Jagger's career has spanned over 50 years, and he has been described as "one of the most popular and influential frontmen in the history of Rock & Roll". Jagger's distinctive voice and performance, along with Keith Richards' guitar style, have been the trademark of the Rolling Stones throughout the career of the band. Jagger gained press notoriety for his admitted drug use and romantic involvements, and was often portrayed as a countercultural figure.
In the late 1960s, Jagger began acting in films (starting with Performance and Ned Kelly), to mixed reception. In 1985, he released his first solo album, She's the Boss. In early 2009, Jagger joined the electric supergroup SuperHeavy. In 1989 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2004 into the UK Music Hall of Fame with the Rolling Stones. In 2003, he was knighted for his services to popular music.
While continuing to tour and release albums with the Rolling Stones, Jagger began a solo career. In 1985 he released his first solo album She's the Boss, produced by Nile Rodgers and Bill Laswell, and featuring Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, Jan Hammer, Pete Townshend and the Compass Point All Stars. It sold fairly well, and the single "Just Another Night" was a Top Ten hit. During this period, he collaborated with the Jacksons on the song "State of Shock", sharing lead vocals with Michael Jackson.
For his own personal contributions in the 1985 Live Aid multi-venue charity concert, he performed at Philadelphia's JFK Stadium; he did a duet with Tina Turner of "It's Only Rock and Roll", and the performance was highlighted by Jagger tearing away Turner's skirt. He also did a cover of "Dancing in the Street" with David Bowie, who himself appeared at Wembley Stadium. The video was shown simultaneously on the screens of both Wembley and JFK Stadiums. The song reached number one in the UK the same year. In 1987 he released his second solo album, Primitive Cool. While it failed to match the commercial success of his debut, it was critically well received. In 1988 he produced the songs "Glamour Boys" and "Which Way to America" on Living Colour's album Vivid. Between 15 and 28 March he had a solo concert tour in Japan (Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka).
Wandering Spirit was the third solo album by Jagger and was released in 1993. It would be his only solo album release of the 1990s. Jagger aimed to re-introduce himself as a solo artist in a musical climate vastly changed from that of his first two albums, She's the Boss and Primitive Cool.
Following the successful comeback of the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels (1989), which saw the end of Jagger and Richards' well-publicised feud, after acquiring Rick Rubin as co-producer in January 1992 Jagger began recording the album in Los Angeles over seven months until September 1992, recording simultaneously as Richards was making Main Offender.
Jagger would keep the celebrity guests to a minimum on Wandering Spirit, only having Lenny Kravitz as a vocalist on his cover of Bill Withers' "Use Me" and bassist Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers on three tracks. Following the end of the Rolling Stones' Sony Music contract and their signing to Virgin Records, Jagger signed with Atlantic Records (which had signed the Stones in the 1970s) to distribute what would be his only album with the label. Released in February 1993, Wandering Spirit was commercially successful, reaching No.12 in the UK and No.11 in the US.
In 2001 Jagger released Goddess in the Doorway spawning the hit single "Visions of Paradise". In the same year he also joined Keith Richards in the Concert for New York City, a charity concert in response to the 11 September attacks, to sing "Salt of the Earth" and "Miss You".
He celebrated the Rolling Stones' 40th anniversary by touring with them on the year-long Licks Tour in support of their career retrospective Forty Licks double album.
In 2007 the Rolling Stones made US$437 million on their A Bigger Bang Tour, which got them into the current edition of Guinness World Records for the most lucrative music tour.[35] Jagger has refused to say when the band will retire, stating in 2007: "I'm sure the Rolling Stones will do more things and more records and more tours. We've got no plans to stop any of that really."
In October 2009 Jagger and U2 performed "Gimme Shelter" (with Fergie and will.i.am) and "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert.
On 20 May 2011 Jagger announced the formation of a new supergroup, SuperHeavy, which includes Dave Stewart, Joss Stone, Damian Marley and A.R. Rahman.[38] Jagger has featured on will.i.am's 2011 single "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)". It was officially released to iTunes on 4 February 2012.
On 21 February 2012 Mick Jagger, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Jeff Beck, along with a blues ensemble, performed at the White House concert series before President Barack Obama. When Jagger held out a mic to him, Obama sang twice the line "Come on, baby don't you want to go" of the blues cover 'Sweet Home Chicago', the blues anthem of Obama's home town.
Jagger hosted the season finale of Saturday Night Live on 19 and 20 May 2012, doing several comic skits and playing some of the Rolling Stones' hits with Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, and Jeff Beck.
Jagger performed in 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief with the Rolling Stones on 12 December 2012. The Stones finally played the Glastonbury festival in 2013, headlining on Saturday 29 June. This was followed by two concerts in London's Hyde Park as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, their first in the Park since their famous 1969 performance. In 2013 Mick Jagger teamed up with his brother Chris Jagger for two new duets to mark the 40th anniversary of Chris' debut album.
