The Singer Not the Song
The Rolling Stones Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everywhere you want I always go
I always give in because, babe, you know
You just say so cause you give me that
Feeling inside that I know must be right
It's the singer not the song

It's not the way you give in willingly
Others do it without thrilling me
Giving me that same old feeling inside that I
Know I must be right
It's the singer not the song

The same old places and the same old songs
We've been going there for much too long
There's something wrong and it gives me that feeling
Inside that I know I must be right
It's the singer not the song

It's the singer not the song
It's the singer not the song

Overall Meaning

The Singer Not the Song by The Rolling Stones is a song about the importance of the performer rather than the material. The lyrics suggest that even though the β€œsame old places” and β€œthe same old songs” have been done time and time again, it’s ultimately the performer that’s important, not the song itself. The singer of the song confesses his willingness to go where his love interest wants to go and do what she wants to do because it’s the feeling he gets from her that he knows is right. This is contrasted by the same old feelings he gets when being with others who try to please him in the same way, but ultimately without success.


To put it simply, the song is about the idea that it’s not about the destination or the material, it’s about the journey and the person you’re experiencing it with. It’s about the intangible feeling that comes from being with someone who makes you feel alive, as opposed to the feeling of going through the motions with someone who doesn’t.


Line by Line Meaning

Everywhere you want I always go
I follow you no matter where you want to go


I always give in because, babe, you know
I always do what you ask because you have power over me


You just say so cause you give me that
I do what you say because you make me feel a certain way


Feeling inside that I know must be right
I have an intuition that what I am feeling is correct


It's the singer not the song
It's not the words or music that are important, it's the person singing them


It's not the way you give in willingly
Other people may do what you ask without the same emotional response


Others do it without thrilling me
They don't make me feel the way you do


Giving me that same old feeling inside that I
Other experiences don't produce the same emotional reaction


Know I must be right
I trust my own instincts and feelings


The same old places and the same old songs
We always go to familiar places and listen to familiar music


We've been going there for much too long
We've been stuck in this routine for too long


There's something wrong and it gives me that feeling
I have a sense that something is not right


Inside that I know I must be right
I trust my own intuition and feelings


It's the singer not the song
It's not the external circumstances that matter, it's the person involved


It's the singer not the song
This idea is so important, it needs to be repeated to drive it home




Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: KEITH RICHARDS, MICK JAGGER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@steviezappa1065

It’s great to be a TRUE
STONES FAN

People and radio stations be repeating the same songs for the past 60 years
Start me up
Satisfaction,miss you
And if your lucky heart breaker or sympathy (don’t get me wrong those are great songs
But there are so many more songs that are killer that never saw the light of day on a radio station because they didn’t fit the MOR
formula

But a real fan knows the b sides ,and out takes and rehearsal bootlegs.
Between the buttons
Paris rehearsal for some girls satanic majesty request memo for turner ……



@joserodrigues-vq8pz

Everywhere you want I always go
I always give in because, babe, you know
You just say so cause you give me that
Feeling inside that I know must be right
It's the singer not the song

It's not the way you give in willingly
Others do it without thrilling me
Giving me that same old feeling inside that I
Know I must be right
It's the singer not the song

[Instrumental]

The same old places and the same old songs
We've been going there for much too long
There's something wrong and it gives me that feeling
Inside that I know I must be right
It's the singer not the song
It's the singer not the song
It's the singer not the song



@λΉ„μ •ν•œμ„Έμƒ

Everywhere you want I always go
I always give in because, babe, you know
You just say so cause you give me that
Feeling inside that I know I must be right

It's the singer not the song

It's not the way you give in willingly
Others do it without thrilling me
Giving me that same old feeling inside that I
Know I must be right

The same old places and the same old songs
We've been going there for much too long
There's something wrong and it gives me that feeling
Inside that I know I must be right



All comments from YouTube:

@jbstonesfan

Early Stones criminally underrated. They have been great in every era. The Stones have been my one constant joy for over 50 years.

@joemorris143

Ditto mate. Peace Joe.

@meganvegan1

I listened to this over 1000 times before I was 14

@lukasdingelmaier3618

ditto, man

@jamestowell2499

Me too. Listened to them from day one.

@mackb909

Absolutely. Keith and Brian achieve a two-guitar weaving with jangly overtones that The Byrds of that era would envy. And Keith, finding his own as a vocalist, provides a superb high harmony (on the earliest Stones recordings it was Bill and/or Brian doing the backing vocals). A charming song all around. The Stones have always been my favorite rock band, with far greater range than usually credited (including Paul McCartney's perhaps jokey comment from a year or so ago that HIS old band had a very wide spectrum, while The Stones were just a "blues cover band." Jealous much, Macca?).

3 More Replies...

@deeg8849

1:04. Brian and Keith weaving. Magic behind the Stones to this day. Never forget it

@cultfilmfreakreviews

yes, and this is right out of the starting gate; the early Stones are better than early Beatles; The Stones seemed like/sounded like they'd been a band for a decade

@jamesglenn4266

Such a unique song that had been overlooked during their golden years of the 60's.

@deeg8849

1:20 just listen to Brian playing twang riffs. Lovely

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