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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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)
Undercover Of The Night
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Loud enough to bust your brains out
The opposition's tongue is cut in two
Keep off the streets 'cause you're in danger
One hundred thousand disparos
Lost in the jails in South America
Curl up baby
Curl up baby
Keep it all out of sight
Undercover
Keep it all out of sight
Undercover of the night
The sex police are out there on the streets
Make sure the past laws are not broken
The race militia has got itchy fingers
All the way from New York back to Africa
Curl up baby
Keep it all out of sight
Curl up baby
Sleep with all out of sight
Curl up baby
Keep it all out of sight
Undercover
Undercover
Undercover
Keep it all out of sight
Undercover of the night
All the young men they've rounded up
Sent to camps back in the jungle
And people whisper, people double-talk
At once their fathers act so humble
All the young girls they have got the blues
They're heading on back to Center 42
Keep it undercover
Keep it out of sight
Keep it undercover
Keep it out of sight
Undercover
Keep it out of sight
Undercover
Keep it out of sight
Undercover of the night
Down in the bars, the girls are painted blue
Done up in lace, done up in rubber
The john's are jerky little G.I. Joe's
On R&R from Cuba and Russia
The smell of sex
The smell of suicide
All these things I just can't keep inside
Undercover
Keep it all out of sight
Undercover of the night
Undercover of the night
Undercover of the night
Undercover of the night
Undercover
Undercover, undercover the night
The Rolling Stones’ song Undercover Of The Night is a commentary on the political turmoil and social unrest across the world in the 1980s. The lyrics describe a world in which violence, corruption, and abuse of power by those in authority are rampant but concealed. The opening lines, “Hear the screams from Center 42, Loud enough to bust your brains out,” allude to the government crackdown on protests in Chile, where protesters were detained and tortured in National Stadium, known as “Center 42”. The following lyrics, “The opposition's tongue is cut in two, Keep off the streets 'cause you're in danger,” reflect the reality of censorship and political suppression during the period.
The song also talks about sex, power, and corruption. The line, “The sex police are out there on the streets, Make sure the past laws are not broken,” refers to the strict laws regulating sex and morality that were prevalent in many countries at the time. The reference to “the john's” also alludes to the prostitution industry that existed in the shadows of society.
The repeated lines, “Curl up baby, Keep it all out of sight, Undercover” emphasize the theme of secrecy and deception. Overall, Undercover Of The Night is a social commentary on the challenges facing the world in the 80s.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the screams from Center 42
The sounds of violence and chaos are echoing from Center 42.
Loud enough to bust your brains out
The noise is so intense that it could cause physical harm.
The opposition's tongue is cut in two
The government has silenced any dissenting voices.
Keep off the streets 'cause you're in danger
It's not safe to be out in public due to the violent political atmosphere.
One hundred thousand disparos
One hundred thousand bullets have been fired.
Lost in the jails in South America
Countless people have been imprisoned and are being treated brutally in South America.
Curl up baby
Find safety and shelter wherever you can.
Curl up tight
Stay hidden and make yourself small so as not to draw attention.
Keep it all out of sight
Make sure you aren't seen, heard, or detected in any way.
Undercover
Carry out your activities in secret, without attracting attention or suspicion.
The sex police are out there on the streets
Authorities are monitoring people's sexual behavior to ensure compliance with the law.
Make sure the past laws are not broken
Be careful not to disobey the strict laws that are in place, even though they are oppressive.
The race militia has got itchy fingers
The government's armed forces are growing restless and are eager to use violence.
All the young men they've rounded up
The government has arrested and detained many young men.
Sent to camps back in the jungle
These men have been taken to remote locations, far away from the public eye.
And people whisper, people double-talk
The citizens are afraid to speak out against the government or even to say what they truly feel, so they speak in whispers and in coded language.
At once their fathers act so humble
Even those who were once powerful and outspoken are now acting meek and submissive towards the government.
All the young girls they have got the blues
Many young women are feeling depressed and hopeless about their current situation.
They're heading on back to Center 42
The girls are returning to the violent, dangerous area from which they came.
Down in the bars, the girls are painted blue
Prostitutes are working in the bars, wearing vivid blue makeup and clothing.
Done up in lace, done up in rubber
These women wear provocative clothing made of both delicate material and strong, rubbery materials.
The john's are jerky little G.I. Joe's
The men who frequent these prostitutes are often young, sexually aggressive soldiers.
On R&R from Cuba and Russia
These soldiers are on leave from their military assignments in Cuba and Russia.
The smell of sex
The air is filled with a pungent odor of sexual activity.
The smell of suicide
There is an ominous, deadly feeling in the atmosphere.
All these things I just can't keep inside
This state of affairs is intolerable and must be addressed.
Undercover of the night
All of this darkness and secrecy happens under the cover of darkness.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nickking9353
Am I the only one who thinks that this is the Stones' best song ever?!
@katarzynapreiss7077
nope, this one & too much blood
@RDeckardN6
Not really !
@justinsas4779
Yes sir thats my go to ! Best song ever
@lookinforthemagic7434
you're cooked king
@jasonsphinx8461
~
@colin-nekritz
Director to Keith: “That was some good acting when you murdered Mick there.”
Keith: “Acting?! You mean the gun wasn’t loaded?!”
@brianallsopp69
Shit man can we go again ? lol
@thesolarengineer
Too bad Alex Baldwin was too young to 'produce' the video 😂
@TonyEnglandUK
lmao take two.