The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
"The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" isn't among the Rolling Ston… Read Full Bio ↴"The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" isn't among the Rolling Stones' more renowned songs, but a lot of people own it on record, even if many of them might have never played it. That's because it was the American B-side of their monster hit "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in mid-1965 (also appearing on the Out of Our Heads LP). "The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" was certainly a weird title for a rock song in 1965 -- only Bob Dylan, perhaps, had really started to make use of such song titles -- and the phrase only occurs once in the lyric, in the slightly altered phrasing "I'm an under assistant West Coast promo man." But the song was based on a real person -- George Sherlock, who worked for the group's U.S. label, London Records, and had accompanied them on their first American tour. Although Bill Wyman describes it as a "good-natured jibe" at Sherlock in his book Rolling With the Stones, it's actually pretty sardonic in its first-person narrative by a high on himself, toupee-headed, seersucker suit-wearing music biz flunky who obviously thinks he's much cooler and more important than he is. This type of sarcastic attitude toward authority figures, even lower-level ones such as Sherlock, was almost unprecedented in rock music before bands like the Rolling Stones emerged. The song as a whole is indicative of their rapidly widening lyrical scope as songwriters, and also of the flowering of their ability to start having their compositions reflect their real-life attitudes, which were often lacking in the R&B/blues and Merseybeat pastiches they'd written prior to 1965. As a song, though, it's only OK -- the lyric is witty (and quite drolly sung by Mick Jagger), but the tune is just a basic stock R&B progression, which as Wyman admitted was based on Buster Brown's hit "Fannie Mae" (which the Stones were certainly familiar with, as they covered it on the BBC in the mid-'60s). Still, it's got quite a nice jogging groove, with suave Charlie Watts drums, harmonica, and twangy guitar. A slightly longer version of the track was released on Singles Collection: The London Years in 1985; the final part was probably edited off the original release due to the lyric "I break my ass every day," the word "ass" being pretty no-go for popular music releases in 1965. Another bit of trivia: in the U.K., "The Spider and the Fly" was used on the B-side of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" instead, the feeling being that British audiences wouldn't quite get the American references in the lyrics (such as "West Coast").

The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
The Rolling Stones Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well, I'm waiting at the bus stop in downtown L.A.
Well, I'm waiting at the bus stop in downtown L.A.
But I'd much rather be on a boardwalk on Broadway

Well, I'm sitting here thinkin' just how sharp I am
Well, I'm sitting here thinkin' just how sharp I am
I'm an under assistant west coast promo man
Well, I promo groups when they come into town
Well, I promo groups when they come into town
Well they laugh at my toupee, they're sure to put me down

Well, I'm sitting here thinking just how sharp I am
Yeah, I'm sitting here thinking just how sharp I am
I'm a necessary talent behind every rock and roll band

Yeah, I'm sharp
I'm really, really sharp
I sure do earn my pay
Sitting on the beach every day, yeah
I'm real real sharp, yes I am
I got a Corvette and a seersucker suit
Yes, I have

Here comes the bus, uh oh
I though I had a dime
Where's my dime




I know I have a dime somewhere
I'm pretty sure

Overall Meaning

The Rolling Stones's song, The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man, reflects the life of a promotional agent in the rock and roll industry. The singer of the song is the titular "under assistant," who sits on a bus stop in downtown L.A. and laments his position. He wishes he was on Broadway, where the boardwalk is located, indicating the glamour and popularity of the Broadway strip. The singer realizes his worth in the industry and acknowledges that he is thinking about his sharpness. He describes himself as an under-assistant west coast promo man, responsible for promoting musical groups when they come into town. The groups mock him for his balding head, indicating that his work may not be respected by the musicians.


The singer claims that he is a necessary talent behind every rock and roll band, despite the ridicule he faces from some musicians. He claims to be really, really sharp and earns his pay. The song ends with the singer frantically searching for his dime as the bus pulls up, which indicates his position in society as a struggling lower-middle-class man.


Overall, "The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" highlights the struggles and overlooked work of promotional agents in the music industry. It also comments on the importance of appearance in the industry and the divide between those who create the music and those who promote it.


Line by Line Meaning

Well, I'm waiting at the bus stop in downtown L.A.
I'm stuck waiting at the bus stop in Los Angeles.


