You Cant Always Get What You Want
The Jolly Boys Lyrics

I saw her today at a reception
The singer saw a woman at a social gathering

A glass of wine in her hand
The woman was holding a wine glass

I knew she would meet her connection
The singer believed the woman would meet someone she planned to see

At her feet was her footloose man
The woman had an uncommitted partner who was with her

You can't always get what you want
It's not always possible to attain your desires

You can't always get what you want
Reiterating the previous line

You can't always get what you want
Stressing again that satisfaction is not guaranteed

And if you try sometime you find
If you make an effort, there's a chance

You get what you need
You can still attain necessities even if your wants are unattainable

I went down to the demonstration
The singer attended a protest gathering

To get my fair share of abuse
He expected to be verbally attacked for his views

Singing, 'We're gonna vent our frustration
He and the other protesters planned to express their anger

If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse'
If the protesters didn't release their frustration, they would become agitated

You get what you need, oh baby, yeah, yeah
Repeating that finding what you need is possible

I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
The singer visited a pharmacy in Chelsea

To get your prescription filled
He was there to collect medication for someone else

I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy
The singer was waiting alongside someone called Mr. Jimmy

And man, did he look pretty ill
Mr. Jimmy appeared very sick

My favorite flavor, cherry red
The singer's favorite soda flavor was cherry

I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
The singer sang a song to Mr. Jimmy

Yeah, and he said one word to me and that was dead
Mr. Jimmy replied to the song with a statement of finality

You get what you need, ah yes
Reiterating that necessities can still be obtained

I saw her today at the reception
Repeating the previous verse's opening line

In her glass was a bleeding man
The content of the woman's glass included blood

She was practiced at the art of deception
The woman was skilled at dishonesty

Well, I could tell by her bloodstained hands
The singer could see evidence of the woman's deceit

You can't always get what you want
Stressing the central theme of the song

You can't always get what you want
Repeating the previous line

You can't always get what you want
Reiterating the song's central idea

But if you try sometimes you just might find
Emphasizing that making an effort can yield results

You just might find
There's a possibility of success

You get what you need, ah yes
Closing the song on the repeated notion of finding what you need