Born Michael Phillip Jagger on July 26, 1943, in Dartford, England, he initially met future musical collaborator and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards while the pair were five years old at primary school, although they would lose contact with each other shortly thereafter. In the intervening years, Jagger discovered a love for music, especially early rock & roll (forming a high school band, Little Boy Blue & the Blue Boys), as well as developing an interest in business, attending the London School of Economics.
In 1960 in his late teens, Jagger happened to bump into Richards once again (while the two were waiting on a train platform), and when Richards noticed Jagger had several blues records under his arm, they became friends again and started up the Rolling Stones shortly thereafter. The band (which also included second guitarist Brian Jones, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts), merged the rock & roll of Chuck Berry with the raw blues of Muddy Waters, creating a style that would be infinitely copied by others in its wake. By the late '60s, the Rolling Stones were rivaling the Beatles as the world's most popular rock band (with their second guitarist slot rotating from time to time), issuing such classic singles as "Paint It Black," "Time Is on My Side," "Get Off of My Cloud," "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," and others. In 1968, they began a string of albums that would go down as some of rock's most quintessential and enduring albums ever recorded -- 1968's Beggar's Banquet, 1969's Let It Bleed, 1970's Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out, 1971's Sticky Fingers, and 1972's Exile on Main Street.
During this time, Jagger also tried his hand at acting in movies, landing roles in such flicks as Performance and Ned Kelly (both from 1970). Jagger also became a renowned playboy and jet setter among other celebrities. As a result (as well as the Stones' escalating drug abuse), the quality of the Stones' music began to suffer -- while they remained one of the world's top concert draws and beloved bands, they issued albums of varying quality from the mid-'70s through the early '80s. Around this time, Jagger and Keith Richards conflicted over the musical direction of the band. Jagger wanted to move the band in a more pop and dance-oriented direction while Richards wanted to stay true to the band's rock & roll and blues roots. By 1984, Jagger had begun recording a solo album where he pursued a more mainstream, dance-inflected pop direction. The resulting album, She's the Boss, was released in 1985. Jagger filmed a number of state-of-the-art videos for the album, which all received heavy airplay from MTV, helping propel the record's first single, "Just Another Night," to number 12 and the album to platinum status. "Lucky in Love," the second single from the album scraped the bottom of the Top 40. In the summer of 1985, Jagger and David Bowie recorded a cover of Martha & the Vandellas' "Dancing in the Street" for the Live Aid organization. The single peaked at number seven on the U.S. pop charts; all the proceeds from its sale were donated to Live Aid.
Around the same time the Rolling Stones released their 1986 album, Dirty Work, Jagger released the theme song from the movie Ruthless People as a single and told Richards that the Stones would not tour to support Dirty Work. For the next few years, Jagger and Richards barely spoke to each other and sniped at the other in the press. During this time, Jagger tried to make his solo career as successful as the Rolling Stones, pouring all of his energy into his second solo album, 1987's Primitive Cool. Although the album received stronger reviews than She's the Boss, only one of the singles -- "Let's Work" -- scraped the bottom of the Top 40 and the record didn't go gold.
Following the commercial failure of Primitive Cool, Jagger returned to the fold of the Rolling Stones in 1989, recording, releasing, and touring the Steel Wheels album. Steel Wheels was a massively successful venture and after the tour was completed, the Stones entered a slow period, where each of the members pursued solo projects. Jagger recorded his third solo album with Rick Rubin, who had previously worked with the Beastie Boys and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The resulting solo album, Wandering Spirit, was released in 1993 and received the strongest reviews of any of Jagger's solo efforts. The album entered the U.S. charts at number 11 and went gold the year it was released. A year after the release of Wandering Spirit, the Stones reunited and released Voodoo Lounge, supporting the album with another extensive international tour. During the '90s, Jagger also resumed his movie acting career, with roles in Freejack (1992), Bent (1997), and The Man From Elysian Fields (2001).
In 1997, the Stones regrouped for another new album, Bridges to Babylon, and a subsequent tour of stadiums worldwide. 2001 saw the release of Jagger's first solo album in nearly ten years, titled Goddess in the Doorway, which included guest appearances from such rock big names as Pete Townshend, Bono, Lenny Kravitz, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot, Joe Perry, Wyclef Jean, and Rob Thomas.
In addition to his work with the Rolling Stones and solo releases, Jagger has guested on albums by a wide variety of other artists -- the Jacksons, Peter Tosh, Carly Simon, Dr. John, and Living Colour, among others (the latter he helped discover and produced part of their hit debut album, Vivid).
