The lyrics aren't what I listen to on this track, but it's school marm, not "school mom"
"School marm" is (my Oxford dictionary tells me) chiefly a US term for a schoolmistress
typically used to refer to a woman who is perceived as prim, strict and brisk

Best sounding acoustic guitar on Vinyl (together with Neil Youngs 'Trasher'), on my Top 3-list from Exile...

2 1 2 0

imo this song is better than CYHMK, Start me up or Bitch
One of the best Stones lyrics
everything is perfect, even Jagger's vocals

Love the Caribbean groove on this one, Jaggers vocal and Keith's guitar work so well together. I imagine Jimmy Miller had a lot to do with making this recording work so well.

Strangely, it seems such a happy sounding song for such a sadly tragic subject. Not knowing better I would have though this was recorded after their stay in Jamacia, but I guess Keith and Mick had been there on holiday prior to the GHS sessions.

peace

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Naturalust
Love the Caribbean groove on this one, Jaggers vocal and Keith's guitar work so well together. I imagine Jimmy Miller had a lot to do with making this recording work so well.

Strangely, it seems such a happy sounding song for such a sadly tragic subject. Not knowing better I would have though this was recorded after their stay in Jamacia, but I guess Keith and Mick had been there on holiday prior to the GHS sessions.

peace

Initially recorded and quite possibly written in the funky backwoods of rural Berkshire in England in 1970, which I reckon makes the song even more special.

Really enjoying reading the descriptions of this track here. I had read that they did this live once, this is my first time hearing it. Not what I was expecting. Pretty cool though. Kind of a forerunner to Luxury.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-01-12 20:09 by ryanpow.

I can't stand this song. It's just awful. I hate the calypso rhythm, Jagger's affected singing, the grating mix, and ever so much more. Literally everything about this song rubs me the wrong way.

One of my favourite Stones song ever!


-----------------------------

[glimmerkkp.blogspot.com]

Yes!!!
What a sound!
What a drive!
What a presence!
Always had the feeling the Stones are playing right in my room when I was 16 and living at my parents house.
Have the same feeling now when I listen to it in my living room in my own house at 53 :-)

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Silver Dagger

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Naturalust
Love the Caribbean groove on this one, Jaggers vocal and Keith's guitar work so well together. I imagine Jimmy Miller had a lot to do with making this recording work so well.

Strangely, it seems such a happy sounding song for such a sadly tragic subject. Not knowing better I would have though this was recorded after their stay in Jamacia, but I guess Keith and Mick had been there on holiday prior to the GHS sessions.

peace

Initially recorded and quite possibly written in the funky backwoods of rural Berkshire in England in 1970, which I reckon makes the song even more special.

Which makes it cousin of Happy (first recorded as Who Am I)

No, it wasn't, Carpet

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Silver Dagger

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DandelionPowderman
Great write-up, Mike!

But they have played it live. Here's the 1972-version:

Wow - didn't know that. I'll add that version to my alternate Exile On Main Street compilation of alt versions or songs played live as near to the launch of Exile as possible.

First check kleermaker1000's YT-channel before stating anything loudly concerning the live Stones during the Taylor-era!

Nice cover...





-----------------------------------

[glimmerkkp.blogspot.com]

I could never relate to the lyrics. Didn't know who Angela Davis when I first heard it and after I did my research she did not spark any interest. I was uncomfortable with the use of the n-word.

I do like some of the guitar parts and harmonies.

Simply beautiful. One in a large, large cannon of Rolling Stones gems.

A great song that I am amused to find I had never taken the time to read/find all the lyrics to before so thanks for publishing them in the lead post.

I knew it was inspired by Angela Davis, but never having read the lyrics in full before NOW, I didn't appreciate just how deep the words were/are. Great, Thanks.

Love the interplay between Jagger's singing and Keith's guitaring. They seem to perfectly bounce of each other. Instead of the 2 guitar weave we love about the Stones this is a perfect 1 guitar/1 voice weave....

One of the key pieces of a large picture, to make Exile what it is, a masterpiece!

>Was there any need for the 'n' word in the song?


Well it's not just tossed-off, it has literary connotations -- and in fact, isn't there a blackface minstrel in a photo on the cover of EOMS?:

re: "Ten Little Indians":

It is generally thought that this song was adapted, possibly by Frank J. Green in 1869, as "Ten Little Niggers", though it is possible that the influence was the other way round, with "Ten Little Niggers" being a close reflection of the text that became "Ten Little Indians". Either way, "Ten Little Niggers" became a standard of the blackface minstrel shows. It was sung by Christy's Minstrels and became widely known in Europe, where it was used by Agatha Christie in her novel of the same name. The novel was later retitled And Then There Were None (1939), and remains one of her most famous works, about ten killings on a remote island.

[en.wikipedia.org]

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Redhotcarpet

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Silver Dagger

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Naturalust
Love the Caribbean groove on this one, Jaggers vocal and Keith's guitar work so well together. I imagine Jimmy Miller had a lot to do with making this recording work so well.

Strangely, it seems such a happy sounding song for such a sadly tragic subject. Not knowing better I would have though this was recorded after their stay in Jamacia, but I guess Keith and Mick had been there on holiday prior to the GHS sessions.

peace

Initially recorded and quite possibly written in the funky backwoods of rural Berkshire in England in 1970, which I reckon makes the song even more special.

Which makes it cousin of Happy (first recorded as Who Am I)

Sorry carpet - can't hear any of Happy in this. Which part do you mean?

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kleermaker

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Silver Dagger

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DandelionPowderman
Great write-up, Mike!

But they have played it live. Here's the 1972-version:

Wow - didn't know that. I'll add that version to my alternate Exile On Main Street compilation of alt versions or songs played live as near to the launch of Exile as possible.

First check kleermaker1000's YT-channel before stating anything loudly concerning the live Stones during the Taylor-era!

Is that the same famous kleermaker who gets videos posted by the Stones themselves on their website by any chance?? ><

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Silver Dagger

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Redhotcarpet

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Silver Dagger

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Naturalust
Love the Caribbean groove on this one, Jaggers vocal and Keith's guitar work so well together. I imagine Jimmy Miller had a lot to do with making this recording work so well.

Strangely, it seems such a happy sounding song for such a sadly tragic subject. Not knowing better I would have though this was recorded after their stay in Jamacia, but I guess Keith and Mick had been there on holiday prior to the GHS sessions.

peace

Initially recorded and quite possibly written in the funky backwoods of rural Berkshire in England in 1970, which I reckon makes the song even more special.

Which makes it cousin of Happy (first recorded as Who Am I)

Sorry carpet - can't hear any of Happy in this. Which part do you mean?

He means the intro riff, which is somewhat similar, but in a different rhythm.

But it would be like saying It Must Be Hell was first recorded as Honky Tonk Women

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Glam Descendant
>Was there any need for the 'n' word in the song?


Well it's not just tossed-off, it has literary connotations -- and in fact, isn't there a blackface minstrel in a photo on the cover of EOMS?:

re: "Ten Little Indians":

It is generally thought that this song was adapted, possibly by Frank J. Green in 1869, as "Ten Little Niggers", though it is possible that the influence was the other way round, with "Ten Little Niggers" being a close reflection of the text that became "Ten Little Indians". Either way, "Ten Little Niggers" became a standard of the blackface minstrel shows. It was sung by Christy's Minstrels and became widely known in Europe, where it was used by Agatha Christie in her novel of the same name. The novel was later retitled And Then There Were None (1939), and remains one of her most famous works, about ten killings on a remote island.

[en.wikipedia.org]

It still sounds like a gratuitous use of the word to me - used for shock value more than any literary reflection.

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DandelionPowderman

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Silver Dagger

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Redhotcarpet

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Silver Dagger

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Naturalust
Love the Caribbean groove on this one, Jaggers vocal and Keith's guitar work so well together. I imagine Jimmy Miller had a lot to do with making this recording work so well.

Strangely, it seems such a happy sounding song for such a sadly tragic subject. Not knowing better I would have though this was recorded after their stay in Jamacia, but I guess Keith and Mick had been there on holiday prior to the GHS sessions.

peace

Initially recorded and quite possibly written in the funky backwoods of rural Berkshire in England in 1970, which I reckon makes the song even more special.

Which makes it cousin of Happy (first recorded as Who Am I)

Sorry carpet - can't hear any of Happy in this. Which part do you mean?

He means the intro riff, which is somewhat similar, but in a different rhythm.

But it would be like saying It Must Be Hell was first recorded as Honky Tonk Women

Similar but in a different rhythm makes it different to me.

We've talked about the wonderful vocals, guitar and percussion but let's not forget Bill's masterful bass which underpins the song so perfectly and which kinda gets lost in the general mix.

Here's an instrumental version where Bill's bass just positively shines.

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Silver Dagger


Is that the same famous kleermaker who gets videos posted by the Stones themselves on their website by any chance?? ><

yeah the one who unfortunately contributes very little to IORR these days.

- Doxa

Ha! Great minds think alike, Silver Dagger - you beat me to posting "Bent Green Needles" by one minute. According to Andy Johns (quoted by timeisonourside):

That was done all of them in a room in a circle at the same time, because there was this one room away from the main hall that had no furniture in it, with a wooden floor, quite high ceilings and plaster walls. We wanted to get the sound of the room.

- and they certainly did capture the sound and the feel of everyone sitting together playing along. Wonderful track, and a song I could listen to forever. Maybe the reason they don't do it live is that the sound of that room is such an essential but un-repeatable part of it.

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Green Lady
According to Andy Johns (quoted by timeisonourside):

That was done all of them in a room in a circle at the same time, because there was this one room away from the main hall that had no furniture in it, with a wooden floor, quite high ceilings and plaster walls. We wanted to get the sound of the room.

The recording Silver Dagger posted sure feels like being present. Only the second accoustic
guitar in the mix reveals that it's not really a one take recording. Or could it be
there was an unnamed second guitar player present?

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

Taylor's guitar is there on the finished version as well. But it is more audible toward the ending.

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marcovandereijk

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Green Lady
According to Andy Johns (quoted by timeisonourside):

That was done all of them in a room in a circle at the same time, because there was this one room away from the main hall that had no furniture in it, with a wooden floor, quite high ceilings and plaster walls. We wanted to get the sound of the room.

The recording Silver Dagger posted sure feels like being present. Only the second accoustic
guitar in the mix reveals that it's not really a one take recording. Or could it be
there was an unnamed second guitar player present?

Good point - the mystery thickens. Where is Sherlock Powderman?

The tune is so charming it's almost magic; like a hex that draws you in.
Amazed that the word 'nigger' used in the lyrics is getting so much attention in this thread. Are people really so scared of this word? Never a light word to throw around, it definitely had a different connotation in 72 than today.