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Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969, having been replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.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

You Gotta Move
The Rolling Stones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You gotta move
You gotta move
You gotta move, child
You gotta move
Oh, when the Lord get ready
You gotta move

You may be high

You may be low
You may be rich, child
You may be poor
But when the Lord get ready
You gotta move

You see that woman
Who walks the street
You see that police
Upon his beat
But then the Lord get ready
You gotta move

You gotta move

Overall Meaning

The song "You Gotta Move" by The Rolling Stones is an old gospel blues tune that was originally recorded by Mississippi Fred McDowell, a blues musician and slide guitarist. The lyrics are a reminder that when the Lord, or fate, decides it's time to move on, you must do so. The repetition of the phrase "You gotta move" drives home the point that change is inevitable and you must be ready to adapt and move forward.

The song speaks to both physical movement and spiritual growth. The human experience is full of highs and lows, but regardless of your current status, the song reminds the listener that they will have to move on at some point. It also questions societal norms and authority figures (such as police), suggesting that even those in positions of power are not immune to the forces of change.

The lyrics of "You Gotta Move" are a powerful reminder of the transience of life and the importance of being ready to embrace change. Regardless of how comfortable we may be in our current situation, we must be prepared to move on when the time comes.

Line by Line Meaning

You gotta move
You have to keep moving forward in life.

You gotta move
You have to keep striving for success and progress.

You gotta move, child
You have to keep moving towards your goals and aspirations, no matter how hard it gets.

You gotta move
You have to maintain a constant state of growth and development.

Oh, when the Lord get ready
When the universe is ready for change to happen, you must be ready to adapt and move forward.

You may be high
Your social status or rank in society does not determine your need to keep moving forward.

You may be low
Even if you are struggling or facing hardships, you still need to keep pushing forward towards a better future.

You may be rich, child
Even if you are wealthy, you cannot become complacent and must continue to strive for more.

You may be poor
Even if you are impoverished, you must keep moving forward and fighting for a better life.

But when the Lord get ready
No matter what your current circumstances may be, change is always around the corner and you must be prepared to adapt.

You gotta move
Keep pushing forward and making progress, regardless of the obstacles you may face.

You see that woman
Observe those around you who are struggling and remember that you are not alone in your struggles.

Who walks the street
Even those who seem to be aimlessly wandering still have a purpose and direction in life.

You see that police
Even those in positions of authority are subject to the same laws of change as everyone else.

Upon his beat
Even those who patrol and enforce the law must keep moving forward in their personal and professional lives.

But then the Lord get ready
When change does come, it will be sudden and unpredictable, so it's important to always be ready to adapt and move forward.

You gotta move
No matter what happens, you must keep moving forward and striving for progress in your life.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Gary Davis, Fred McDowell

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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