Rooted in blues and early rock and roll, the Rolling Stones started out playing covers and were at the forefront of the British Invasion in 1964, becoming identified with the youthful and rebellious counterculture of the 1960s. They then found greater success with their own material, as "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1965), "Get Off of My Cloud" (1965), and "Paint It Black" (1966) became international number-one hits. Aftermath (1966) – their first entirely original album – is considered by The Daily Telegraph to be the most important of their formative records. In 1967, they had the double-sided hit "Ruby Tuesday"/"Let's Spend the Night Together" and experimented with psychedelic rock on Their Satanic Majesties Request. They returned to their rhythm and blues roots with hit songs such as "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1968) and "Honky Tonk Women" (1969), and albums such as Beggars Banquet (1968), featuring "Sympathy for the Devil", and Let It Bleed (1969), featuring "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Gimme Shelter". Let It Bleed was the first of five consecutive number-one albums in the UK.
Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor. That year they were first introduced on stage as "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World". Sticky Fingers (1971), which yielded "Brown Sugar" and included the first usage of their tongue and lips logo, was their first of eight consecutive number-one studio albums in the US. Exile on Main St. (1972), featuring "Tumbling Dice", and Goats Head Soup (1973), yielding the hit ballad "Angie", were also best sellers. Taylor was replaced by Ron Wood in 1974. The band continued to release successful albums, including their two largest sellers: Some Girls (1978), featuring "Miss You", and Tattoo You (1981), featuring "Start Me Up". Steel Wheels (1989) was widely considered a comeback album and was followed by Voodoo Lounge (1994), a worldwide number-one album. Both releases were promoted by large stadium and arena tours, as the Stones continued to be a huge concert attraction; by 2007 they had recorded the all-time highest-grossing concert tour three times, and as recently as 2021 they were the highest-earning live act of the year. From Wyman's departure in 1993 to Watts' death in 2021, the band continued as a four-piece core, with Darryl Jones playing bass on tour and on most studio recordings, while Steve Jordan became their touring drummer following Watts' death. Their 2016 album, Blue & Lonesome, became their twelfth UK number-one album.
The Rolling Stones' estimated record sales of 200 million make them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The band has won three Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. Billboard magazine and Rolling Stone have ranked the band as one of the greatest of all time.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones
Studio albums
The Rolling Stones / England's Newest Hit Makers (1964)
12 X 5 (1964)
The Rolling Stones No. 2 / The Rolling Stones, Now! (1965)
Out of Our Heads (1965)
December's Children (And Everybody's) (1965)
Aftermath (1966)
Between the Buttons (1967)
Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
Beggars Banquet (1968)
Let It Bleed (1969)
Sticky Fingers (1971)
Exile on Main St. (1972)
Goats Head Soup (1973)
It's Only Rock 'n Roll (1974)
Black and Blue (1976)
Some Girls (1978)
Emotional Rescue (1980)
Tattoo You (1981)
Undercover (1983)
Dirty Work (1986)
Steel Wheels (1989)
Voodoo Lounge (1994)
Bridges to Babylon (1997)
A Bigger Bang (2005)
Blue & Lonesome (2016)
Hackney Diamonds (2023)
Flip The Switch
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a heap of bones
One deep sigh
And a desperate moan
Three black eyes
And a busted nose
I said, oh yeah, oh yeah
Take me up
Baby, I'm ready to go
Switch me up
Baby, I'm ready to go, yeah
Wake me up
Baby I'm ready
Baby, baby, I'm ready to go
(Chill me, freeze me, to my bones)
I'm not going to burn in hell
I cased the joint
And I know it well
Maybe my carcass
Can feed the worms
I'm working for the other firm
Shake me up
Baby, I'm ready to go
Fix me up
Baby I'm ready to roll, yeah
Set me up
Baby, baby, baby, I'm ready to go
(Chill me, freeze me, to my bones)
Flip the switch
I got my money, my ticket
All that shit
I even got myself
A little shaving kit
What would it take
To bury me
I can't wait
I can't wait to see
I got a toothbrush, mouthwash
All that shit
I'm looking down
In the filthy pit
I had the turkey
And the stuffing too
I even saved
A little bit for you
Lethal injection's a luxury
I want to give it
To the whole jury
I'm just dying
For one more squeeze
Oh yeah
Oh yeah
Pick me up
Baby, I'm ready to go
Pick me up
Baby, I'm ready to blow
Take me up
Baby, if you're ready to go
Baby, I got nowhere to go
Baby, I'm ready to go
(Chill me, freeze me, to my bones)
Flip the switch
The Rolling Stones’ “Flip The Switch” is a song about a person who is ready to die and willing to embrace it. The lyrics describe the readiness of the person to take the leap and move on to the next phase of their journey. The first verse talks about how the person is just flesh and bones and ready to leave this world for good. The second verse hints that the person is not afraid of the consequences of their actions, and is prepared for whatever is coming their way. They have no regrets and are willing to embrace death.
The chorus of the song is a call to the muse or the inspiration that drives the person to give into death. It’s as if they are asking for permission to move on, and are willing to be taken by whatever force is willing to take them. They are willing to be switched off and let go of all of their earthly attachments. They are asking to be set free from the pain of their existence, and are willing to embrace their own mortality.
Overall, “Flip the Switch” is a song about how one can come to terms with their own mortality and be ready to move on from this life when the time comes.
Line by Line Meaning
A scrap of flesh
We are made of fragile material
And a heap of bones
Our strength in life is derived from the structure of our bones
One deep sigh
The sound we make in death
And a desperate moan
The last cry for help
Three black eyes
Faces of those who have been hurt
And a busted nose
The signs of a physical struggle
I said, oh yeah, oh yeah
Acknowledging the situation as dire
Take me up
A plea to be lifted out of desperation
Baby, I'm ready to go
I am willing and prepared for whatever comes next
Switch me up
Change the present state of things
Wake me up
Open my eyes to what is important
Chill me, freeze me, to my bones
A desire to feel something, rather than nothing
I'm not going to burn in hell
I will not be punished after death
I cased the joint
I have investigated and know what lies ahead
And I know it well
I am familiar with the path set before me
Maybe my carcass
Perhaps what is left of me
Can feed the worms
Will nourish the earth
I'm working for the other firm
I am destined for a place other than heaven
Fix me up
Make me feel whole again
Baby I'm ready to roll, yeah
I am prepared to face what's ahead
Set me up
Put me on the right path
Flip the switch
Change the course of my life
I got my money, my ticket
Having all necessary preparations
All that shit
All the material possessions mean nothing in the end
I even got myself
I have thought ahead and taken care of myself
A little shaving kit
A minor detail, but still important
What would it take
What else could I possibly need?
To bury me
To lay me to rest
I can't wait
Eager to see what comes next
Lethal injection's a luxury
Death itself is the ultimate luxury
I want to give it
I would do anything to hasten my own death
To the whole jury
Even the people who determined my fate will feel my wrath
I'm just dying
I am ready for whatever comes next, even if it means death
For one more squeeze
One last chance to experience something before death
Pick me up
Please help me
Baby, I'm ready to blow
I am prepared for what lies ahead, even if it's the end
Baby, if you're ready to go
If there's a chance for a new beginning, I'm ready
Baby, I got nowhere to go
If there's no new path to take, I accept my fate
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Greg Halder
on 2000 Light Years From Home
Totally underrated track and album..