The song was written by singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. The song is a slow, country-tinged blues ballad. "No Expectations" was one of the famed Beggars Banquet songs recorded with open microphones set between the band members and was recorded live.
"No Expectations" also features an acoustic slide guitar performance by Brian Jones. One of his most famous contributions to a Stones song, Jagger said in a 1995 interview in Rolling Stone, "That's Brian playing [the solo]. We were sitting around in a circle on the floor, singing and playing, recording with open mikes. That was the last time I remember Brian really being totally involved in something that was really worth doing. He was there with everyone else. It's funny how you remember - but that was the last moment I remember him doing that, because he had just lost interest in everything."
No Expectations
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And put me on a train
I've got no expectations
To pass through here again
Once I was a rich man and
Now I am so poor
But never in my sweet short life
You heart is like a diamond
You throw your pearls at swine
And as I watch you leaving me
You pack my peace of mind
Our love was like the water
That splashes on a stone
Our love is like our music
It's here, and then it's gone
So take me to the airport
And put me on a plane
I've got no expectations
To pass through here again
The Rolling Stones' song "No Expectations" is a poignant representation of a failed romantic relationship, with a sense of loss and resignation. The lyrics convey the singer's detachment and resignation, accepting the end of a love affair and the inevitability of its demise. The first stanza shows the singer's desire to leave, as they have "no expectations to pass through here again." The sense of finality is emphasized in the repetition of the same line at the end of the song.
The second stanza contrasts the singer's past affluence with their current poverty, highlighting their emotional rather than financial state: "But never in my sweet short life, have I felt like this before." The third stanza compares the futility of trying to love someone who doesn't appreciate the value of the relationship to throwing pearls at swine. In the fourth stanza, the singer compares the transience of their love to the fleeting nature of music, highlighting the emotionally charged but ultimately ephemeral nature of their connection.
Overall, the song evokes a sense of sad resignation, acknowledging the inevitability of the end of a relationship and the futility of trying to sustain it.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me to the station
Take me to the departure point
And put me on a train
Assist me with boarding the train
I've got no expectations
I don't anticipate the experience will repeat itself
To pass through here again
To repeat this experience
Once I was a rich man and
I used to be wealthy
Now I am so poor
But now I'm not
But never in my sweet short life
I've never felt this way before
Have I felt like this before
I've never encountered this experience previously
You heart is like a diamond
You possess a valuable heart
You throw your pearls at swine
But waste yourself giving it to the undeserving
And as I watch you leaving me
As you depart from me
You pack my peace of mind
You disturb my mental calmness
Our love was like the water
Our romantic relationship was fluid
That splashes on a stone
That is volatile and not long-lasting
Our love is like our music
Our love is comparable to our music
It's here, and then it's gone
It's temporary and transitory
So take me to the airport
Take me to the airport
And put me on a plane
Assist me with boarding the plane
I've got no expectations
I don't anticipate the experience will repeat itself
To pass through here again
To repeat this experience
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@WoodstocKenny
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@Sincopare
Bill Wyman said of Brian Jones, "He formed the band. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs. ... he was very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it – highly intelligent – and just kind of wasted it and blew it all away."
@slimturnpike
Good summary from someone who watched it go down.
@smjjohnson
I agree, he was such a great artist with many musical talents. Who knows where or what the Stones could had done without his loss?😁👍
@jimmythesaxman
He couldn’t write hits. He loved the blues. The other 4 moved on from the blues. And ultimately him too. It tore him up
@Warp75
@jimmythesaxman Bullshit. Oldham was a arse bandit.
Divide & conquer.
Most of those instruments he played from ‘65 onwards has NOTHING to do with the blues.
He got cut out by a little cunt who fell to pieces as well.
@Warp75
@jimmythesaxman Anyone that likes that comment is fucking clueless.
RIP Charlie
@spacealienjesus709
Rest easy Brian and Charlie.
You will live in our minds , hearts and stereos...forever.
@margaretheseidel1073
R I P
@florencehenderson3707
Truly
@Riatzi
"Your heart is like a diamond, you throw your pearls at swine" I love that line. That weeping slide guitar is absolutely beautiful.