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Highwire
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Hit Factory Studios, London, UK, January 7 - 18, 1991

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals, electric guitar
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Ron Wood - electric guitar
Bernard Fowler - backing vocals

We sell 'em missiles, we sell 'em tanks
We give 'em credit, you can call the bank
It's just a business, you can pay us in crude
You love these toys, just go play out your feuds
Got no pride, don't know whose boots to lick
We act so greedy, makes me sick, sick, sick
So, get up, stand up, out of my way, I wanna talk to the boss right away
Get up, stand up, who’s gonna pay, I wanna talk to the man right away
We walk the highwire, sending the men to the front lines
Hoping they don't catch the hellfire, with hot guns and cold, cold nights
We walk the highwire, sending the men to the front lines
And tell 'em to pop in the sunshine, with hot guns and cold, cold nights, alright

Our lives are threatened, our jobs at risk
Sometimes dictators need a slap on the wrist
Another Munich we just can't afford, we're gonna send in the eighty-second airborne
Get up, stand up, who's gonna pay, I wanna talk to the boss right away
Get up, stand up, outta my way, I wanna talk to the man right away
We walk the highwire, putting the world on a deadline
And hoping we don't catch the shellfire, with hot guns and cold, cold nights
We walk the highwire, putting the world on a deadline
Catching the bite on primetime, with hot guns and cold, cold nights

Get up, stand up, get up, stand up, hey
We walk the highwire, we’re sending the men to the front lines
We're hoping that we backed the right side, with hot guns and cold, cold nights
We walk the highwire, we’re sending the men to the front lines
And hoping they don't catch the hellfire
With hot guns and cold, cold, cold, cold, cold nights, yeah
Oh, yeah, yeah, we walk the highwire, we walk the highwire, oh yeah
With hot guns and cold, cold, cold nights, oh yeah

Produced by The Glimmer Twins & Chris Kimsey

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Highwire / 2000 Light Years From Home” 7” single
(Rolling Stones Records 38-73742) US, March 4, 1991

This song is a guilty pleasure for me. It's not a classic, and the breakdown moments are naff, but I really like it. Highwire has a good spirit in the music and melody.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-01-17 11:37 by bolexman.

This was a very pleasant surprise back then, and the best since Start Me Up (I thought).
Still like it a lot! Except that awful "break" after the guitar solo...

Also the last time with Bill

Smart lyrics. At least as much pointing towards the Iran-Contra affair as towards the
first Gulf war. Shows that Mick actually could write a decent political comment, for those
who would question that after Sweet Neo Con.

Yeah, starting from an intro, quite a pastishe song from is structure, but I like it. Like said here it has a nice melody line, especially in its catchy chorus (that reminds me a bit of "She Was Hot"), the 'borrowing' of "Get Up, Stand Up" belongs to the classical Jagger/Richards format... Thy lyrics - whatever we like them or not - has a 'point', and I think written quite well!

Anyway, the single and its 'message' didn't made much impact anywhere (a chart flop actually). If I recall right, the polical idea of it was almost ridiculed by the media as kind of cheap PR trick by old farts to maintain some kind of of "anti-establishment-image". (Remember, by the turn of the 90's all kind 60's of anti-war hippie- movements were so passe). In, fact, since the 80's spirits were still so on, "Highwire" was actually quite daring, controversial song. Had they released it during the 'second' Iraqie conflict - during the Bush II/Blair regime - I believe it have had more resonance with the general public.

But the 'out of blue' release of "Highwire" was a pleasent surprise at the time, but now in retrospect its release was even more surprise. Namely, considering the nature of their game - just finished a huge tour, and no tour or anything activity for years to come - it didn't have any point to their activities. It was a sudden touch of a muse - seemingly Mick had this song and he went with the guys to studio to record it. Sound almost like an act of a living, breathing band, right?

But I still like the song. Nothing earth-breaking in it at all, but personally I think it would take to "Plundered My Soul" until any new Stones song would have such a positive impact on me. I like its down to earth-production - that didn't had the awful 80's slicky STEEL WHEELS any longer nor the over-emphasazied crystal clear VOODOO LOUNGE in it - it has a bit muddy sounds that reminds me more of TALK IS CHEAP than any Stones album. But I think there is one feature that makes it a typical example of post-TATTOO YOU material: it doesn't stand repeated listenings. It's charm vanishes quite rapidly, unlike a gem like "Plundered My Soul" that gets better and better by each listening.

- Doxa



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2011-01-17 12:31 by Doxa.

<Anyway, the single and its 'message' didn't made much impact anywhere>

They messed up the timing. The war was over by the release date, wasn't it?

I've loved this track from the moment I heard it. Everything clicks here, starting with Charlie's two no-nonsense whacks on the drum and then those glorious, crunchy guitars chiming in. Wonderful lyrics, spat out by Jagger as only he can. The rhythmic interplay here between the guitars, drums, and vocals creates that unique Rolling Stones magic that nobody else can touch.

They were really making a statement here, and the passion shows.

Drew



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-08-22 02:02 by drewmaster.

If one Stones track deserves the credit "A Lost Classic" it's this one.
All The Stones trademarks are here, joined by strong lyrics and a great riff.

Not a great fan of the track, but the sound of that opening riff almost makes up for everything.

