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Soul Survivor
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Unit, Villa Nellcote, Villefranche-sur-mer, France,
July 10 - late July & October 14 - November 23, 1971, Sunset Sound Studios,
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, December 4 - 19, 1971 & January - March
1972 and Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, California, US, March 24 & 25, 1972

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar, bass, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Mick Taylor - electric slide guitar
Nicky Hopkins - piano
Bobby Keys - saxophone
Jim Price - trumpet
Jimmy Miller - tambourine

When the waters is rough, the sailing is tough
I'll get drowned in your love
You've got a cut throat crew, yeah, I'm gonna sink under you
Oh, I got the bell bottom blues, it's gonna be the death of me

Yeah, yeah, it's the graveyard watch, running right on the rocks
I've taken all of the knocks
You ain't giving me no quarter, I'd rather drink sea water
Oh, I wish I'd never had brought you, it's gonna be the death of me

Soul survivor, soul survivor, yeah
I’m a soul survivor, I’m a soul survivor, that’s what they call me
A soul survivor, that’s what I’m talking about
That’s what I’m talking about, soul survivor, yeah, I’m a soul survivor
It’s gonna be the death of me, it's gonna be the death of me

Oh yeah, when you're flying your flags, all my confidence sags
You got me packing my bags
I'll stowaway at sea, yeah, you make me mutiny
Where you are, I won't be, you're gonna be the death of me, yeah

Soul survivor, soul survivor, soul survivor, soul survivor
It's gonna be the death of me
That’s what I said, that’s what I’m talking about, oh, that’s what I’ll tell ya
That’s what it’s all about, soul survivor, soul survivor, soul survivor, soul survivor…

Produced by Jimmy Miller

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Exile On Main Street” 2LP
(Rolling Stones Records COC 69100) UK, May 12, 1972

Never done live, huh? What a fantastic end cap on Exile. Murky and exciting all at once.

One hell of a song, taken a lot of rejections during the years but what a fighter!!!

They will never do it live though, couple of obvious reasons for that...

I thought the sound-quality were pretty poor on this one....But nowadays...

3/5 maybe...

2 1 2 0

Musically, I found this one a bit anonymous, but it kept constantly to creep under my skin upon each listen. Now, it's a stayer. Great atmosphere. An integral part of Exile.

It's a fun, easy song to play to. Pretty cool lyric too.

I dig this number.

A song that was obviously borne out of the trials of recording at Nellcote. This tune together with Ventilator Blues sums up the claustrophobia and paranioa experienced at Villefranche-sur-mer better than anything else on Exile.

And lyrically it also demonstrates the strength and spirit of the Stones - that overriding ability to overcome and rise above the tides of adversity. It's one of those songs that I've turned to whenever I felt a bit down and needed music to lift me out of my gloom.

ON IORR lately there's been a raging debate about the merits of Exile and its supposed amount of filler (of course there isn't any!)

This is one song that was cited as filler but for me Soul Survivor encapsulates everything that is vital about the Rolling Stones - that fabulous rhythmic engine of Charlie and Bill and their ability to effortlessly propel a song ever forward. Listen to the minute long outro as Charlie heroically picks up the pace, first at 2.38 and leads the charge to that fantastic drum roll and explosive cymble splash at 3.02.

And all around that central rhythmic core we have Keith's solid strumming and Mick Taylor's wailing slide guitar perfectly conjuring up the feeling of waves relentlessly battering a little ship at sea.

Did Jagger write the lyrics? I wouldn't be surprised if Keith had a more than a hand in them. Perhaps inspired by a pirate fantasy. Whatever,Mick delivers them with the urgency of a drowning man. It's a great vocal performance.

Another point to note is that definitive Nicky Hopkins style that adds an extra dimension to the song. Elton John was a big fan of the Stones and he must have loved this song because you can hear that inimitable Hopkins style all over his big pop albums, Don't Shoot Me, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Caribou.

It wasn't one of the easiest and most immediate songs to appreciate on Exile because of its murky mix but when it does hit you'll find that it's like an oyster offering up its pearl. Soul Survivor is an underrated classic, a real genius of a song.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2014-09-08 16:22 by Silver Dagger.

Most likely it's Keith on bass, Mike.

A rather funny quote from Mick about its origin:

"I don't think (I wrote it about Keith). No, that's not about Keith at all. Soul Survivor? I don't even know if I wrote that. It sounds like one of Keith's".
- Mick Jagger, 2009

Quote
DandelionPowderman
Most likely it's Keith on bass, Mike.

A rather funny quote from Mick about its origin:

"I don't think (I wrote it about Keith). No, that's not about Keith at all. Soul Survivor? I don't even know if I wrote that. It sounds like one of Keith's".
- Mick Jagger, 2009

I read that Bill wasn't always around when Keith wanted to lay down tracks - living a fair distance away - so yes, it could well be KR on bass.

I had a hunch it might have been from Keith's hand. It just sounds like one of his. Musically it sounds like it came from the same songwriting session that spawned a lot of side 3 of Exile.

Great song, great lyrics. I always loved the riff in the outro. The Stones must have loved it too, since they more or less re-used it a number of times (e.g. Must Be Hell, Between A Rock And A Hard Place)

Great great great song...

...Love Keith's lead vocals on this, cfr. the "Exile Deluxe" bonus disc:

"...etcetera, etcetera... ETCETERA!!"

><

Here's the Keith guide vocal version.







Thanx to Rockman via Deltics for the lyrics.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-09-08 14:59 by Silver Dagger.

