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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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)
Love in Vain
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Interesting Facts ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a suitcase in my hand
Yeah, I followed her to the station
With a suitcase in my hand
Whoa, it's hard to tell, it's hard to tell
When all your love's in vain
I looked her in the eye
Well the train come in the station
And I looked her in the eye
Whoa, I felt so sad so lonesome
That I could not help but cry
When the train left the station
It had two lights on behind
Yeah, when the train left the station
It had two lights on behind
Whoa, the blue light was my baby
And the red light was my mind
All my love was in vain
All my love's in vain
The Rolling Stones's Love in Vain is a mournful blues song that describes a man's heartbreak after being left by his lover. The singer has followed his love to the station, and as she leaves him, he is left with nothing but a suitcase in his hand. He watches as she boards the train and looks her in the eye, feeling sad and lonely as the train departs. The train's two lights—one blue, representing his love, and one red, representing his mind—serve as a metaphor for the singer's conflicting feelings.
The lyrics speak to the pain of unrequited love, as the singer is left to deal with the aftermath of a failed relationship. The repeated refrain, "all your love's in vain," underlines the futility of his efforts to win back his lover. The song's structure is simple, with a slow, mournful melody and minimal instrumentation. Mick Jagger's vocals are understated and emotive, conveying the singer's sense of loss and heartbreak.
Love in Vain was written by blues legend Robert Johnson and first recorded by him in 1937. The Rolling Stones covered the song in 1969 on their album Let it Bleed. The song has since been covered by numerous other artists, including Eric Clapton, Cassandra Wilson, and Buddy Guy.
Interesting Facts:
Interesting Facts
Note: This section uses generative AI, which can be inaccurate.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I followed her, to the station
I went after her to the station
With a suitcase in my hand
Carrying my luggage with me
Yeah, I followed her to the station
Yes, I followed her to the station
Whoa, it's hard to tell, it's hard to tell
It's difficult to know, it's difficult to know
When all your love's in vain
When you love someone and they do not love you back
When the train, come in the station
When the train arrives at the station
I looked her in the eye
I gazed into her eyes
Well the train come in the station
The train has arrived at the station
And I looked her in the eye
And I stared into her eyes
Whoa, I felt so sad so lonesome
I felt sorrowful and alone
That I could not help but cry
That I was compelled to weep
When the train left the station
When the train departed from the station
It had two lights on behind
It had two lights shining from behind
Yeah, when the train left the station
Yes, when the train left the station
Whoa, the blue light was my baby
The blue light represented my beloved
And the red light was my mind
And the red light represented my thoughts
All my love was in vain
All the affection I shared was pointless
All my love's in vain
All my love was fruitless
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Robert Leroy Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mary J.
One of the most unforgettable performances by an unbelievably talented Mick Taylor.
Fred Derry
did you know that a lot of angry Stones fans, who prefer them in the 1990's, said that Taylor "Overplayed"? LOL. no joke.
Brooklyn OGSk8r
@Fred Derry 🙄
jbdh2006
The Stones were truly special. This will last forever. People will be watching this in a thousand years, catching a glimpse of this particular moment in space in time. Even now in 2023, I'm watching and thinking, "my god, this was good." Charlie, Stu and Bobby have passed, but Mick, Keith, Mick and Bill are still alive. I'm glad to be alive with them.
Stuart Berger
This video should be on every school curriculum so that kids grow up knowing what music should really be about. Brilliant Mick Taylor
RHONDA MIMS
Well said. He's so damn good he could be southern.
543210
there is no kids
Mary Melahn
There is no..?
Joseph Friedling
@RHONDA MIMS Great comment!
Jeffrey Rowley
Well said my friend, I totally agree