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When "Beast of Burden" was released from the Rolling Stones' album "Some Girls" in 1978, most people put two and two together and came up with 5.
"Beast of Burden" was obviously about "some girl," right? The lyrics are pretty clear on that point--or are they?
Well, according to Keith Richards, who wrote the song with Mick Jagger, it's actually an acknowledgement that his massive drug habit was a burden on the Stones. He had just returned to the group after cleaning himself up, and wanted Mick to know that he appreciated the fact that Mick had shouldered the burden of keeping the Stones "rolling" while he was away.
The basic lyrics were set when they went into the studio to record, but Mick did quite a bit of improvising to help his vocals mesh with the guitar parts--which were alternately played by Keith and Ronnie Wood.
That sort of collaboration was a hallmark of the Stones, and one of the reasons "Beast of Burden" became a Top 10 record (#8), and "Great Song of the '70s."
Rolling Stone Magazine certainly thought so. "Beast of Burden" is on their list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time," as well as their list of the "500 Greatest Rock and Roll Songs of All Time."
Beast of Burden:
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