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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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)
Hold Back
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A word from the wise
Grab opportunity
While you're alive
'Cause if you follow the crowd
'Cause if you act like a coward
You'll end up yelling out loud
Hold back
You'll regret it someday
Choke on that
Don't let it pass you by
Hold back
You better seize the hour
You look in your history books
You delve in the past
Stalin and Roosevelt
Both took their chances
And George grasped the nettle
It's do or dare
From the banks of the Delaware
Yeah don't hold back
Trust your gut reaction
Be bold, be bold baby
If you don't take chances
You won't make advances
Hold back yeah
Don't matter if you ain't so good looking
If you ain't sharp as a blade
Don't be afraid
Don't hold back
Life is passing you by
Choke on that
Keep on moving, keep on moving
Gotta run with the crowd
You'll end up in the madhouse
Shouting the cold walls down
Yeah don't hold back
Hold back
You're messing with your life
Hold back
Yeah life goes by fast sometimes
Be bold be bold be bold be bold baby
You're wasting your time
I want your attention
So pin back your ears
I've been climbing this tree of promises
For over forty years
Your vision get broken
And bust on the ground
So watch me, watch me rebound
Yeah don't hold back
You're wrecking your life
Choke on that
Don't hold back
No don't hold back
You're messing with your life
The Rolling Stones’ song “Hold Back” is a motivational piece that encourages listeners to take chances, trust their gut reaction, and seize the opportunities that come their way. The first stanza warns against following the crowd and acting like a coward, as this will eventually lead to regret. The singer advises listeners to take advantage of opportunities while they are alive, and not hold back or be afraid to take risks.
In the second stanza, the song draws historical references to inspirational leaders such as Stalin, Roosevelt, and George, who took chances and dared to do things that others deemed impossible. The song argues that to make advances and succeed in life, one must be bold and trust their instincts, no matter their looks or mental abilities. The song acknowledges that life is passing by quickly and encourages listeners to keep moving forward, run with the crowd, and not end up in the madhouse.
The chorus repeats the phrase “Hold back,” which serves as a warning to not let fear hold one back from taking chances that could change their life for the better. The song urges listeners to be bold, and not to waste any opportunity that comes their way.
Overall, “Hold Back” can be seen as a song that celebrates the power of taking chances and seizing the moment, and encourages listeners to embrace this philosophy and dive headfirst into life's challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the voice of experience
Listen to the advice of those who have been through it before
A word from the wise
You can learn from those who have more experience or knowledge
Grab opportunity
Take advantage of opportunities that come your way
While you're alive
You should make the most of your time on this earth
'Cause if you follow the crowd
If you just do what everyone else is doing,
'Cause if you act like a coward
If you're too scared to take risks,
You'll end up yelling out loud
You'll regret not taking chances and wish you had
Hold back
Don't be afraid to take risks
You'll regret it someday
If you don't take chances, you'll regret it in the future
Choke on that
The thought of not seizing opportunities will be hard to bear
Don't let it pass you by
You shouldn't miss out on opportunities that come your way
You better seize the hour
You should take advantage of opportunities when they arise
You look in your history books
If you examine history,
You delve in the past
If you study history,
Stalin and Roosevelt
Some historical figures
Both took their chances
Both of these historical figures took risks
And George grasped the nettle
Another historical figure who took a risk
It's do or dare
You must take action or take a risk
From the banks of the Delaware
Referring to a historical event that took place in Delaware
Trust your gut reaction
Believe in your instincts
Be bold, be bold baby
Take risks and be brave
If you don't take chances
If you don't take risks
You won't make advances
You won't progress or improve
Life is passing you by
If you don't take action, you'll miss out on life
Keep on moving, keep on moving
You must keep progressing and taking action
Gotta run with the crowd
You have to keep up with others in terms of progress or advancement
You'll end up in the madhouse
If you don't take action, you'll go crazy with regret
Shouting the cold walls down
You'll feel trapped and helpless
You're messing with your life
You're risking your own well-being
Life goes by fast sometimes
Time flies and you don't want to miss out
You're wasting your time
If you don't take action, you're not making progress
I want your attention
The artist wants the listener to understand the importance of taking action
So pin back your ears
Listen carefully
I've been climbing this tree of promises
The artist has been making plans and taking action to achieve his goals
For over forty years
For a very long time
Your vision get broken
Your dreams can be shattered
And bust on the ground
And be destroyed
So watch me, watch me rebound
The singer has bounced back from failures and is successful
You're wrecking your life
You're hurting yourself by not taking action
No don't hold back
Don't be afraid to take risks
You're messing with your life
You're risking your own well-being
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..