I was just listening to main offender, And I was wondering what the 999 is referring to?

Anybody any idea?

A reversed 666? Keith always saw himself as a supernatural entity, a walking Biblical calamity.

About the "calamity" aspect, Mcik would probably agree...

It's the UK emergency number, like 911.

Sale price from 1000?

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treaclefingers
Sale price from 1000?

Only for the first ten callers.

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mrD
I was just listening to main offender, And I was wondering what the 999 is referring to?

Anybody any idea?

The new age band 999 from around 1978 maybe...

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mrD
I was just listening to main offender, And I was wondering what the 999 is referring to?

Anybody any idea?

Referring to money for drugs, bullets, CD's ...anything, I guess.


Keith Richards - 999 Lyrics

Artist: Keith Richards

Album: Main Offender

Genre: Rock


(Making it), making it, doesn't matter how many
(Taking it), taking it
Well, I can't shake it
Off a my back, damn monkey
It's either too tight, or too slack

(Ninety nine), that's all it is, oooh
(Ninety nine)
How much, (ninety nine)
Now, ninety nine
You better hack it, baby (ninety nine)

Yeah, my time exploded, space blew up
Need something in my dixie cup
Whoa, let me get it right
There's the best pair of lips I've kissed all night

How much,(ninety nine), give it to me
I'll pay you later
999, (Ninety nine)
Got a pocket calculator, (ninety nine)
Yeah wake up, it don't make no sense
Nickles and dimes
999, (Ninety nine)

Yeah, the lion and lamb are locked in an embrace
You won't get it 'till it's in your face
Oooh, I got me out of deeper red
Don't panic, (999)
(Ninety nine), ah, it's where I want to be
Yeah, oh (ninety nine)
A useful member of society, huh (999)

(Ninety nine), I need a little love and old money
Gimme (ninety nine), ninety nine (gimme, gimme)
(999) Well, I can't shake it off a my back
God damn monkey
Yeah, it's too tight or it's too slack
(999), Some things never change
Price of bullets remains the same
Here we go

Hand over fist, slap on the wrist
Ummm, ninety nine, (ninety nine)
That's all I'm asking for, (ninety nine)
How much, (999)
How much do you want to give
Yeah, just a little bit
Nine ninety, (nine ninety nine)
Yeah, they operate
Look at the state of my baby
Will it cost twenty grand? Pitiful
Yeah, that's a nine
Put your money where your mouth is, (ninety nine)
Cough it up, (999)
Oh, nickle and dimes
Yeah, huh, oooh, (ninety nine)

(999), (999)
(999), (999)
(999), (999)
(999), (999)

999. The number of the devil upside down. ..Look it up on google

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bye bye johnny
It's the UK emergency number, like 911.

What he said.
[en.wikipedia.org])

[news.bbc.co.uk]


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

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DECCA61
999. The number of the devil upside down. ..Look it up on google

It's useless if you don't have the international call prefix.
try it on your phone!

Based on the lyrics I'd go with a combination of the emergency number theory and the fact that, at least here in America, it seems that just about EVERYTHING you buy has some form of 999 in it. Nothing's $20.00, it's $19.99. Need a new car but don't want to spend $20,000? How about $19,999? Marketing experts drive me nuts.

Peace,
Mr DJA

"London's burning, dial 99999" (Clash)

From the lyrics I'd guess it's probably about 9.99 in money rather than the emergency number (which is usually said "nine-nine-nine", not "nine-ninety-nine" like the song). But it's one of Keith's stream-of-consciousness lyrics, and what exactly it's about, Keith only knows!

999 refers to a stamp of purity for bulk heroin. No doubt this what Keith was referring to.

HouseBoyKnows because he has a PhD in pharmacology

When the white crystals of pure heroin HCl are dry, the powder is compressed into bricks in a hydraulic heroin press. These machine-compressed bricks, often bear a “999” logo impression on one side. Mainland Southeast Asian heroin bricks are not adulterated with any type of substance. This high-purity, odorless heroin, ranges from 85 to 95 percent purity. The standard-sized bricks, called “units” (700-gram) or “half-units” (350 grams), are then placed in plastic bags and heat-sealed, ready for sale to heroin brokers and wholesalers. Each full unit measures 5½-inches long, 4-inches wide, and 2-inches deep. A standard briefcase, measuring 14 inches by 20 inches, and 5 inches deep, can easily hold 18 units (12.6 kilograms) of Mainland Southeast Asian heroin, stacked in two layers. A standard 1.8 cubic foot microwave oven can hold approximately 42 units (29.4 kilograms) of Mainland Southeast Asian heroin.

Read more: [www.drugs-forum.com]

It's 999,9 too:

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HouseBoyKnows
999 refers to a stamp of purity for bulk heroin. No doubt this what Keith was referring to.

HouseBoyKnows because he has a PhD in pharmacology

When the white crystals of pure heroin HCl are dry, the powder is compressed into bricks in a hydraulic heroin press. These machine-compressed bricks, often bear a “999” logo impression on one side. Mainland Southeast Asian heroin bricks are not adulterated with any type of substance. This high-purity, odorless heroin, ranges from 85 to 95 percent purity. The standard-sized bricks, called “units” (700-gram) or “half-units” (350 grams), are then placed in plastic bags and heat-sealed, ready for sale to heroin brokers and wholesalers. Each full unit measures 5½-inches long, 4-inches wide, and 2-inches deep. A standard briefcase, measuring 14 inches by 20 inches, and 5 inches deep, can easily hold 18 units (12.6 kilograms) of Mainland Southeast Asian heroin, stacked in two layers. A standard 1.8 cubic foot microwave oven can hold approximately 42 units (29.4 kilograms) of Mainland Southeast Asian heroin.