Who is playing the opening riff? Sounds like Jagger to me; with Keith on the second guitar. Then there is the solo, the chorused guitar, which sounds like Ron to me. With the "Keith" guitar also solo-ing in the right channel

In the refrain another electric doubles the "Jagger" guitar, plus there is at least one acoustic guitar.

I loved this one really when it came out in 1991 and still do, great riff, remdinding me a little bit of brown sugar. It was often played in German radio, as far as I remeber. What a pity that they never performed it live, because there is still too much war and political "corruption" in this world ...

Quote Rene.....>Hoping they don't catch the hellfire, with hot guns and cold, cold nights
We walk the highwire, sending the men to the front lines
And tell 'em to pop in the sunshine, with hot guns and cold, cold nights, alright<

I always thought the lyric was........cold, cold lies.........?

Hmmm... I just checked 3 other websites and it seems I was wrong............

still think 'lies' is better for that line...afterall that is the truth....it seems a lot of what we get from our governments is just cold, cold lies



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011-01-17 17:01 by EddieByword.

I do like it and it shows that Mick knows his history and looked at it from both sides.

Stones at their best, Keith-guitar oriented, a hard rocker with prominent riffs, a good, not boring composition with a fine melody and an up-to-date (then) and prophetic text (second gulf war). The track on which RW played guitar in a wheel-chair, cause he had broken legs.The best of "Flashpoint" which was very disappointing due to the many overdubs.

Quote
Palace Revolution 2000
Who is playing the opening riff? Sounds like Jagger to me; with Keith on the second guitar. Then there is the solo, the chorused guitar, which sounds like Ron to me. With the "Keith" guitar also solo-ing in the right channel

In the refrain another electric doubles the "Jagger" guitar, plus there is at least one acoustic guitar.

Jagger on open G, Keith does the licks and Ronnie the theme that comes in a couple of times.

sounded good at the time...hasn't aged well. not much from that era has....

I've read in a few places over the years that this was actually done during the Steel Wheels sessions but they didn't finish it. But it was never actually said that they recorded it new. All indications are it is a new recording but the song is still a leftover from the Steel Wheels sessions regardless.

Quote
skipstone
I've read in a few places over the years that this was actually done during the Steel Wheels sessions but they didn't finish it. But it was never actually said that they recorded it new. All indications are it is a new recording but the song is still a leftover from the Steel Wheels sessions regardless.

gazza can best answer this, i'm sure.

i remember reading that the abysmal b-side, sex drive, was a groove that they played during the course of warmups for gigs on the tour. if there's a rule that enable demerit points for a single based on its horrendous b-side, then it should be applied here.

I haven't heard this track in a looong time. What is everyone's reference for it? The Flashpoint CD? I never got a copy of that...

I'm not sold on the lyrics. They struck me now, as then, as kind of a fence-sitting, mushmouth almost-statement, like "Sweet Neo-Con." As on that track, mick seems to point to corruption but also suggest that it maybe necessary or even preferable to any alternative.

what exactly is the "message" if there is one?

Never truly loved it. The kind of song that occasionaly comes out (like I go Wild, Don't Stop, or Dangerous Beauty) that has all the ingredients of a great stones rocker, but is not a great stones rocker.

C

Last great 'Rolling Stones' track for me.

Oh yeah, this one is it! It's the post-89 warhorse in disguise from the Stones.

After I got curious about the Stones on the strength of "Wandering Spirit", I mailordered the Highwire CD-single, their most recent song at the time, out of a catalogue in the mid-price segment. It's a killer tune, it's got great lyrics, a great melody and beautiful riffing from Keith at the end.

It's beyond me as to why they have neglected this one for so long when instead, they should have played it in concert regularly.
A fine swansong for Wyman it is, too.

Quote
StonesTod

Quote
skipstone
I've read in a few places over the years that this was actually done during the Steel Wheels sessions but they didn't finish it. But it was never actually said that they recorded it new. All indications are it is a new recording but the song is still a leftover from the Steel Wheels sessions regardless.

gazza can best answer this, i'm sure.

i remember reading that the abysmal b-side, sex drive, was a groove that they played during the course of warmups for gigs on the tour. if there's a rule that enable demerit points for a single based on its horrendous b-side, then it should be applied here.

b side was 2000 light years. maxi b side was play with fire & i just want to make love

Last No. 1 Stones song on US Mainstream rock hit list!!

Never played live I do believe.

What a mess. Almost sounds like a Dirty Work reject. You can hear that Bill's heart is not in it and he's halfway out the door. I wonder if Bill began to hear the decline in the songwriting and it helped him make his decision. In retrospect he was right, of course. The Stones had peaked out and would never reach their former levels of studio work. I wonder if he mused to himself that he sure as hell wasn't going to wait all night for Keith to show up if 'Highwire' was the result.

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mtaylor
Last No. 1 Stones song on US Mainstream rock hit list!!

It was? I mean, it made it to #1 on that chart? It was on the radio for 3 days.

I think its a classic track - brilliant. A favorite.

If memory serves, I read once upon a time that they formed the basis of the music on the track doing warm-ups and sound checks in Europe during the 1990 legs.

I found Mixed Emotions a little derivative, and Highwire kept on that track as far as 'sound' was concerned.

The worst example of this 'stones by number' type-song is probably "Don't Stop".

For me, Under the Radar, Dangerous Beauty, Plundered My Soul and No Spare Parts break this derivative trend and are reasons to 'keep the faith'.

I find it quite boring, with nothing special. One of those later day generic rockers that they crank out. . .