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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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)
Saint Of Me
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was a cruel and sinful man
Jesus hit him with a blinding light
And then his life began
I said yeah
I said yeah
Augustin knew temptation He loved women, wine and song
And all the special pleasures
Of doing something wrong
I said yeah
I said yeah
I said yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
You'll never make a saint of me
Oh yeah, oh yeah
He'll never make a saint of me
And could you stand the torture?
And could you stand the pain?
Could you put your faith in Jesus
When you're burning in the flames?
I said yeah, mm
Well I do believe in miracles
And I want to save my soul
And I know that I'm a sinner
I'm gonna die here in the cold
I said yes, I said yeah
I said yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
You'll never make a saint of me
Oh yeah, oh yeah You'll never make a saint of me
Oh yeah, oh yeah
You'll never make a saint of me
Oh yeah, oh yeah
You'll never make a saint of me
(Ooh)
I thought I heard an angel cry
(Ooh)
I thought I saw a teardrop falling from his eye
(Ooh) mm
(Ooh) mm, come on
John the Baptist was a martyr
But he stirred up Herod's hate
And Salome got her wish
To have him served up on a plate
I said yeah
Yeah, I said yeah
I said yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
You'll never make a saint of me
Oh yeah, oh yeah
You'll never make a saint of me
Oh yeah, oh yeah
You'll never make a saint of me
Oh yeah, oh yeah
You'll never make a saint of me
I thought I heard an angel cry
(Ooh)
I thought I saw a teardrop falling from his eye
(Ooh) mm, yeah yeah
(Ooh)
I thought I saw an angel cry, mm
You'll never make a saint of me, mm
You'll never make a saint of me, mm
Never make a saint of me, mm
Never make a saint of me
In "Saint Of Me," The Rolling Stones explore the idea of redemption and the difficulty of becoming a saint. The lyrics recount the stories of several biblical figures who overcame their sinful ways and achieved sainthood. Saint Paul, for instance, was a persecutor of Christians before he was struck by a blinding light from Jesus and began to lead a righteous life. Augustin, on the other hand, gave in to temptation and indulged in his vices before finding salvation.
The chorus of the song expresses the singer's doubts about his own ability to attain sainthood, despite his belief in miracles and his desire to save his soul. He questions whether he could endure the pain and torture that some saints suffered and whether he could keep his faith in Jesus in the face of persecution.
Overall, "Saint Of Me" is a powerful song that encourages listeners to reflect on their own struggles with sin and the possibility of redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
Saint Paul the persecutor
St. Paul, formerly called Saul of Tarsus, was a persecutor of Christians
Was a cruel and sinful man
Paul was an evil man who mercilessly persecuted Christians
Jesus hit him with a blinding light
Jesus appeared to Paul in a bright light, which blinded him
And then his life began
After this experience, Paul's life was transformed, and he became a devout follower of Jesus
I said yeah
The artist is expressing agreement or affirmation
Augustin knew temptation
Augustine of Hippo was familiar with temptation and sin
He loved women, wine and song
Augustine indulged in worldly pleasures such as women, wine, and music
And all the special pleasures
Augustine found pleasure in activities that were considered sinful
Of doing something wrong
Augustine was aware that his actions were sinful or immoral
You'll never make a saint of me
The artist believes that they will never achieve the status of a saint
And could you stand the torture?
The singer is asking if one could endure physical or mental torment for their faith
And could you stand the pain?
The artist is questioning whether one could withstand suffering or anguish for their beliefs
Could you put your faith in Jesus
The singer is asking if one could have complete trust and belief in Jesus
When you're burning in the flames?
The singer is asking if someone could maintain their faith even in the midst of intense suffering or punishment
Well I do believe in miracles
The singer affirms their belief in miracles
And I want to save my soul
The artist desires salvation for their soul
And I know that I'm a sinner
The artist acknowledges their own sinful nature
I'm gonna die here in the cold
The singer believes they will die in a harsh or unfavorable circumstance
I thought I heard an angel cry
The singer is describing a spiritual experience
I thought I saw a teardrop falling from his eye
The artist is witnessing an angel's display of emotion
John the Baptist was a martyr
John the Baptist was killed for his religious beliefs
But he stirred up Herod's hate
John's preaching challenged and angered the ruling authorities, including King Herod
And Salome got her wish
Salome, the daughter of Herodias, wanted John the Baptist dead
To have him served up on a plate
Salome requested that John's head be brought to her on a platter
You'll never make a saint of me
The singer does not believe they will attain saintly status
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thomasdechamps4594
I will never understand why this was not a hit or at least now a classic rock anthem with billions of views... One of their best !
@nelsonhibbert5267
I seem to recall it charted when it was first released so it did ok. I remember because I bought the CD single then and still have it. The "B side" was shit though.
@MDC-78
It was a hit, but not a classic
@jcluff68
Agreed
@StillWaters_RunDeep
RIP Charlie. A gentleman among drummers. What a privilege it was to see you perform live three times! I will have those shows play in my mind for eternity and celebrate your musical brilliance and coolness. The Rolling Stones forever!
@COSME90
Go in Peace Charlie.Glad you saw these legends up close, it's a shame I never got to go to their show. I hope you had fun and enjoyed the show to the full. This band marked my childhood and adolescence. Stones today and always
@shannanteegarden244
And whenthe people get done visiting neworleans one time its amazing i am piss about heads on a plate as any one would be
@danetteshepard897
Amen, seeing them play for almost 3 hours is right up there in the greatest experiences of my life. I love them all, so Charlie is irreplaceable. ❤️🌷
@ferm8103
Perfect comment 👌, i have managed 5 performances in my lifetime and right up to the most recent 2019 Murray field Scotland I think, absolutely no other band has come near them and I've seen plenty great bands over the years, big small whatever the stones are unrivalled
@shovel_head80
I got to see Charlie twice “ Emotional Rescue and Tattoo You