Two versions of the song were recorded by the band: the familiar hit which appeared on the 45 single and their collection of late 1960s singles, Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2); and a honky-tonk version entitled "Country Honk" with slightly different lyrics, which appeared on Let it Bleed. The concert rendition of the song featured on Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out differs from both the hit version and the country version, with a markedly different guitar introduction and an entirely different second verse.
The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards while on vacation in Brazil from late December 1968 to early January 1969. Inspired by Brazilian gauchos at the ranch where Jagger and Richards were staying, the song was originally conceived as an acoustic country song. Richards has said: "[It] was originally written as a real Hank Williams/Jimmie Rogers/1930s country song."
Thematically, a "honky tonk woman" refers to a dancing girl in a western bar who may work as a prostitute; the setting for the narrative in the first verse of the blues version is Memphis, while "Country Honk" sets the first verse in Jackson.
Recorded in London in early February 1969 without Brian Jones, the band initially recorded the track called "Country Honk". The song was transformed into the familiar electric, riff-based hit single "Honky Tonk Women" sometime in the spring of 1969, prior to Mick Taylor's joining the group. Taylor was quoted in Sean Egan's The Making of Let It Bleed as stating that the basic backing track was already recorded before he added his lead fill overdubs.
The song is distinctive as it opens not with a guitar riff, but with a beat played on a cowbell. The Rolling Stones' producer Jimmy Miller performed the cowbell for the recording.
Ry Cooder has asserted that he originated the song's main guitar riff, and has accused the Stones of "ripping him off". Rolling Stones pianist Ian Stewart said of the track: "It's bloody ten times Keith you hear."
The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks from 23 August 1969. The single was released in the UK the day after the death of founding member Brian Jones. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was the single's B-side. Concert versions of "Honky Tonk Women" are included on the albums Love You Live and Live Licks, as well as the aforementioned Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!.
Rolling Stone ranked "Honky Tonk Women" #116 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Honky Tonk Women
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She tried to take me upstairs for a ride
She had to heave me right across her shoulder
'Cause I just can't seem to drink you off my mind
It's the honky tonk women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
I had to put up some kind of a fight
The lady then she covered me with roses
She blew my nose and then she blew my mind
It's the honky tonk women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
It's the honky tonk women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
It's the honky tonk women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
The Rolling Stones' song "Honky Tonk Women" is a classic rock hit that tells the story of a man's encounters with two different women in Memphis and New York. In the first verse, the man meets a "gin-soaked, bar-room queen" in Memphis who attempts to seduce him. Despite his attempts to forget about her, he can't seem to get her out of his thoughts. The chorus then declares his love for "honky tonk women" and the bluesy lifestyle that comes with them.
The second verse describes a meeting with a divorcée in New York City. Again, the man is initially resistant to her advances, but she eventually wins him over with her charms. She covers him with roses and "blows his mind" in a psychedelic sense. The chorus repeats once more, emphasizing the man's love for these wild and carefree women who embody the spirit of the honky tonk lifestyle.
Overall, the song is a celebration of the free-spirited and sometimes dangerous women who represent the rough-and-tumble world of honky tonk bars and the blues. The Rolling Stones capture the energy and allure of these women in their signature rock style, blending blues and country influences to create a truly memorable sound.
Line by Line Meaning
I met a gin-soaked, bar-room queen in Memphis
I encountered a woman, possibly an alcoholic, who spends her time in bars in Memphis.
She tried to take me upstairs for a ride
She attempted to seduce me and take me to her bedroom.
She had to heave me right across her shoulder
She physically lifted me up to take me to her bedroom against my will.
'Cause I just can't seem to drink you off my mind
I can't stop thinking about this woman, even when I try to forget her by drinking.
I laid a divorcée in New York City
I had sex with a woman who was divorced in New York City.
I had to put up some kind of a fight
I had to resist her advances or convince her to have sex with me.
The lady then she covered me with roses
After we had sex, she showed affection by giving me roses.
She blew my nose and then she blew my mind
She surprised me with unexpected kindness, which amazed me.
It's the honky tonk women
These women are the type to be found in honky tonk bars, which are known for their rowdy, lively atmosphere.
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
I want to experience the excitement and energy of being with honky tonk women and in honky tonk bars.
It's the honky tonk women
These women are the type to be found in honky tonk bars, which are known for their rowdy, lively atmosphere.
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
I want to experience the excitement and energy of being with honky tonk women and in honky tonk bars.
It's the honky tonk women
These women are the type to be found in honky tonk bars, which are known for their rowdy, lively atmosphere.
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues
I want to experience the excitement and energy of being with honky tonk women and in honky tonk bars.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeffwatts1126
"She blew my nose and then she blew my mind" Greatest Lyric ever written in rock & Roll history
@WedgePee
"On the radio? The FCC would shut down a station that played something like that!"
âSadie Dunhill, 11/22/63
@bklyncowboy2925
Not really đ
@jayjay66111
RIP Charlie Watts, seems appropriate to post this on here, on one of his greatest drum tracks.
@matthewrobinson9955
His drums make this song, no one played like him :(
@mrsdoyle2827
@chlore2004 Its meant to
@Nekrokaf
@chlore2004 Go and listen to the bugs then...
@ianhewitson2738
Yep, the song I thought of when I heard that he had gone.
@lapeillefr
@chlore2004 do better
@tommyt1971
The greatest intro to any song the band ever did. RIP Lord Charlie, you were fuckinâ good.