But I'd much rather be on a boardwalk on Broadway
I'd rather be in a more exciting place like the boardwalk on Broadway.


Well, I'm sitting here thinkin' just how sharp I am
I'm thinking about how clever I am.


I'm an under assistant west coast promo man
I'm a low-level employee who promotes groups on the West Coast.


Well they laugh at my toupee, they're sure to put me down
People make fun of my toupee and look down on me because of my job.


I'm a necessary talent behind every rock and roll band
Despite being mocked, my work is crucial to the success of every rock and roll band.


I sure do earn my pay, Sitting on the beach every day, yeah
I work hard, but it's not a difficult job and I enjoy a leisurely lifestyle.


I'm real real sharp, yes I am, I got a Corvette and a seersucker suit
I'm successful and have a flashy car and fancy suit to prove it.


Here comes the bus, uh oh, I though I had a dime, Where's my dime, I know I have a dime somewhere, I'm pretty sure
I'm worried about missing my bus because I can't find my dime, but I'm confident it's somewhere in my possession.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Michael Jagger, Phelge Nanker

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

Alfredo García

I'm waiting
You´re waiting
We're waiting

Together we follow
Together we go wherever
Together we will be whatever

But we are still waiting

There's no where to go and anywhere always gonna perfect



비정한세상

- The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man -
The Rolling Stones

Well, I'm waiting at the bus stop in downtown L.A.
But I'd much rather be on a boardwalk on Broadway

Well I'm sitting here thinking just how sharp I am
I'm an under assistant west coast promo man
I'm a necessary talent behind every rock and roll band

Well I promo groups when they come into town
Well they laugh at my toupee, they're sure to put me down

Yeah, I'm sharp
I'm really, really sharp
I sure do earn my pay
Sitting on the beach every day, yeah
I'm real real sharp, yes I am
I got a Corvette and a seersucker suit
Yes I have



Михаил Сергопольцев

"The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man"

Well I'm waiting at the bus stop in downtown L.A.
Well I'm waiting at the bus stop in downtown L.A.
Well I'd much rather be on a boardwalk on Broadway

Well I'm sitting here thinkin' just how sharp I am
Well I'm sitting here thinkin' just how sharp I am
I'm an under assistant west coast promo man, yeah, yeah

Well I promo groups when they come into town
Well I promo groups when they come into town
Well they laugh at my toupee, they're sure to put me down

Well I'm sitting here thinking just how sharp I am
Yeah I'm sitting here thinking just how sharp I am
I'm a necessary talent behind every rock and roll band

Yeah, I'm sharp, I'm really, really sharp
I sure do earn my pay, sitting on the beach every day
Yeah, I'm real real sharp, yes I am
I got a cravat and a seersucker suit, yes I have

Here comes the bus, uh oh
I though I had a dime, where's my dime ?
I know I gott a dime here some where
Oh oh I'm so sharp



All comments from YouTube:

Blond Bowler

Love this song. My intro to blues in '65. Well, Little Red Rooster, too. Got me a harmonica and been playing it ever since. Much the same riff in Steve Miller's "Fanny Mae" three years later.
Can't imagine life without The Rolling Stones. There are two periods in life - pre-Stones and post-Stones. Thank you for this.

juan benede

yeah man...

steve conn

Actually the Stones played Fannie Mae in the BBC sessions and just changed the lyrics to this.

Blond Bowler

@steve conn Well, I'll be a blue-nosed gopher. Never heard that before. Fun to jam along with the Stones.

anonymous anonymous

I am the little red rooster, too lazy to crow...Thanks to The Stones, I found the sustenance I needed, The Blues by black incredible performers. Love bottle neck guitar. I preferred The Stones to The Beatles...Namaste, Z

alvaro Santiago

@anonymous anonymous Too

Herkules Rockefeller

This is one of my favourite tracks of the Stones. In my opinion the 60s we're the best era.

Örn Jónasson

I have always liked this song ever since I heard it for the first time back in 1966 when I was just 4 years old.
Probably one of the Stones best songs.

Maxim Popov

True Spirit of Rythm And Blues 💙

SolamenteHalo

I LOVE THIS 1960'S VIBES (even though I didn't live in that time)

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