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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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

Ventilator Blues
The Rolling Stones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When your spine is cracking and your hands, they shake
Heart is bursting and your butt's gonna break
Woman's cussing, you can hear her scream
Feel like murder in the first degree

Ain't nobody slowing down no way
Everybody's stepping on their accelerator
Don't matter where you are

Everybody's gonna need a ventilator

When you're trapped and circled with no second chances
Code of living is your gun in hand
Can't be browed by beating, can't be cowed by words
Messed by cheating, ain't gonna ever learn

Everybody walking 'round
Everybody trying to step on their Creator
Don't matter where you are, everybody, everybody gonna
Need some kind of ventilator, some kind of ventilator
Come down and get it

What you gonna do about it, what you gonna do?
What you gonna do about it, what you gonna do?
Gonna fight it, gonna fight it
Gonna fight it, gonna fight it
Gonna fight it, gonna fight it
Gonna fight it, gonna fight it
Gonna fight it, gonna fight it

Gonna fight it, gonna fight it
Gonna fight it, gonna fight it

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Rolling Stones' song, Ventilator Blues, express the overwhelming feeling of being trapped in a desperate situation, with no way out. The first stanza describes the physical and emotional toll of such a situation, as the singer's body is breaking down and their mind is on the brink of exploding. Meanwhile, a woman is screaming in the background, heightening the sense of chaos and urgency. The chorus repeats the idea that no one is immune to these feelings, as everyone will eventually need some sort of aid to keep going. The second stanza delves deeper into the cause of this desperation, which seems to be rooted in a sense of powerlessness. The mention of a "code of living" and "gun in hand" suggest that the singer is struggling to navigate a world where violence and dominance are the norm. They refuse to be beaten or discouraged by those who cheat and manipulate, but their resolve is tested as they face this hardship alone.

Overall, Ventilator Blues can be seen as a commentary on the pressures of modern society, and the toll that it takes on the individual. The song suggests that everyone is vulnerable to these challenges, but that fighting back is possible, even if it means needing help along the way.

Line by Line Meaning

When your spine is cracking and your hands, they shake
When you are anxious, and your nerves are on edge, causing you to feel physically uncomfortable to the point where your spine feels like it's breaking and your hands are trembling.

Heart is bursting and your butt's gonna break
Your emotions are so intense that it feels like your heart is going to burst, and physically, it's hard to keep yourself together in a seated position.

Woman's cussing, you can hear her scream
Someone around you is angry and shouting profanity at the top of her lungs, and her voice is echoing in your ears.

Feel like murder in the first degree
You are so angry and frustrated that you feel capable of killing someone.

Ain't nobody slowing down no way
Everybody is moving at a rapid pace and not taking any breaks.

Everybody's stepping on their accelerator
People are in a hurry to get where they're going and are pushing the gas pedal harder than usual to make it happen.

Don't matter where you are, everybody's gonna need a ventilator
Regardless of where you are, your emotions will get the best of you, and you will require some sort of outlet or release to help you cope.

When you're trapped and circled with no second chances
When you feel stuck in life with no other options, and there are no opportunities for redemption or starting over again.

Code of living is your gun in hand
Your personal values and principles are what you hold onto for guidance and protection when you feel like you have nothing else to rely on.

Can't be browed by beating, can't be cowed by words
You won't back down from physical violence or verbal abuse; you'll stand your ground and hold your own.

Messed by cheating, ain't gonna ever learn
You've been hurt by betrayal so many times that you refuse to trust anyone again.

Everybody walking 'round
People are walking aimlessly or without purpose.

Everybody trying to step on their Creator
People are hostile towards spirituality and question or deny the existence of a higher power.

Don't matter where you are, everybody, everybody gonna
No matter where you go, you will encounter people who are struggling with their emotions and trying to find a release.

Need some kind of ventilator, some kind of ventilator
They will require some form of outlet or release to cope with their emotions.

Come down and get it
They are inviting others to find a way to release their emotions or stress.

What you gonna do about it, what you gonna do?
What are your plans to cope with your emotions and stress?

Gonna fight it, gonna fight it
You plan to stand up for yourself and work to overcome your challenges.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Keith Richards, Michael Taylor, Mick Jagger

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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