What do you think this song is about? Really.

I think it's about the state the band was in around the time they were recording Steel Wheels. It's about being pissed off, being sad, but MOVING ON - and that's what steels wheels itself was all about. That's why the album kicks off with it.

LOVE this song! One of my absolute favourite Stones tunes. Great opener for the Steel Wheels album IMO.

@#$%& great

I can't help you, I'm not a native speaker.
It's very hard to understand the meaning of a song when there's some
slang expression into it;
for instance,
"The fool ain't going to follow, he don't need to sleaze about"
I don't know what means "to sleaze about"
The "elephant" metaphor is also enigmatic

maybe it's the need of being alone when the world around you is awful

Hey Christian---good for you. I think it is cool that you
give it a good try. I (and many others) struggle with English!

Music is a universal language--keep rocking out.

The first time I heard this, I was 8. I thought Sad Sad Sad, meant the same as the Norwegian word, pronounced the same. Very pervert. Sperm, sperm, sperm.

Pure rock n roll. Love the opening riffs... doesn't sound very complicated... just a very pleasing sound.

here's what Steve Appleford says about this song:
"Jagger sings of finding comfort even amid the chaos of life"

Hey, Christian, I'm a lifelong English speaker and have no clue as to what he's talking about. It's not just you. The words are an enigma. BTW, somebody mentioned the other day that Mick no longer writes abstractly. This was one of the last times he did.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-02-15 22:22 by Elmo Lewis.

I can't help too since I speak Spanish!!!!.

I love this song and the lyrics. I think it's about being lost in the confusion of everyday life and not knowing exactly what to do but that you will find a way eventually. I like the humor in it. I partularly like the lines: "The elephant's in the bedroom / Throwing all his weight about / And I'm locked in the bathroom / Your screaams are gonna drown me out". I also love when Mick says "But you're gonna be fine", he describes this bad situation then throws that. It's one of the things that makes this lyrics great.

this song is ok, but it's certainly not the best of their career.. i think steel wheels is not a good album : i even prefer undercover or dirty work !

Even native English speakers have trouble with Mick's lyrics.
But if anyone out there can explain the Count of Monte Cristo to me, please let me know.

Always loved this tune and thought it was a great way to open
up a record and particularly one where they had to make a statement
that they were back--which they did.

Great song.

here's some clue
[en.wikipedia.org]

Just the way that song starts and kicks in with the bass and drums is pure magic.Hearing it spontaneously is a joy.

from a december 89 Guitar Player interview with Keith:

Keith: [On Sad Sad Sad] Mick's also playing rhythm guitar, so there's a lot of guitars on that - three guitars on the actual track before any overdubs.
GP: You play the first thing you hear, though, right?
Keith: That's Mick.
GP: Wow.
Keith: Yeah, well, he's been hanging around me a long time [laughs].
GP: The first thing you hear in Sad Sad Sad?
Keith: It's Mick! Oh yeah, he can do a fairly good imitation of me [laughs]. Mind you, we spent a long time working on the sound. I join in at the very end of the riff there [bar 4].

here's the whole interview - it's old but it's good:
[web.vip.hr]



"What do you want - what?!"
- Keith