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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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)
Play With Fire
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the chauffeur drives your car
You let everybody know
But don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
Your mother she's an heiress, owns a block in Saint John's Wood
And your father'd be there with her
If he only could
Your old man took her diamonds and tiaras by the score
Now she gets her kicks in Stepney
Not in Knightsbridge anymore
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
Now you've got some diamonds and you will have some others
But you'd better watch your step, girl
Or start living with your mother
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
In The Rolling Stones’ classic hit “Play With Fire”, Mick Jagger warns a woman who leads a luxurious lifestyle not to mess with him. The song suggests that the woman comes from a wealthy family and is accustomed to flaunting her wealth with expensive clothes, a chauffeur-driven car, and flashy jewelry. Jagger suggests that her mother is an heiress who owns a block in Saint John’s Wood and her father would be with her if he could. However, the woman’s indulgent lifestyle is threatened, as Jagger warns her that she’s “playing with fire” by toying with his emotions.
Jagger goes on to reveal that the woman’s father had taken her mother’s diamonds and tiaras by the score, resulting in her mother seeking her kicks in Stepney and not in Knightsbridge, a more upscale part of London. Jagger then advises the woman that while she has some diamonds, she better watch her step or she might end up living with her mother.
In “Play With Fire”, The Rolling Stones use their signature blend of rock and blues to deliver a message of warning to a certain type of woman. This song is widely regarded as one of The Rolling Stones’ most popular early tracks and has since become a classic. It is indeed a timeless piece of music that showcases the band's creative talents.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you've got your diamonds and you've got your pretty clothes
You have accumulated wealth and material possessions, including expensive clothing and jewelry.
And the chauffeur drives your car
You have a personal driver who takes you wherever you want to go.
You let everybody know
You make sure that people are aware of your affluent lifestyle and possessions.
But don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
However, if you attempt to take advantage of me or act recklessly towards me, you will face serious consequences.
Your mother she's an heiress, owns a block in Saint John's Wood
Your mother inherited a large sum of money and property, including a significant building in a wealthy and prestigious area of London.
And your father'd be there with her
If he was still alive or able, your father would be living in the same luxurious manner as your mother.
If he only could
Unfortunately, he is not able to do so for some reason.
But don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
Regardless of your family's wealth and status, if you attempt to harm or exploit me, you will face serious consequences.
Your old man took her diamonds and tiaras by the score
Your mother's previous husband or partner took many of her valuable possessions, including numerous pieces of jewelry and headwear.
Now she gets her kicks in Stepney
Your mother has now found enjoyment in a less affluent area of London, Stepney.
Not in Knightsbridge anymore
She no longer derives satisfaction from living in the high-end shopping district Knightsbridge.
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
If you attempt to harm or manipulate me, you will face severe consequences, regardless of your family's wealth or your own possessions.
Now you've got some diamonds and you will have some others
You have obtained some expensive jewelry and it is likely that you will acquire more in the future.
But you'd better watch your step, girl
However, you must be careful in your actions and decisions, because there will be consequences if you mistreat or take advantage of others.
Or start living with your mother
If you are not careful, you may end up needing to rely on your mother's wealth and may even have to live with her if you face dire consequences.
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
Regardless of how wealthy or successful you become, if you attempt to deceive or cause harm to me, the consequences will be severe.
Lyrics © Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Nanker Phelge
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jimi's Vinyl Kitchen
Hi Michael,
Thank you for doing this comparison.
I Personally Loved the sound quality of the original mono pressing much better you own. There seems to be quite a bit of compression on the re-issue with Nothing standing out with such detail (Tambourine, Harpsichord especially) as your original, except there is more bass, but in my opinion seems almost like too much bass.
Original Pressing seems better by far !
One last question, I know the Gramophone Stampers codes, but what is the Stamper codes on your Original that Decca used?
You said the word "Buck" and I understood how they correspond as "B" meaning 1 and so on, but my question is what is Full Name Buck...? , Or maybe I heard you wrong?
Thank You,
Peace
Brian
Eric Krauss
Wow, the reissue sounds really good! The tonality of the harpsichord really stands out to me, and Mick's vocal sounds very palpable. I am pleasantly surprised that I prefer the reissue. I know that a YouTube stream of record is only going to give us a taste of the sound quality.
Daniel Linger
I defo agree too. It's often difficult to tell via Youtube compression, etc but I think this is pretty clear as day. The vinyl sound DEATHLY quiet, and on top of that there's a little bit more presence and clarity. They've done a damned good job here.
David Gena
My Stones mono box set has arrived and I've listened to several albums thus far, including "Out Of Our Heads." The sound is magnificent!!! Would highly recommend to everyone out there.
José Aquino
I prefer the organic sound on the original. The reissue sounds good but too much like a CD: no nuances, no clear definition in the sound of the instruments as a whole (only the voice and two instruments are highlighted and the others sound distant) , no massive echo. That echo was a special chamber echo they had at the recording studio. I like that a lot, it makes RS early stuff sound really different and gives a cool, dark atmosphere to their sound. Not for everybody, though!
Sidekick Cleveland
@M. Bennell Sir music is not dead just popular music. I suppose you don’t have time to find them.
Thomas Gerard
And you saying that listening to a youtube video with ultra compressed digital audio
Jeffrey Lorien
@M. Bennell interesting take. I've found nothing of the sort in the last decade or so in my almost 60 years on the planet but I respect your opinion. Do you have an example of a horribly remastered or remixed vinyl that was originally released in the 60s or 70s?
M. Bennell
I listened to ALL the '60s and '70s music day after day for years. I lived in an urban area where we had our pick of radio stations.. I enjoyed the original sounds. Remember, the original artists/musicians signed off on what they put on vinyl back then. I don't buy the argument that some anonymous sound "audio engineer" sitting in front of a massive mixing table of sound levels "discovered, the TRUE SOUND" the Stones, or any other musicians were looking for.
Here's the real answer: Millenials HATE the BOOMER generation and have fkd up their music, just like flipping the older generation The Bird.
Nunya Biz
Exactly what I was going to say.
Ben Gordon
The re-issue sounds much better. The vocal is much broader and smoother and the instruments are much clearer. Very impressed.
Thanks.