You Can't Always Get What You Want
Madeline Bell Doris Troy The Rolling Stones London Bach Choir Nanette Newman Lyrics
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A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she would meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man
No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You get what you need
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 her footloose man
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you might find
You get what you need
But I went down to the demonstration
To get your fair share of abuse
Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a fifty-amp fuse"
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
You get what you need
I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled
I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill
We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was "dead"
I said to him
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You get what you need
You get what you need, yeah, oh baby
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
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need, oh yeah
The lyrics to "You Can't Always Get What You Want" express the idea that sometimes in life, things don't go as planned, and we can't always get exactly what we want. The singer describes seeing a woman at a reception with a glass of wine in her hand and a man at her feet. The chorus repeats the message that we can't always get what we want but if we try, we might just find what we need.
The song goes on to detail a few different scenarios in which the singer encountered disappointment or frustration. At a protest, they sang about venting their frustration before the situation became explosive. At a drugstore, they encountered a sick friend and were reminded that even with medical help, sometimes we still can't get what we want. And finally, they revisited the initial image of the woman at the reception, now recognizing her as a deceptive figure with blood on her hands.
Interpretations of the song posit that it speaks to larger societal themes of disillusionment and the idea that life isn't always fair. Additionally, the song has been associated with the death of a student at the Altamont Free Concert, which occurred just a few months after the song's release and was headlined by The Rolling Stones.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw her today at the reception
He saw her (the woman he desires) at an event
A glass of wine in her hand
She was drinking wine
I knew she would meet her connection
He knows that she would meet someone she has been expecting to see
At her feet was her footloose man
She has a boyfriend who is carefree and nonchalant
You can't always get what you want
Sometimes you won't achieve your desire
But if you try sometime you find
However, you might find that you get what you need if you make an effort to try
I went down to the demonstration
He went to a protest
To get your fair share of abuse
He went to get his share of the harsh treatment
Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration
He and the other protesters sang a song expressing their desire to express their annoyance and anger
If we don't we're gonna blow a fifty-amp fuse"
They would explode like a fuse if they didn't let their grievances out
I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
He visited a drugstore in Chelsea
To get your prescription filled
He went there to fill a prescription
I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy
He was queuing with a person named Mr. Jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill
Mr. Jimmy looked really sick
We decided that we would have a soda
He and Mr. Jimmy agreed to drink soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
His favorite flavor was cherry-red soda
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
He sang a song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was "dead"
Mr. Jimmy only responded with one word, which was "dead"
In her glass was a bleeding man
There was an image of a bleeding man in her glass
She was practiced at the art of deception
She was experienced in deceiving people
Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands
He knew she did something wrong from her blood-stained hands
You just might find
It's possible that you might find
You get what you need, oh yeah
You might get what you need, oh yeah
Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind