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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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 aka Don't Know Why I Love You
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 you're rule
I don't know why i love you baby
But i love you
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
The lyrics of The Rolling Stones’s song I Don't Know Why aka Don't Know Why I Love You tells a story of a person who is in love with someone who they know is treating them poorly. They express their confusion about why they love this person, despite the mistreatment. The lyrics suggest that this person is cheating on the singer and doesn’t treat them with respect. However, despite all of this, the singer still loves the person and can’t explain why. It’s a raw and honest portrayal of the complexities of love and relationships.
The repetition of the phrase “I don’t know why I love you baby” emphasizes the singer’s confusion about their feelings. The lines “You always treat me like a fool / You kick me when I'm down that's your rule” suggests that the singer is aware of the toxic nature of the relationship, but still can’t help loving the person. The lines “When are you gonna stop your cheatin ways / With another guy you laugh in my face” indicate that the person the singer is in love with is unfaithful and disrespectful, yet they continue to stay with them.
Overall, the lyrics of I Don't Know Why are a poignant reflection on the complexity of love and how it can cause people to act against their own best interests.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know why i love you babe
I cannot explain the reason behind my immense love for you
I don't know why i love you
I am uncertain of the cause of my love for you
I don't know why i love you, baby
I am clueless as to why I have such strong affection for you, my dear
But I love you darlin yes I do
Regardless of the uncertainty, I cannot deny that I love you deeply, my darling
You always treat me like a fool
You consistently make me feel foolish and inferior
You kick me when i'm down that's you're rule
When I am vulnerable or struggling, you take advantage of my weakened state and hurt me
I don't know why i love you baby
Despite your mistreatment, I cannot explain the undying love I have for you, my baby
But i love you
Despite everything, my love for you persists
When are you gonna stop your cheatin ways
I question when you will put an end to your infidelity
With another guy you laugh in my face
I witness you openly mocking me while you engage in a relationship with another man
Just how long must i be disgraced
I wonder how much longer I must endure the humiliation caused by your unfaithfulness
Cause I love you baby
Despite the pain and suffering you cause me, my love for you persists, my baby
I don't know I don't know why babe
I remain uncertain and unable to justify my love for you, my babe
I don't know I don't know why baby now
Even now, I cannot explain the source of my love for you, my baby
I don't know why I love you baby
My love for you remains unexplained and inexplicable
But I love you
But of one thing I am certain - I love you no matter what
Contributed by Emma H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Greg Halder
on 2000 Light Years From Home
Totally underrated track and album..