Secrets
Mick Jagger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I heard the secrets, maybe they're true
I read the papers, I read the news
I hear the gossip, all about you
They say that you're really not so prim and prude
Behind it all you're rather rude
And really go for younger men
Italian types and lots of them
Maybe it's true
Honey, honey, honey!
Do it for the money
I heard the stories
On Saturday night, out in the back room
After one or two lies
Your name is mentioned
It gives me a fright
Dishonorable mention
Puts you in a new light
You've been going downtown slave romancing
Nasty, mean and fancy dancin
With your nose in plastic bags
People talk and tongues all wag
I can't believe it baby
I've been a fool
'Cause scales have just fell from my eyes
You can't keep up your disguise
Tell me about your adventures in living
I won't write a word of libel
Swear it on a thousand Bibles
But, I admit, I have got my misgivings
Maybe it's true
Honey, honey, honey!
Do it for the money
I read the papers, I read the news
I scan the columns for pictures of you
You with the husband, you with the mayor, youu with the kids
Now who are you kidding, who you kidding?
How can you dare?
While you are the mistress of a mafia man
Who's working for the Vatican
And all your money crisply ironed in off-shore banks
Your friends are kind
I can't believe it baby
Maybe it's true
Honey, honey, honey!
Do it for the money
Yeah, you've been a nasty girl
Yeah, you've been bad
You've been bad, you've been bad
You better come over here
And take your punishment
Bad, bad, bad! Bad, bad, bad!
Honey, honey, honey!
Do it for the money
In the song "Secrets" by Mick Jagger, the singer admits to hearing rumors and secrets about someone, possibly a lover or acquaintance, and not knowing whether to believe them or not. The lyrics suggest that the subject of the rumors is not as prim and proper as they may appear to be. Some of the rumors involve having relationships with much younger men, specifically Italian men, and indulging in drug use.
The chorus of the song, "Honey, honey, honey! Do it for the money," implies that the subject is doing all these things for financial gain. The singer expresses disbelief in the rumors but admits to having misgivings. Towards the end of the song, the singer seems to have believed the rumors, calling the subject a "nasty girl" who needs to be punished.
Overall, the song "Secrets" is a commentary on the idea of appearances being deceiving and the lengths some people will go to for money and power.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard a story, all about you
I came across a story about you
I heard the secrets, maybe they're true
I learned some secrets about you which I believe to be true
I read the papers, I read the news
I keep myself updated by reading the latest news
I hear the gossip, all about you
I come across a lot of gossip about you
They say that you're really not so prim and prude
People say that you're not reserved and modest as you seem to be
Behind it all you're rather rude
In reality, you have a rude nature
And really go for younger men
You are attracted to younger men
Italian types and lots of them
You prefer Italian men and many of them
I can't believe it baby
It's hard for me to accept this
Maybe it's true
Perhaps it could be true
Honey, honey, honey!
An expression of disappointment or frustration
Do it for the money
Your actions are driven by money
On Saturday night, out in the back room
On a Saturday night, in a private room, a conversation ensues
After one or two lies
After a few lies, the topic of discussion turns to you
Your name is mentioned
Your name is brought up in the conversation
It gives me a fright
It shocks me
Dishonorable mention
Your reputation is tarnished
Puts you in a new light
It changes the way people perceive you
You've been going downtown slave romancing
You've been flirting with the lower class men in town
Nasty, mean and fancy dancin
You've been behaving in a nasty and mean way while showing off your dance moves
With your nose in plastic bags
You've been snorting drugs
People talk and tongues all wag
People gossip about your actions
I've been a fool
I was foolish
'Cause scales have just fell from my eyes
I've just realized the truth
You can't keep up your disguise
You can no longer hide your true self
Tell me about your adventures in living
Share with me about your life experiences
I won't write a word of libel
I won't write anything defamatory
Swear it on a thousand Bibles
I swear on the Bible that I'm telling the truth
But, I admit, I have got my misgivings
However, I still have doubts
I scan the columns for pictures of you
I search the columns for any pictures of you being mentioned in the news
You with the husband, you with the mayor, youu with the kids
The news depicts you with your husband, the mayor, and the kids
Now who are you kidding, who you kidding?
Who are you trying to fool?
How can you dare?
How can you be so bold?
While you are the mistress of a mafia man
When you are involved with a mafia man
Who's working for the Vatican
Who is employed by the Vatican
And all your money crisply ironed in off-shore banks
All your money is laundered through offshore banks
Your friends are kind
Your friends are good to you
I can't believe it baby
It's hard for me to accept this
Yeah, you've been a nasty girl
You've been behaving badly
Yeah, you've been bad
You've been naughty
You better come over here
Come here and face the consequences
And take your punishment
Accept punishment for your actions
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind