"You Can't Always Get What You Want" was recorded on November 16 and November 17, 1968 at London's Olympic Sound Studios. It features the London Bach Choir powerfully opening the song under the stewardship of Javier Sanchez Broto, highlighting throughout, and bringing it to an uproarious conclusion. Jimmy Miller, the Rolling Stones' producer at the time, plays drums on this song instead of Charlie Watts. Al Kooper plays piano, organ and horn while Rocky Dijon plays congas and maracas. Nanette Workman sings backup vocals, but she is credited as "Nanette Newman".
Of the song, Jagger said in 2003, "'You Can't Always Get What You Want' was something I just played on the acoustic guitar - one of those bedroom songs. It proved to be quite difficult to record because Charlie couldn't play the groove and so Jimmy Miller had to play the drums. I'd also had this idea of having a choir, probably a gospel choir, on the track, but there wasn't one around at that point. Jack Nitzsche, or somebody, said that we could get the London Bach Choir and we said, 'That will be a laugh.'"[1]
In his review of the song, Richie Unterberger says, "If you buy John Lennon's observation that the Rolling Stones were apt to copy the Beatles' innovations within a few months or so, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is the Rolling Stones' counterpart to 'Hey Jude.'" Jagger said in 1969, "I liked the way the Beatles did that with 'Hey Jude'. The orchestra was not just to cover everything up - it was something extra. We may do something like that on the next album."[2]
The three verses (along with the varied theme in the 4th verse) address the major topics of the 1960s: love, politics, and drugs. Each verse captures the essence of the initial optimism and eventual disillusion, followed by the resigned pragmatism in the chorus.
Unterberger concludes of the song, "Much has been made of the lyrics reflecting the end of the overlong party that was the 1960s, as a snapshot of Swinging London burning out. That's a valid interpretation, but it should also be pointed out that there's also an uplifting and reassuring quality to the melody and performance. This is particularly true of the key lyrical hook, when we are reminded that we can't always get what we want, but we'll get what we need."
Release and aftermath
Though popular on modern classic rock radio stations, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was not released as a single, but rather as the B-Side to "Honky Tonk Women", albeit in an edited form (4:49). One of the Stones' most popular recordings, it has since appeared on the compilations Hot Rocks, Singles Collection and Forty Licks.
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" is very popular at Stones shows due to the sing-along chorus, and is played at almost every show (where it is custom for Jagger to change the lyrics from "my favourite flavour, cherry red" to the question "What's your favourite flavour?" to which the audience replies "Cherry red"). Live recordings appear on the albums Love You Live, Flashpoint, Live Licks, and The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.
You Can't Always Get What You Want
The Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she would meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man
No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you wantBut if you try sometime you'll find
You get what you need
I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she was gonna meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, well, you might find
You get what you need
Ah, yeah
Oh
And I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a fifty-amp fuse"
Sing it to me, honey
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, well, you just might find
Ah baby, yeah
Ah
I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled
I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy
And, man, did he look pretty ill
We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was "dead"
I said to him
You can't always get what you want, well no
You can't always get what you want. I tell you, baby
You can't always get what you want, no
But if you try sometimes you just might find, uh, mm
You get what you need, oh yeah, woo!
Ah, woo!
You get what you need, yeah, oh baby
Ah yeah
I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well, I could tell by her blood-stained hands, sing it
You can't always get what you want, yeah
You can't always get what you want, ooh yeah, child
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need, ah yeah
Ah baby, woo!
Ah, you can't always get what you want, no, no, baby
You can't always get what you want, you can't now, now
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find that you
You get what you need, oh yeah
Ah yeah, do that
The Rolling Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is one of the most iconic songs of all time, and its lyrics are filled with powerful insights about life, love, and the pursuit of meaning. The song is essentially about the tension between desire and reality, and the fact that no matter how much we want something, we can't always have it. The verses describe encounters with various people, each of whom is seeking something that they ultimately can't have. The singer sees a woman at a reception, holding a glass of wine, who he knows is looking for her "connection," but at her feet is her "footloose man," who she can't control. The chorus of the song is a declaration that "you can't always get what you want," but if you try hard enough, you'll find that you get what you need. The final verse of the song tells the story of the singer encountering another man who is trying to get his "prescription filled," only to discover that the person he's with is dying.
The song's message is clear: life is full of disappointment and setbacks, and we can't always get everything we want. However, if we're willing to stay the course and keep trying, we can often discover that what we need is right in front of us. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery and poetic language, making the song a timeless classic that has resonated with audiences for decades.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw her today at the reception
The singer saw the girl he likes at a gathering.
A glass of wine in her hand
She was holding a glass of wine.
I knew she would meet her connection
The singer understood that she would meet someone she was interested in.
At her feet was her footloose man
Her current partner was with her.
No, you can't always get what you want
The artist acknowledges that life does not always give us what we desire.
But if you try sometime you'll find
By putting in effort, we can still achieve our goals.
You get what you need
Sometimes, what we truly require is different from what we think we want.
And I went down to the demonstration
The artist attended a protest.
To get my fair share of abuse
The artist expected to endure some mistreatment.
Singing, 'We're gonna vent our frustration
The protestors planned to express their anger.
If we don't we're gonna blow a fifty-amp fuse'
If they didn't release their anger, they might explode.
We decided that we would have a soda
The artist and his friend chose to have a drink.
My favorite flavor, cherry red
The singer liked the flavor cherry red.
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
The singer sang a tune to his friend.
And that was 'dead'
Mr. Jimmy gave a pessimistic response.
But if you try sometimes, well, you just might find
Making an effort can yield unexpected results.
I saw her today at the reception
The artist saw the girl he likes at a gathering.
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was holding a drink that resembled blood.
She was practiced at the art of deception
The singer realized that she was skilled at deception.
Well, I could tell by her blood-stained hands
The artist noticed that her hands were stained red.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@KCG7
We all love that Chorus!
But!
“I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she would meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man”
to
“I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well, I could tell by her blood-stained hands, sing it”
Just hits me right in my feels. ❤
@magicbus63
My 50 favorite Rolling Stones songs
50. You Got Me Rocking
49. Mixed Emotions
48. She's A Rainbow
47. Bitch
46. Time Is On My Side
45. Get Off My Cloud
44. Sway
43. Hang Fire
42. Ain't Too Proud To Beg
41. Terrifying
40. Tumbling Dice
39. As Tears Go By
38. When The Whip Comes Down
37. Heartbreaker Doo Doo Doo Doo
36. Let's Spend The Night Together
35. All Down The Line
34. The Last Time
33. Heart Of Stone
32. Miss You
31. She's So Cold
30. Rock And A Hard Place
29. Beast Of Burden
28. Angie
27. Play With Fire
26. Far Away Eyes
25. Brown Sugar
24. Rip This Joint
23. Shattered
22. Dead Flowers
21. It's Only Rock And Roll (But I Like It)
20. Waiting On A Friend
19. Happy
18. Satisfaction ( I Can't Get No)
17. 19th Nervous Breakdown
16. Mothers Little Helper
15. Wild Horses
14. Sweet Virginia
13. Street Fighting Man
12. Jumping Jack Flash
11. Honky Tonk Women
10. Sister Morphine
9. Start Me Up
8. Moonlight Mile
7. Gimme Shelter
6. You Can't Always Get What You Want
5. Rocks Off
4. Can't You Hear Me Knocking
3. Sympathy For The Devil
2. Paint It Black
1. Midnight Rambler (Get Yer Ya Ya's Out)
@stanleyrafael8973
I’m here at 2:15pm and this song just hit me during the hardest times. My father just passed away due to the coronavirus. As he was fighting for his life for 2 weeks straight and a bunch of prayers. He passed away without having to say one last word to his kids. This song hits because you can’t always get what you want in life, but if you try and keep moving forward you can find light at the end of the tunnel..
@krysiajewitt5627
Sorry for your loss. Stay strong, music is a great friend in times of need.
@axiomist4488
Sorry about your dad.
@Sam-ot8lm
May he rest, I'm sure he was a wonderful man, I send my condolences to you and your family.
@BUSTABR0WN
Stanley Rafael, sorry for your loss. 😢
@jcairneyj
I'm so sorry to hear that sad news
@mikenolan8044
Winter Break 1969 we played album after album. I lost count of how many times we put the Let It Bleed album on. It was new to all of us and just fantastic. This was the closing track and worked perfectly that way.
@SusanBorchard-f1v
God bless U today music lovers.
All day, all night. Mick is special.
Keith Richards, amazing.
@crunchy2k
At SJSU we were not so challenged to know about the Kingston Trio or Iron Butterfly better music.
@jameswilliams3241
My baby sister sent LET IT BLEED to me at PhuBai in '69 and I was restricted from playing it in our compound.