Rusted Root is an alternative/bluegrass/jam band which formed in Pittsburgh… Read Full Bio ↴Rusted Root is an alternative/bluegrass/jam band which formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1990. The band consists of Michael Glabicki (vocals, guitar), Colter Harper (guitar), Dirk Miller (guitar), Patrick Norman (bass, percussion), Liz Berlin (percussion, vocals) and Jason Miller (drums, percussion). Every member of the band has proficiency in African drums, and this lends to the band's strong percussion, which draws from Middle-Eastern, African, Latin, Native American and funk influences. The band is best known for their 1995 hit single "Send Me On My Way" which has been featured in dozens of films and television shows.

You Can't Always Get What You Want
Rusted Root Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she was gonna meet the connection
Well I could tell by her blood stain

No, you can't always get what you want
No, you can't always get what you want
No, 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

I went down to the Chelsea drug store
To get your prescription filled
And I was standing in line with a Mr. Jimmy
A man, did he look pretty ill
And we decided we would have a soda
My favorite flavor vanilla cream
And I sung my song to a Mr. Jimmy
And he said one word to me, and that was "death"

You can't always get what you want
No, you can't always get what you want
No, 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

You get what you need

I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Saying "we're gonna vent our frustration
And if we don't, we're gonna blow a 50 amp fuse"

No, you can't always get what you want
No, you can't always get what you want
No, 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

No, you can't always get what you want
No, you can't always get what you want
No, you can't always get what you want
But you can't always get, you can't always get what you want (yeah)
No, you can't always get what you want
No, you can't always get what you want

No, you can't always get what you want
No, you can't always get what you want
No, 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

You get what you need
You get what you need

Overall Meaning

Rusted Root's "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song that delivers a powerful message about expectation and desire. The lyrics describe a series of instances where the singer encounters obstacles in their quest for fulfillment. During the reception, the singer sees a woman who he knows will lead to the connection he needs, but her bloodstained hands suggest a darker underbelly to her world. Later, while in line at the Chelsea drug store, he meets Mr. Jimmy, who is visibly ill, and is denied the soda he had hoped to share with him when Mr. Jimmy mentions "death". Finally, during a demonstration, the singer exposes himself to verbal abuse because he wants to "vent his frustration" but realizes he may blow a fuse if he doesn't.

The chorus repeats the message several times: "No, you can't always get what you want / But if you try sometimes, you just might find / You get what you need." This serves as both a warning against unrealistic expectations and a hopeful reminder that a deeper understanding of one's own needs can lead to greater satisfaction.

Line by Line Meaning

I saw her today at the reception
At an event, the singer saw the subject.

A glass of wine in her hand
The subject was holding a glass of wine.

I knew she was gonna meet the connection
The singer had a feeling that the subject was going to meet someone important.

Well I could tell by her blood stain
The artist could tell that the subject had blood on her clothes, which may suggest she was involved in something violent or dangerous.

No, you can't always get what you want
The artist is acknowledging that life is not always fair, and you cannot always have everything you desire.

But if you try sometimes, you just might find You get what you need
Although you cannot always get what you want, if you make an effort, you may discover that you get something that meets your true needs.

I went down to the Chelsea drug store To get your prescription filled
The singer went to a drug store to get medication for someone else.

And I was standing in line with a Mr. Jimmy A man, did he look pretty ill
The artist encountered a sick man named Mr. Jimmy while waiting in line at the drug store.

And we decided we would have a soda My favorite flavor vanilla cream
The artist and Mr. Jimmy chose to have a soda together, and the artist's favorite flavor was vanilla cream.

And I sung my song to a Mr. Jimmy And he said one word to me, and that was "death"
The artist sang a song to Mr. Jimmy, who responded with a ominous one-word message: "death".

I went down to the demonstration To get my fair share of abuse
The singer went to a protest to receive a certain amount of negative attention or criticism.

Saying "we're gonna vent our frustration And if we don't, we're gonna blow a 50 amp fuse"
At the demonstration, the artist proclaimed that they will express their anger, and if they don't, they will "explode" with a great amount of force.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS