I wouldn't have none of you coffee shop women
Messing with me, no way will you get to me
'Cause I'm, I'm a rolling stone

I wanna tell you I'm a yerr!
I'm a rolling wow!

Still I will, I was a captain
I'd sail on the sea, Ah! Yerr!
I'll have all you merry seamen
You're all right with me
All right with me, you know I'm a

I'm a, I'm a rambling, rolling stone
She's my baby, she's your baby, she's my baby
She's so fine
She's my baby, she's your baby, she's my baby
She's so fine

Oh! Like a stone coming through
I ain't going nowhere, Ah! Yerr! Yerr!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Humble Pie's song "Rolling Stone" is a display of confidence and an expression of individuality. The song begins with the lead singer expressing his desire to be a rambling rolling stone, a person who roams freely without any restrictions or limitations. He proclaims that he wouldn't let any coffee shop women mess with him or get to him, indicating he wouldn't get affected by things that don't matter to him. The chorus, "I'm a rolling stone," highlights his self-belief and confidence in his way of life.

He compares himself to a captain who would sail on the sea with all the merry seamen. This might mean that despite being a rolling stone, he still enjoys the company of like-minded people who are just as free-spirited as he is. The repetition of "she's my baby, she's your baby, she's my baby, she's so fine," suggests that the lead singer has many admirers and a sense of pride in his charming personality.

Overall, the song is an ode to the lifestyle of being a rolling stone, which is all about being carefree, independent, and having the courage to live life on one's own terms. The Humble Pie's song "Rolling Stone" has a contagious melody with lyrics that express the desire for freedom and the confidence to live life.

Line by Line Meaning

Yer! I wish, I was a rambling
I wish I could travel and explore as much as I wanted to

I'd ramble as far as you could see
I would wander aimlessly and go as far as my eyes can see

I wouldn't have none of you coffee shop women
I won't let these city women at coffee shops bother me

Messing with me, no way will you get to me
I'm not gonna let anyone get to me or change my mind

'Cause I'm, I'm a rolling stone
I'm a free spirit who loves to travel and can't be tied down

I wanna tell you I'm a yerr!
I wanna tell you that I'm a wild and crazy guy

I'm a rolling wow!
I'm a free spirit and a rolling stone

Still I will, I was a captain
If I could, I'd be the captain of a ship

I'd sail on the sea, Ah! Yerr!
I'd love to sail on the sea and explore new places

I'll have all you merry seamen
I'd get along with all the joyful sailors

You're all right with me
I'd have a good time with all the sailors I'd meet