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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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 I
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heart is bursting and you butt's gonna break.
Your woman's cussing, you can hear her scream,
You feel like murder in the first degree.
Ain't nobody slowing down no way,
Ev'rybody's stepping on their accelerator,
Don't matter where you are,
Ev'rybody's gonna need a ventilator.
Your code of living is your gun in hand.
We can't be browed by beating, we can't be cowed by words,
Messed by cheating, ain't gonna ever learn.
Ev'rybody walking 'round,
Ev'rybody trying to step on their Creator.
Don't matter where you are, ev'rybody, ev'rybody gonna
Need some kind of ventilator, some kind of ventilator.
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?
The Rolling Stones' song "Ventilator Blues" is a raw, gritty rock tune that perfectly captures the frustration and desperation that can come with feeling trapped and overwhelmed. The lyrics paint a picture of physical and emotional exhaustion, describing a body that's breaking down under stress, and a mind that's close to snapping. The imagery is intense and vivid - from the cracking spine and shaking hands, to the bursting heart and cussing woman. The singer feels like they're on the brink of exploding, and the only thing that can save them is a ventilator - a device that helps them breathe and take in air.
Despite the chaos and tension of the situation, there's a sense of defiance and determination in the lyrics. The singer refuses to be browed or cowed by anyone or anything, and is willing to fight back against the challenges they're facing. The repeated refrain of "what you gonna do about it, what you gonna do?" highlights this fighting spirit, and shows that the singer is ready to take action, no matter how tough things get. The song is a potent reminder of the power of rock music to capture raw emotions and experiences, and to provide a cathartic release for listeners who may be going through similar struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
When your spine is cracking and your hands, they shake,
When you're physically and emotionally exhausted and your body is unable to handle the stress.
Heart is bursting and you butt's gonna break.
Your emotions are so overwhelming that you're on the verge of breaking down completely.
Your woman's cussing, you can hear her scream,
Your partner is expressing their anger and frustration towards you, making the situation even more stressful.
You feel like murder in the first degree.
Your level of anger and frustration is so high that you feel like you could commit murder in the moment.
Ain't nobody slowing down no way,
The situation is so chaotic and intense that nobody is slowing down or stopping to help or offer support.
Ev'rybody's stepping on their accelerator,
Everyone is pushing themselves harder, trying to keep up with the fast-paced and high-pressure environment.
Don't matter where you are,
This situation is universal and can happen to anyone, anywhere.
Ev'rybody's gonna need a ventilator.
Metaphorically, everyone in this situation is going to need help or support to keep going and not break down completely.
When you're trapped and circled with no second chances,
The situation has escalated to the point where there are no more options or chances to fix it.
Your code of living is your gun in hand.
You rely on your personal values and way of life to get through the situation, almost like using a weapon to defend yourself.
We can't be browed by beating, we can't be cowed by words,
We can't be defeated by physical or verbal abuse or intimidation.
Messed by cheating, ain't gonna ever learn.
Even if someone tries to cheat or manipulate us in this situation, we won't fall for it and we won't learn from their negative behavior.
Ev'rybody walking 'round,
Everyone is walking around, surviving and trying to keep going.
Ev'rybody trying to step on their Creator.
Everyone is pushing themselves so hard that they're almost challenging or defying a higher power or authority.
Don't matter where you are, ev'rybody, ev'rybody gonna
Once again, this situation can happen to anyone, anywhere, and everyone is struggling to keep going.
Need some kind of ventilator, some kind of ventilator.
Everyone needs some sort of help or support to survive this intense and overwhelming situation.
What you gonna do about it, what you gonna do?
The lyrics now switch to a more proactive tone, asking the listener what they're going to do to overcome a similar situation.
Gonna fight it, gonna fight it?
The lyrics suggest fighting back and taking control of the situation rather than letting it control you.
Gonna fight it, gonna fight it?
The repetition of this line emphasizes the need to take action and overcome the situation.
Gonna fight it, gonna fight it?
Once again, the lyrics encourage the listener to fight back and not give up in the face of adversity.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KEITH RICHARDS, MICHAEL TAYLOR, MICK JAGGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hugo ache
When your spine is cracking and your hands, they shake,
Heart is bursting and you butt's gonna break.
Your woman's cussing, you can hear her scream,
You feel like murder in the first degree.
Ain't nobody slowing down no way,
Ev'rybody's stepping on their accelerator,
Don't matter where you are,
Ev'rybody's gonna need a ventilator.
When you're trapped and circled with no second chances,
Your code of living is your gun in hand.
We can't be browed by beating, we can't be cowed by words,
Messed by cheating, ain't gonna ever learn.
Ev'rybody walking 'round,
Ev'rybody trying to step on their Creator.
Don't matter where you are, ev'rybody, ev'rybody gonna
Need some kind of ventilator, some kind of ventilator.
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?
Gaurav Vatsa
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
Deena Miller
My Dad ( producer, Jimmy Miller ) loved this track. Was probably his favorite of all the Exile productions.
Andrew Muir
Great riff. Mick Taylor. Jimmy Miller was a genius producer. All about that rhythm baby.
Jaime Hill
Jimmy Miller, created a sound that will never ever ever ever be re-created
Javier Subiran
Really your father was Jimmy Miller ??? All my admiration for him...!!!
Michael Gidora
I brought exile on Main Street in 77 at 17 years old and haven’t stopped listening too it since,your dad Jimmy Miller produced their greatest albums 68-73 ,that era of there music always makes feel young and gets me going when times are tough.
Pat O'Donnell
Mine too
John Bell
RIP Charlie - keeping time like a Swiss watch. Well done.
ontariobuds
more like an atomic clock.
Paulo Nunes
Master of the Elegance...
matthew flanagan
First Nicky then Bobby and now Charlie. No Bobby, Charlie no find two and four. No Nicky, no tie in between drums, vocals and guitar. This track is absolutely lightning in a bottle. RIP Charlie!!