Read more: [www.drugs-forum.com]

Somehow I think we just got pretty close to the truth here.

Peace,
Mr DJA

Thanks for making we go back to this number. Once you know the meaning of 999, the lyrics start to make some sense. It's a classic Keith riff-groove. It growls. But is it a song?

Great live with the Winos.
[www.youtube.com]

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Irix
It's 999,9 too:

Ah yes - I had been wondering all along about that particular 999.9

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Beast

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Irix
It's 999,9 too:

Ah yes - I had been wondering all along about that particular 999.9

Since it seems to be a gold tongue, I'm just going to take a guess that the 999,9 (not 9,999?) stands for the number of karats the gold is? Anyone know what the rest of the tongue says?

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mr_dja

Quote
HouseBoyKnows
999 refers to a stamp of purity for bulk heroin. No doubt this what Keith was referring to.

HouseBoyKnows because he has a PhD in pharmacology

When the white crystals of pure heroin HCl are dry, the powder is compressed into bricks in a hydraulic heroin press. These machine-compressed bricks, often bear a “999” logo impression on one side. Mainland Southeast Asian heroin bricks are not adulterated with any type of substance. This high-purity, odorless heroin, ranges from 85 to 95 percent purity. The standard-sized bricks, called “units” (700-gram) or “half-units” (350 grams), are then placed in plastic bags and heat-sealed, ready for sale to heroin brokers and wholesalers. Each full unit measures 5½-inches long, 4-inches wide, and 2-inches deep. A standard briefcase, measuring 14 inches by 20 inches, and 5 inches deep, can easily hold 18 units (12.6 kilograms) of Mainland Southeast Asian heroin, stacked in two layers. A standard 1.8 cubic foot microwave oven can hold approximately 42 units (29.4 kilograms) of Mainland Southeast Asian heroin.

Read more: [www.drugs-forum.com]

Somehow I think we just got pretty close to the truth here.

Peace,
Mr DJA

I'd say so. I can't see Keith bothering to write a song about Tylenol 3.

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Deltics

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bye bye johnny
It's the UK emergency number, like 911.

What he said.
[en.wikipedia.org])

[news.bbc.co.uk]

Really. People continue with these wacky posts even after someone gives the answer in the third post. It's the same as calling 911 in the US, where Keith lived (England). It's what keith said when the song came out. That wasn't a guess, it was the correct answer.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-28 06:05 by Rokyfan.

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Rokyfan

Quote
Deltics

Quote
bye bye johnny
It's the UK emergency number, like 911.

What he said.
[en.wikipedia.org])

[news.bbc.co.uk]

Really. People continue with these wacky posts even after someone gives the answer in the third post. It's the same as calling 911 in the US, where Keith lived (England). It's what keith said when the song came out. That wasn't a guess, it was the correct answer.

"Why so serious?" The Joker (as interpreted by Heath Ledger)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-28 07:43 by crholmstrom.

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Rokyfan

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Deltics

Quote
bye bye johnny
It's the UK emergency number, like 911.

What he said.
[en.wikipedia.org])

[news.bbc.co.uk]

Really. People continue with these wacky posts even after someone gives the answer in the third post. It's the same as calling 911 in the US, where Keith lived (England). It's what keith said when the song came out. That wasn't a guess, it was the correct answer.

He's not going to say it's about heroin in a BBC interview, is he?

I think the song has at least three layers of meaning. Believe it or not I thought I had something to do with it. I'd interviewed Keith, I lived a few blocks from him in NYC. He walked his dog very early mornings before he went to sleep. I said I called 911 after my purse was snatched. I'd been robbed on the street of exactly $99. He was concerned but after all, $99 isn't much, just "nickels and dimes". It happened right before he wrote the song.

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BeforeTheyMakeMeRun

Anyone know what the rest of the tongue says?

Have a look here:



Click on the pic for a 4000x3000 px version. Thanks to Neighbours.

What 999 may refer to.

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Irix

What 999 may refer to.

Yeah could be about purity (like 0.999 pure gold in a bullion coin). Keith would turn the thing into moral purity or artistic purity/integrity.

..... it's one off a 1000 .... and that just wouldn't fit the lyrics ..

Hand over fist, slap on the wrist
Ummm, a thousand, (a thousand)
That's all I'm asking for, (a thousand)



ROCKMAN

Quote
HouseBoyKnows
999 refers to a stamp of purity for bulk heroin. No doubt this what Keith was referring to.

HouseBoyKnows because he has a PhD in pharmacology

When the white crystals of pure heroin HCl are dry, the powder is compressed into bricks in a hydraulic heroin press. These machine-compressed bricks, often bear a “999” logo impression on one side. Mainland Southeast Asian heroin bricks are not adulterated with any type of substance. This high-purity, odorless heroin, ranges from 85 to 95 percent purity. The standard-sized bricks, called “units” (700-gram) or “half-units” (350 grams), are then placed in plastic bags and heat-sealed, ready for sale to heroin brokers and wholesalers. Each full unit measures 5½-inches long, 4-inches wide, and 2-inches deep. A standard briefcase, measuring 14 inches by 20 inches, and 5 inches deep, can easily hold 18 units (12.6 kilograms) of Mainland Southeast Asian heroin, stacked in two layers. A standard 1.8 cubic foot microwave oven can hold approximately 42 units (29.4 kilograms) of Mainland Southeast Asian heroin.

Read more: [www.drugs-forum.com]

Spot on. And the "monkey" on his back lyrics are pretty obvious.

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latebloomer

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treaclefingers
Sale price from 1000?

Only for the first ten callers.

...but call right now, we'll double the offer!
(you just pay extra shipping and handling)