Steel Pulse originally formed at Handsworth Wood Boys School, Birmingham, and comprised David Hinds (lead vocals, guitar), Basil Gabbidon (lead guitar, vocals) and Ronnie McQueen (bass).
However, it is Hinds who, as songwriter, has always been the engine behind Steel Pulse, from their early days establishing themselves in the Birmingham club scene onwards. Formed in 1975, their debut release, 'Kibudu, Mansetta And Abuku" arrived on the small independent label Dip, and linked the plight of urban black youth with the image of a greater African homeland. They followed it with 'Nyah Love' for Anchor.
Surprisingly, they were initially refused live dates in Caribbean venues in the Midlands because of their Rastafarian beliefs. Aligning themselves closely with the Rock Against Racism 1 organisation, they chose to tour instead with sympathetic elements of the punk movement, including the Stranglers, XTC etc.: "Punks had a way of enjoying themselves - throw hordes at you, beer, spit at you, that kind of thing".
Eventually they found a more natural home in support slots for Burning Spear, which brought them to the attention of Island Records. Their first release for Island was the 'Ku Klux Klan' 45 rpm, a considered tilt at the evils of racism, and one often accompanied by a visual parody of the sect on stage.
By this time their ranks had swelled to include Selwyn 'Bumbo' Brown (keyboards), Steve 'Grizzly' Nesbitt (drums), Fonso Martin (vocals, percussion) and Michael Riley (vocals). Handsworth Revolution was an accomplished long playing debut and one of the major landmarks in the evolution of British reggae.
However, despite critical and moderate commercial success over three albums, the relationship with Island had soured by the advent of Caught You (released in the US as Reggae Fever). They switched to Elektra, and unveiled their most consistent collection of songs since their debut with True Democracy, distinguished by the Garveyeulogising 'Rally Around' cut.
A further definitive set arrived in Earth Crisis. Unfortunately, Elektra chose to take a leaf out of Island's book in trying to coerce Steel Pulse into a more mainstream vein, asking them to emulate the pop-reggae stance of Eddy Grant. Babylon Bandit was consequently weakened, but did contain the anthemic 'Not King james Version', which was a powerful indictment on the omission of black people and history from certain versions of the Bible.
Their next move was id Hinds of Steel Pulse to MCA for State Of Emergency, which retained some of the synthesized dance elements of its predecessor. Though it was a significantly happier compromise, it still paled before any of their earlier albums.
Rastafari Centennial was recorded live at the Elysee Montmarte in Paris, and dedicated to the hundred year anniversary of the birth of Haile Selassie. It was the first recording since the defection of Fonso Martin, leaving the trio of David Hinds, Steve Nisbett and Selwyn Brown.
While they still faced inverted snobbery at the hands of British reggae fans, in America their reputation was growing, becoming the first ever reggae band to appear on the Tonight television show. Their profile was raised further when, in 1992, Hinds challenged the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission in the Supreme High Court, asserting that their cab drivers discriminated against black people in general and Rastas in particular.
Drummer Steve "Grizzly" Nisbett (15 March 1948 – 18 January 2018) died in 2018.
The band are still recording and touring.
You Can't Always Get What You Want
Steel Pulse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you'll find
You get what you need
You get what you need
I saw her today at the reception
Oh I knew she was gonna meet her connection
At her feet was a footloose man
No, you can't always get what you want (Oh no no you can't)
You can't always get what you want (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
You get what you need
And I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse"
Sing it to me now...
You can't always get what you want (No no you can't)
You can't always get what you want (No no)
You can't always get what you want (Can't always get what you want)
But if you try sometimes well you just might find (If you try sometimes)
You get what you need
You get what you need
Oh Yeah (Vocals)
You can't always get what you want (You can't always get what you want)
You can't always get what you want (Oohh)
You can't always get what you want (Can't always get what you want)
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
You get what you need
You can't always get what you want (No no no no no)
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 (You can't always get what you want)
You get what you need
The lyrics of Steel Pulse's "You Can't Always Get What You Want" may appear to be straightforward, however there is a deeper meaning behind the words. The song's central theme is the idea that in life we may not always get what we desire, but eventually, we do receive what we need. This idea is expressed in the chorus of the song, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes well you just might find, you get what you need."
In the verses, the lyrics describe two scenes that illustrate the message of the chorus. The first verse, "I saw her today at the reception, a glass of wine in her hand, oh I knew she was gonna meet her connection, at her feet was a footloose man" depicts someone who attends a party hoping to meet a particular person, someone they want to connect with, but they end up meeting someone else. The second verse states, "And I went down to the demonstration, to get my fair share of abuse, singing 'We're gonna vent our frustration, if we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse'" which refers to people who are protesting for what they want, but receive negativity instead. Despite this, the song affirms the message in the chorus that in time, we will get what we need even if it was not what we were yearning for.
Line by Line Meaning
You can't always get what you want
It's not always possible to obtain one's desires
You can't always get what you want
You won't always receive everything you desire
You can't always get what you want
Your wishes are not guaranteed to be fulfilled
But if you try sometime you'll find
If you make an effort, you might discover
You get what you need
You receive what is essential for you
You get what you need
You obtain that which is necessary for you
I saw her today at the reception
I observed her today at the gathering
A glass of wine in her hand
She held a glass of wine
Oh I knew she was gonna meet her connection
I was aware she was going to meet her friend
At her feet was a footloose man
There was a man dancing at her feet
And I went down to the demonstration
I attended the protest
To get my fair share of abuse
To obtain my portion of criticism
Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration
Serenading, "We will express our irritation
If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse"
If we don't release it, we will explode in anger
You can't always get what you want (Oh no no you can't)
It is not guaranteed that you will receive everything you desire
You can't always get what you want (What you want)
Your wishes may not always be granted
You can't always get what you want (You can't always get what you want)
It's impossible to receive everything you desire
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
If you make an effort, you may discover
You get what you need
You will receive what is essential for you
You get what you need
You obtain that which is necessary for you
Sing it to me now...
Sing it for me at this moment...
You can't always get what you want (No no you can't)
It is not always feasible to get what you desire
You can't always get what you want (No no)
You will not always receive everything you desire
You can't always get what you want (Can't always get what you want)
It's not always possible to obtain everything you desire
But if you try sometimes well you just might find (If you try sometimes)
If you put in some effort, you may discover
You get what you need
You receive what is necessary for you
You get what you need
You obtain that which is essential for you
You can't always get what you want (You can't always get what you want)
It's not always possible to receive everything you desire
You can't always get what you want (Oohh)
You won't always obtain everything you desire
You can't always get what you want (Can't always get what you want)
Your wishes may not always be fulfilled
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
If you make an effort, you may discover
You get what you need
You will receive what is essential for you
You get what you need
You obtain that which is necessary for you
You can't always get what you want (No no no no no)
It is impossible to receive everything you desire
You can't always get what you want
Your desires won't always be fulfilled
You can't always get what you want
It is not a certainty that you will obtain everything you desire
But if you try sometimes you just might find
However, if you put in some effort, you may discover
You get what you need
You receive what is essential for you
Writer(s): Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Contributed by Brody G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
trfesok
Really cool version. Thanks for the upload! In my "Stones:..covered" with a somewhat similar version by Rusted Root and the original. 3-13-17
Anna Fisher
Sorry I missed their next legendary performance at West Hollywood's House of Blues tonight! Getting over a cold I don't wish to share. Thanks for posting this great tribute!
Michael Marchelli
I love you guy's sooo much, I just puff a bowl and listen to Steel Pulse and Everything is okay 👍👍👍😊