Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones

Sympathy for the Devil
by The Rolling Stones

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul to waste

And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game

I stuck around St. Petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain

I rode a tank
Held a general's rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah

I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made

I shouted out
Who killed the Kennedys?
When after all
It was you and me

Let me please introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reached Bombay

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, baby

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But what's confusing you
Is just the nature of my game, mm yeah

Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me Lucifer
'Cause I'm in need of some restraint

So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I'll lay your soul to waste, mm yeah

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, mm yeah

But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, mm mean it, get down

Oh yeah, get on down
Oh yeah

Oh yeah

Tell me baby, what's my name
Tell me honey, can ya guess my name
Tell me baby, what's my name
I tell you one time, you're to blame

Oh, right

What's my name
Tell me, baby, what's my name
Tell me, sweetie, what's my name

Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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"Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by The Rolling Stones which first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet.

The recording of "Sympathy for the Devil" began at London's Olympic Sound Studios on June 4 1968 and continued into the next day; overdubs were done on June 8, 9, and 10. Personnel included on the recording include Nicky Hopkins on piano; Rocky Dijon on congas; Bill Wyman on maracas. Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg Read Full Bio"Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by The Rolling Stones which first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet.

The recording of "Sympathy for the Devil" began at London's Olympic Sound Studios on June 4 1968 and continued into the next day; overdubs were done on June 8, 9, and 10. Personnel included on the recording include Nicky Hopkins on piano; Rocky Dijon on congas; Bill Wyman on maracas. Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg, Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, producer Jimmy Miller, Wyman and Richards can be seen performing backup vocals in the film Sympathy for the Devil by Jean-Luc Godard, but this scene was staged specially for the cameras; the actual backing vocals were overdubbed by Jagger, Richards and Miller. Richards plays bass on the original recording, and also the song's electric-guitar solo.

Cover Versions:
The song has been widely covered since its release, including: September 1973 Bryan Ferry's solo effort departure from Roxy Music in These Foolish Things (album), a notable version by Jane's Addiction that was included on their 1987 self-titled live album, a much darker and complex version by jazz-rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears, called "Symphony For the Devil", from the group's Third Album, Inkubus Sukkubus on the album Science and Nature in 2007, Electric Hellfire Club for their 2000 album Empathy for the Devil, Tiamat on their 1999 album, Skeleton Skeletron, Sandie Shaw for her album Reviewing the Situation. In 1991, industrial metal band Skrew included a drastically rearranged cover of the song on their debut album, Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame. In 2005, Ozzy Osbourne released a cover on his box set Prince of Darkness and the related Under Cover release. The Residents perform the two quodlibet as the finale to their album The Third Reich 'n' Roll.

American hard rock group Guns N' Roses recorded a cover in 1994 which featured in the closing credits of Neil Jordan's film adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire and was a bonus track on their Greatest Hits album. This cover is notable for causing an incident within the group that was partially responsible for guitarist Slash departing from the band in 1996. The incident was when Paul Tobias, a friend of Axl Rose, recorded a guitar over Slash's guitar without his consent. Slash later stated that this was one incident that prompted him to leave the band. He has described the Guns N' Roses version of the song as 'the sound of a band breaking up'.

In 1996, Natalie Merchant released a live cover of the song. Pearl Jam's "The Water Pouring Song (live)" included an instrumental section of "Sympathy for the Devil". A snippet of the song is often sung by Bono along with "Ruby Tuesday" during performances of "Bad" at U2 concerts, most notably performed at Live Aid in London as well as on the concert film Rattle and Hum.

In 1989, the Slovenian band Laibach released an EP of seven different versions of the song, interpreted as everything from a Wagnerian symphony to a light techno number. A October 31, 1987 version of the song also appears on Widespread Panic's album of live cover songs, Jackassolantern, released in 2004.

In 2006, another cover was made in an Uruguayan rhythm 'murga' by Argentinian Diego Capusotto for his sketch comedy 'Peter Capusotto y sus videos'. In 2008, Wandering Gauchos of Senegal recorded the song for their debut album 'Que Pasa, Diablo?'. This album was released in benefit of fellow refugee Senegalese in Australia. This song was recorded by an assortment of musicians from all over the world including Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, and Australia.