“Heartbreaker” obviously refers to a case of police brutality. Was this deplorable incidebt real, substantial? I guess so. Any information about that?

BTW, i love “Heartbreaker”. A personal confidence : In the last years, every time i am listening to the song, my mind and my emotions return to African immigrant Ahmed Diallo, an unarmed street peddler who was killed by four police officers, in 1999. Do you remember the case? They fired 41 shots at him in the vestibule of his Bronx apartment house. Diallo was struck by 24 bullets. The officers opened fire for reasons mysterious. And they had been acquiteted, for reasons “mysterious”- i guess. A side effect of “tolerance zero” dogma, i suppose…

Bruce Springseen wrote a song for Ahmed Diallo: “41 shots”. Maybe the Stones mentioned with “Heartbreaker” a similar case. Any information would be welcome.

I think it was all in Mick's imagination. Not sure though.

"No Anchovies, Please"

I heard it was a true story that happened in the early seventies in Central Park- though I can't remember all the details.

I heard Billy Preston was there in Central Park playing the organ when the shots rang out.

Yik

What about the 10 year old junkie?

That was Tatum O'neal...

Thanks, folks.

do not think that this was about any incident in particular, having grown up in nyc during the 60's and 70's i can recall several instances when the cops got a little to enthusiastic, just the way things were then

Woodish, maybe you're right, but, on the other hand, FrankM and J.J. Flash remembered something in particular. Something that refers to Central Park. Unfortunately, we can't ask Billy Preston about it...

BTW, had these cases with "enthousiastic" cops been something in usual in early seventies MORE than in ninties, in the years of the "tolerance zero" dogma? An answer from a guy who have grown up in NYC would be very interesting.

There was a time when people started to feel NYC was almost spinning out of control. Around the time the film TAXI DRIVER was made was a period of feeling NYC was right on the edge, the giant mega monster city that was gonna become a nightmare.... then things slowly changed and now there's million dollar lofts were they used to have hot dog factories.....things take strange turns.....

stickydion Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Woodish, maybe you're right, but, on the other
> hand, FrankM and J.J. Flash remembered something
> in particular. Something that refers to Central
> Park. Unfortunately, we can't ask Billy Preston
> about it...
>
> BTW, had these cases with "enthousiastic" cops
> been something in usual in early seventies MORE
> than in ninties, in the years of the "tolerance
> zero" dogma? An answer from a guy who have grown
> up in NYC would be very interesting.

Yes I distinctly remember it was about a specific incident but for the life of me I can't remember all the details. I even went to the internet to try and link the song to the incident but couldn't find anything.

The reason I remember is because the subject came up recenty when "Sweet Neo Con" was causing a stir. Someone was talking about the Stones and their occaisonal foray into political issues and mentioned the "Heartbreaker" song and the incident.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-10-09 01:28 by FrankM.

I don't see how it can refer to only ONE event. I mean the 2nd verse:
"A 10 year old girl on street corner
Stickin needles in her arm
She died in the dirt of the alleyway
Her momma cried she had no chance"

Think how often that sad story has played itself out on the urban streets of the USA. especially in the 70's when it was indeed needles that they were sticking in their arms.
And the police has been known to put a bullitt through the heart of many a mistaken identity.
Maybe Jagger was checking the papers and the story grabbed his attention; so he embellished.

"...no longer shall you trudge 'cross my peaceful mind."

There was nothing to embelish. The first verse probably states exactly what happened- I just can't remember the name of the victim or why they shot him (Did they think he had a gun? etc.)

As far as the 2nd verse goes that is probably just a story about things that happen to people- not a specific incident.

As a civil rights lawyer who practices law in New York I can assure you that police brutality continues to be a major problem, particularly for minorities.

JonDupee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As a civil rights lawyer who practices law in New
> York I can assure you that police brutality
> continues to be a major problem, particularly for
> minorities.

I believe the vast majority of the NYPD are good people. Unfortunately as with any other occupation you will have some "bad apples".

DupeeJon : "As a civil rights lawyer who practices law in New York I can assure you that police brutality continues to be a major problem, particularly for minorities."

I suppose the situation worsened seriously in the years of Mayor Rudolph Guiliani. Or since then. Am i right, DupeeJon?

I'm sure this thread could live on without being too
exhausted nor political, couldnt it?

i dont know to who it refers exactly too, but i'm afraid it can refer to many people... it happens all the time :/ in many cities..

just legalise it and help these people pls...

Life's just a cocktail party on the street

nothing could be more tragic than the song itself - BLECH!

you can't catch me!

I never understood why this song is so berated. I can understand why a song like "Hot Stuff" would be berated. I like it but some might not like the disco tinge. What exactly is is about "Heartbreaker" that people don't like?

It has a lot of doo doo doos but so does "Hang Fire" and "Wating On A Friend".

stickydion Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> “Heartbreaker” obviously refers to a case of
> police brutality. Was this deplorable incidebt
> real, substantial? I guess so. Any information
> about that?
>
> BTW, i love “Heartbreaker”. A personal confidence
> : In the last years, every time i am listening to
> the song, my mind and my emotions return to
> African immigrant Ahmed Diallo, an unarmed street
> peddler who was killed by four police officers, in
> 1999. Do you remember the case? They fired 41
> shots at him in the vestibule of his Bronx
> apartment house. Diallo was struck by 24 bullets.
> The officers opened fire for reasons mysterious.
> And they had been acquiteted, for reasons
> “mysterious”- i guess. A side effect of “tolerance
> zero” dogma, i suppose…
>
> Bruce Springseen wrote a song for Ahmed Diallo:
> “41 shots”. Maybe the Stones mentioned with
> “Heartbreaker” a similar case. Any information
> would be welcome.


i surely dont want to get political here (nor am I saying that ANYONE deserves to be shot unjustly once let alone 41 times), but why is it never reported that Mr. Diallo had lied to get legal staus in this country and maybe was acting a bit shifty when the cops asked him to stop thinking they were INS rather than NYPD.

I'm trying top picture Mick reading the NY Post (which was different then!) and reading the story. Okay, got that, but what about all of those "doo doo doo doo doos??" Where did THEY come from? Not quite La Dee Das, but....

FrankM wrote: "I never understood why this song is so berated."

I think many, many fans like it. Personally, i know a notable number of fans who consider "Heartbreaker" and "Winter" as the best tracks of the album...