Transcribing Keith's grunting is impressive, indeed ><

I just love it the way he sounds like someone who is struggling to get up from what could only have been a very severe beating in the beginning; then in the second part he really clicks with the swagger of the song - you can hear him think: "Hey now we're getting somewhere!!" - in full "Pavarichards" overdrive; finally rounding it up with that distancing, blasé "etcetera..." sequence.

Pure Rolling Stones Soul.

great song on a great album! one of my favourites on Exile. for me songs like Soul Survivor represent the quintessence of the Stones. that´s why i love the band.

Another classic jagger vocal...great song

A slow cooked one that admittedly did not grab me the first times around but have become a real stayer. Love the build up. The great Charlie outro, Nickys groovy part and the the way the tamburine, Nicky and Keef flex the timing when Keith re-enters at 2.30. Love it!

It is also a statement of what Mick J brings to the table, if one compare the final result with Keiths vocal demo.

I don´t think the sessiondates are correct... they recorded in August and September too. When Bill came back from his five day holiday in early September he realized Keith had wiped his bass on "two tracks". This track is a very obvious candidate since we have Bills original lines on the Hopkins tape. The other, I guess, was "Casino Boogie".

René, what happened to Some Things Just Stick In Your Mind?

Anyway, ok … Soul Survivor … ohh man, what a perfect closing track to Exile. I don’t know which is more devastating – Mick’s brutal lyrics that so brilliantly communicate his dire need to get away from the lover who has psychologically enslaved him, or Keith’s stunning guitar riff that drives this message home with the force of a jackhammer. Those “at sea” lyrics are sheer poetry … Mick at the height of his lyrical powers. And Keith takes no prisoners either; indeed, the riff-meister forged something so powerful here that the Stones decided to employ the same riff in It Must Be Hell.

The other musicians here are equally brilliant … Charlie especially.

A balls-to-the-wall cry for freedom at all costs.

Drew

Favourite song on Exile of mine. Shine a Light a close 2nd place.

A song by The Stones which could ONLY be on Exile.
Neither musically or lyrically it fits on any other album than the double album.
It has the perfect combination of sluggishness, raw power and desperation, which has always been available only on Exile. On Sticky Fingers it would have been considered as a filler and on Goats Head Soup it would have been totally out of place as the odd man out.

For years I skipped this one...........I now I dig it......LIVE this song wont work too messy to play live...

__________________________

Keith's lyrics make total sense to me!

Great song, really dark guitar intro, I like it.

I never really understood or even listened to the words on the finished version.

I just like to overall sound.

Strong vocal performance by Jagger and the relatively straight forward production makes this a fine example of the Exile band, guitars well in the mix, Taylor's slide clearly audible throughout with a nice spot for Nicky. The lyrics sound like someone has been reading Patrick O'Brian.

After hearing this the first time, I knew it was my favorite. Gritty, punky, rocky and crazy. I would love to hear this live once. I thought they played this at that private Hawaii gig years ago.

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RobberBride
A slow cooked one that admittedly did not grab me the first times around but have become a real stayer. Love the build up. The great Charlie outro, Nickys groovy part and the the way the tamburine, Nicky and Keef flex the timing when Keith re-enters at 2.30. Love it!

It is also a statement of what Mick J brings to the table, if one compare the final result with Keiths vocal demo.

I don´t think the sessiondates are correct... they recorded in August and September too. When Bill came back from his five day holiday in early September he realized Keith had wiped his bass on "two tracks". This track is a very obvious candidate since we have Bills original lines on the Hopkins tape. The other, I guess, was "Casino Boogie".

Hearing Bill's original lines you realize Keith just copied them as best he could. I'll have to hear the original Casino Boogie to see if there's a difference. Keith was very good at copying Bill's style, ala Happy.

Quote
RoughJusticeOnYa
...Love Keith's lead vocals on this, cfr. the "Exile Deluxe" bonus disc:

"...etcetera, etcetera... ETCETERA!!"

><

Isn't that track 'exhibit A' in the contention that this is in fact a Keith song?

Quote
treaclefingers

Quote
RoughJusticeOnYa
...Love Keith's lead vocals on this, cfr. the "Exile Deluxe" bonus disc:

"...etcetera, etcetera... ETCETERA!!"

><

Isn't that track 'exhibit A' in the contention that this is in fact a Keith song?

...the essence of Keith's version with "guide" vocals is so different from what the song becomes
with Mick's lyrics/interpretation. Keith is bemusedly helpless before this female force majeure,
not grudging; Mick takes it a step farther, adding a bitterness to the mix characteristic of him
vs. Keith.

Quote
treaclefingers

Quote
RoughJusticeOnYa
...Love Keith's lead vocals on this, cfr. the "Exile Deluxe" bonus disc:

"...etcetera, etcetera... ETCETERA!!"

><

Isn't that track 'exhibit A' in the contention that this is in fact a Keith song?

Absolutely no doubt about it for me. With The Beatles the general rule of thumb after 65 was that whoever sung it usually wrote it.

I'd reckon the same applies with the Stones - whoever sings the guide vocal would moreorless have had the original seed of idea for writing. But song construction is a whole other ball game.

Great track. One of the best.
I am convinced Jagger put Keef's version on The Exile reissue to make a point regarding Richards' claim that he "wrote everything". Whilst I enjoy the alternative version for its charm it certainly is no "song". Jagger elevates Richards' music to a finished composition of the highest level.