The Rolling Stones is an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active… Read Full Bio ↴The Rolling Stones is an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically driven sound that came to define hard rock. Their first stable line-up consisted of vocalist Mick Jagger, multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, guitarist Keith Richards, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts. During their formative years, Jones was the primary leader: he assembled the band, named it, got them gigs, and drove their sound and image. After Andrew Loog Oldham became the group's manager in 1963, he encouraged them to write their own songs. Jagger and Richards became the primary creative force behind the band, alienating Jones, who had developed a drug addiction that interfered with his ability to contribute meaningfully.

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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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)

Short And Curlies
The Rolling Stones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Too bad she's got you by the balls
You can't get free at all
She's got your name
She's got your number
You're screamin'
Like thunder
And you can't get away from it all

It's too bad, she's got you by the balls
You can't break loose at all
She's got your name
She's got your number
You're screamin' like thunder
And you're trapped like a rat in a hole

It's too bad, she's got you by the balls
She's nailed you to the wall
Oh, it's a shame
Ah but it's funny
She crashed your car
She spend your money
And you can't get away from it all

It's too bad, she's grabbed a handful
And you can't get away from it all
It's too bad, oo, and it's painful
And you can't break away from this stall
And you can't get away from it all

It's too bad
She's got you by the balls
She's got your name
She's got your number
You're screamin' blue murder
And you can't get away from it all

It's too bad, she's got you by the balls
It's too bad, she's got you by the balls
It's too bad, she's got you by the balls
She's got you by the

It's too bad, it's too bad
It's too bad, it's too bad
So sad, so sad

It's too bad, it's too bad
It's too bad, it's too bad

Overall Meaning

The Rolling Stones’ song “Short and Curlies” is all about a man who is completely under the control of a woman. The lyrics describe how the woman has him wrapped around her finger and has complete power over him. He is trapped in a situation that he cannot get out of and is desperate for freedom. The repetition of the phrase “she’s got you by the balls” is very effective in conveying his helplessness and frustration.

The imagery used in the lyrics of “Short and Curlies” is quite vivid, with the woman in question being compared to a rat in a hole, and the man being trapped and screaming like thunder. The use of metaphor and simile paints a picture of a man who is completely powerless and unable to stand up for himself. The verses build in intensity, with each one adding to the sense of desperation and hopelessness that the man feels.

Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the dynamics of power in relationships, and how one person can end up with complete control over another. The Rolling Stones manage to capture the intensity and frustration of the situation in a very effective way, making “Short and Curlies” a powerful and thought-provoking song.

Line by Line Meaning

Too bad she's got you by the balls
Unfortunately, she has complete control over you

You can't get free at all
You are unable to break away from her grasp

She's got your name
She knows everything about you

She's got your number
She can reach you anytime she wants

You're screamin' like thunder
You are expressing your anger and frustration loudly

And you can't get away from it all
You are stuck in this situation and cannot escape

She's nailed you to the wall
She has you completely trapped

Oh, it's a shame
It's unfortunate and regrettable

Ah but it's funny
Despite the sadness, there is a hint of humor in the situation

She crashed your car
She caused damage to your property and belongings

She spent your money
She has control over your finances