The Rolling Stones is an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active… Read Full Bio ↴The Rolling Stones is an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically driven sound that came to define hard rock. Their first stable line-up consisted of vocalist Mick Jagger, multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, guitarist Keith Richards, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts. During their formative years, Jones was the primary leader: he assembled the band, named it, got them gigs, and drove their sound and image. After Andrew Loog Oldham became the group's manager in 1963, he encouraged them to write their own songs. Jagger and Richards became the primary creative force behind the band, alienating Jones, who had developed a drug addiction that interfered with his ability to contribute meaningfully.

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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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)

I Don't Know Why )
The Rolling Stones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't know why I love you, babe
I don't know why I love you
I don't know why I love you, baby
But I love you, darlin', yes I do
You always treat me like a fool
You kick me when I'm down; that's your rule
I don't know why I love you, baby
But I love you

When are you gonna stop your cheatin' ways?
With another guy, you laugh in my face
Just how long must I be disgraced?
'Cause I love you, baby
I don't know
I don't know why, babe
I don't know
I don't know why, baby, now

I don't know why I love you, baby
But I love you

Overall Meaning

The Rolling Stones' song "I Don't Know Why" expresses confusion and contradiction in the singer's feelings towards their lover. The lyrics express that the singer doesn't understand why they love their partner despite them treating them poorly and cheating on them. The singer seems to be grappling with their emotions and questioning why they continue to love someone who hurts them.

The opening line, "I don't know why I love you, babe," sets the tone for the song. It shows that the singer is struggling to reconcile their emotions with their rational understanding of the situation. The repeating phrase "I don't know why" emphasizes the confusion and conflict in the singer's mind.

The following lines describe the partner's negative behavior towards the singer, including treating them like a fool and kicking them when they are down. Despite this mistreatment, the singer still loves their partner, as they repeat several times throughout the song. The final lines of the song express the singer's frustration and humiliation over their partner's cheating.

Overall, the song portrays a complicated and conflicted relationship, where the singer's intense feelings of love and hurt coexist.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't know why I love you, babe
I am uncertain about why I have love for you, my dear

I don't know why I love you
The reason for my feelings of love towards you eludes me

I don't know why I love you, baby
It is a mystery to me why I cherish you, my sweetheart

But I love you, darlin', yes I do
Despite the unknown source of my love, I still love you, my dear

You always treat me like a fool
I always feel foolish under your treatment

You kick me when I'm down; that's your rule
It is your custom to hurt me when I am already struggling

I don't know why I love you, baby
My love for you is still inexplicable despite your actions

But I love you
Despite everything, I still love you

When are you gonna stop your cheatin' ways?
I wonder when you will end your unfaithfulness

With another guy, you laugh in my face
You openly mock me by being with someone else

Just how long must I be disgraced?
I ponder on how much longer I will be shamed by your actions

'Cause I love you, baby
Despite my embarrassment, my love for you remains

I don't know
I am still unsure about the reason for my love for you

I don't know why, babe
I am clueless as to why I love you, my babe

I don't know
I still lack understanding of the source of my love

I don't know why, baby, now
Even now, I am mystified as to why I love you, my baby

I don't know why I love you, baby
For reasons I cannot fathom, I still love you, my sweetheart

But I love you
My feelings of love for you remain unchanged

Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp., Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Fred Ahlert, Roy Turk

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS