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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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)
Midnight Rambler
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everybody got to go
Did you hear about the midnight rambler
The one that shut the kitchen door
He don't give a hoot of warning
Wrapped up in a black cat cloak
He don't go in the light of the morning
He split the time the cock'rel crows
Talkin' about the midnight gambler
The one you never seen before
Talkin' about the midnight gambler
Did you see him jump the garden wall
Sighin' down the wind so sadly
Listen and you'll hear him moan
Talkin' about the midnight gambler
Everybody got to go
Yeah
Did you hear about the midnight rambler
Well, honey, it's no rock 'n' roll show
Well, I'm talkin' about the midnight gambler
Yeah, the one you never seen before
(Don't you do that)
Well you heard about the Boston,
It's not one of those
Well, talkin' 'bout the midnight, sh,
The one that closed the bedroom door
I'm called the hit-and-run raper in anger
The knife-sharpened tippie-toe...
Or just the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler
You know, the one you never seen before
So if you ever meet the midnight rambler
Coming down your marble hall
Well he's pouncing like a proud black panther
Well, you can say I, I told you so
Well, don't you listen for the midnight rambler
Play it easy, as you go
I'm gonna smash down all your plate glass windows
Put a fist, put a fist through your steel-plated door
Did you hear about the midnight rambler
He'll leave his footprints up and down your hall
And did you hear about the midnight gambler
And did you see me make my midnight call
And if you ever catch the midnight rambler
I'll steal your mistress from under your nose
I'll go easy with your cold fanged anger
I'll stick my knife right down your throat, baby and it hurts!
The Rolling Stones’s “Midnight Rambler” is a song that tells the story of a mysterious and dangerous nighttime intruder. The lyrics contain a wealth of vivid imagery that paints a picture of a lurking, prowling figure who may be a rapist or murderer. The song begins with the singer talking about this “midnight rambler” and how everyone has to be on guard for him. The lyrics then describe the singer’s own experience with the rambler, in which he jumps a garden wall and enters the singer’s bedroom. The rest of the song is a warning to listeners to be on the lookout for the midnight rambler, and if they encounter him to “play it easy” and not provoke him.
The lyrics of “Midnight Rambler” are open to interpretation, but one common reading is that the song is a reflection of the societal anxiety around crime in the late 1960s, particularly in urban areas. The “midnight rambler” can be seen as a stand-in for any number of fears, from random violence to sexual assault to the cultural upheaval of the time. The song’s lyrics also echo the vengeful themes of other songs by The Rolling Stones, such as “Gimme Shelter” and “Sympathy for the Devil,” with their emphasis on dark forces lurking just beyond the boundaries of safety and civilization.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a-talkin' 'bout the midnight rambler
I am referring to the mysterious and elusive figure known as the midnight rambler
Everybody got to go
Everyone must leave or face the consequences of encountering the midnight rambler
Well I'm a-talkin' 'bout the midnight gambler
I am speaking of the cunning and unpredictable midnight gambler
The one you never seen before
A character so elusive that no one has ever witnessed their presence
I'm sighin' down the wind so sadly
I am letting out a sorrowful sigh carried by the wind
A-listen and you'll hear me moan
If you listen closely, you can hear my mournful cries
Did you see me jump the garden wall
Have you witnessed my agile and stealthy maneuver of leaping over a garden wall?
I don't give you a hoot of warning
I will not provide any warning or indication of my imminent arrival
A-dressed up in my black cat cloak
I am camouflaged in a black coat, blending into the darkness like a black cat
I don't see the light of the morning
I am a creature of the night and do not witness the dawn of day
I'll split the time the cock'rel crows
My actions will take place before the rooster crows, marking the end of the night
Well, honey, it's no rock 'n' roll show
This is not a lighthearted or entertaining event, it is serious business
Oh, don't do that
Please refrain from engaging in any behavior that may provoke me
Well, you heard about the Boston
You may have heard rumors or legends about my exploits in Boston
Talkin' 'bout the midnight, shit!
Continuing to speak of my menacing presence and disregard for polite language
If you ever meet the midnight rambler
In the unlikely event that you encounter me, the midnight rambler
And he's prowlin' down your marble hall
As I silently and stealthily make my way through your luxurious home
And he's pouncin' like a proud black panther
Similar to a fierce panther, I am poised to strike and unleash chaos
You should say, I told you so
If you were warned or expected my arrival, then you could say you saw it coming
If you listen for the midnight rambler
If you strain your ears, you may hear the sounds of my movements
Play it easy, easy, as you go
Stay calm and collected as you try to avoid running into me
I'll go smash down all your plate glass windows
If provoked, I will resort to destructive behavior and cause damage to your property
Put my fist through your stairway doors
I am capable of using force to break down doors and access hidden areas
And if you ever catch the Midnight Rambler
If you are ever able to capture or subdue me, the midnight rambler
Steal your mistress from under your nose
I might use the distraction of my capture to commit further misdeeds, such as stealing a romantic partner
Go easy with your cold fanged anger
Don't let your anger consume you and take measured steps to deal with me
I'll stick my knife right down your throat baby, and it hurts
If provoked, I am not afraid to use violence and a knife to inflict harm and pain
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@t.c.bramblett617
The Hoodooiest Stones track, tribal and primal
@Zak-e1w
No. 1 hoodoo track's I Just Wanna See His Face from Exile
@franciscovaldivia2998
Sinister and thuggish. The groove is relentless from the start.
@bichointoxicado
Achorado excelente
@rossammellino9045
👏👏👏👏👏👏👌
@yingyang1143
Purée j' ecoutais cette chanson avec mon frère j' avais 10 ans et aujourd'hui à 55 putain j' ai toujours les mêmes frissons ! Mon morceau préféré avec Gimme shelter.
@Rockinrobin-i9r
I'm 65 n still love them,great cocerts,mick is like the energized bunny. Lol
@JamesNewman-u2w
Excellent. Motor City ❤
@gptimes
the haribo ad before got me tweakin
@MegaREAPER56
Absolutely love the harmonica! Great song in every aspect.....❤