Just listened to it. I don't really like it....but it sounds like it must be about a specific person....a political figure maybe? Anybody know? Knowing this might make it a better listen for me.


IORR............but I like it!

Doubt it's about anyone in particular - and if it is, Mick is rarely in the habit of admitting to anything autobiographical or specific in his lyrics anyway.

probably another composite or generalisation, I would imagine.

never got the impression its about a politician. Seems a pretty straightforward "my baby left me" sort of song.

I REMEMBER READING SOMEPLACE THAT IT WAS ABOUT KURT COBAIN

....FACES that aren't old....so.....they're new..... see,see,see,see,see,see,see,see,see,see,see,see,see,see,see,see,see???.. Political? Yeah, it could be about a guy that says he's gonna "smoke out" a terrorist hiding in the mountains (at the time, now he lives in Orlando and works at Disney World - he's tall so he wears the "Goofy" costume) but is SO imcompetant that he invades the wrong country...Yeah, I think that's it !!! Got it !!!!

COUSINLOU Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I REMEMBER READING SOMEPLACE THAT IT WAS ABOUT
> KURT COBAIN


You are correct, sir.

It could be something for gentlemens like Iggy and Johansen to consider...

2 1 2 0

Iggy and Johansen? It's called aging.... holy sh*t, is this Retard Day?

gazza wrote: never got the impression its about a politician. Seems a pretty straightforward "my baby left me" sort of song.
************************************************

you're probably right. and maybe COUSINLOU is right - Kurt Cobain.

I listened to it today and thought it might be a metaphor for becoming disenchanted with a figure like Tony Blair or someone....that's all.


IORR............but I like it!

Many reviews for the ablum at the time cited the track as a nod to Kobain, although I can't recall this coming from any band member.

sweet neo con Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> gazza wrote: never got the impression its about a
> politician. Seems a pretty straightforward "my
> baby left me" sort of song.
> ************************************************
>
> you're probably right. and maybe COUSINLOU is
> right - Kurt Cobain.
>
> I listened to it today and thought it might be a
> metaphor for becoming disenchanted with a figure
> like Tony Blair or someone....that's all.



Blair didnt come to power for another 3 years. had it been written about him, it would probably be called New Faeces.

I thought Blair came in to power in '94 (Labour Party).
As for becoming PM...you're right ....'97.

Seems Kurt Cobain is the answer anyway.
Thanks Gazza and others.
Now that I know it's about Kurt..I'll give it another listen.


IORR............but I like it!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2007-02-19 20:40 by sweet neo con.

>> Now that I know it's about Kurt. <<

actually ... we now know some people say that someone said that it's about (or a nod to) Kurt.
don't get the connection, personally, but ... why would i. :E
pretty track anyway.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-02-19 20:53 by with sssoul.

New Faces is a classic piece of songwriting.

In the World Tour Programme 1994/95 Mick Jagger said this about New Faces: "IT´S AN ELIZABETHAN SONG WRITTEN FROM AN OLDER MAN´S POINT OF VIEW. NOT THAT I`M AN ELIZABETHAN MAN, BUT I HAVE THAT POINT OF VIEW".

Kind regards,
Gunnar

sweet neo con Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I thought Blair came in to power in '94 (Labour
> Party).

yeah but he was only the Leader of the Opposition

I've seen a few Stones interviews on the VL tour where theyre asked about Cobain's death (including one quite hilarious one with Keith by Molly Meldrum for Australian TV) and theres no hint by either interviewer or interviewee about him being the subject of the song

The lyrics to me just suggest its a song about a younger love rival (not a rival for Courtney Love, though ).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2007-02-19 20:48 by Gazza.

I was curious and so I just read all of the lyrics: " Well, well is he ringing your bell, My heart is breaking in two......Well, well, he'll be rotting in Hell, For playing the Devil with you." And " As he knocks you down cold, As you lose all control, to this slip of a youth" . My guess is that it's about one of Jerry's lovers that she took up with to piss off Mick and make him jealous while he was dallying with Carla Bruni. ( or any other number of willing lasses!).

It's a very good song. Very underated.

Debra Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was curious and so I just read all of the
> lyrics: " Well, well is he ringing your bell, My
> heart is breaking in two......Well, well, he'll be
> rotting in Hell, For playing the Devil with you."
> And " As he knocks you down cold, As you lose all
> control, to this slip of a youth" . My guess is
> that it's about one of Jerry's lovers that she
> took up with to piss off Mick and make him jealous
> while he was dallying with Carla Bruni. ( or any
> other number of willing lasses!).



Never really thought about it, but Debra seems to make a pretty compelling argument based on those lyrics. I certainly am not getting Tony Blair or Kurt Cobain from that, by a long shot.

**On edit--listened to the song (novel idea) and I have no clue what is going on there--lol Like the song though and I am not the biggest fan of VL.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2007-02-20 07:38 by Glass Slide.

like the song very much



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2007-02-20 12:56 by Beelyboy.

Yeah, Debra's idea is the only way I've ever interpretted this song.

Lady takes up with new and younger lover.

Love it. i too have heard it's about Kurt Cobain. The text isn't 100% about him though. It sounds like Mick wrote it with Kurt in mind and took it beyond too (Kurt's hair isn't exactly shining or his skin fair). Same way with Dangerous Beauty. It's with Lyndie England in mind, but it's also taken beyond (Wouldn't exactly call her a beauty, but it fits the song that Mick makes it into some S/M thing. Typical Mick style).

JumpingKentFlash

>> Mick wrote it with Kurt in mind <<

can you be more specific, Kent? Cobain was supposedly making eyes at Jerry, or ... ?

Don't know what you mean. I can tell you that it's not about Kurt's death though. The song was probably written in 1993 and Kurt shot himself in April 1994.

JumpingKentFlash

i mean: in what way is the song supposed to be "about" Kurt, or "have him in mind"?
it sounds like it's about the singer resenting some younger character who's gettin too close to his lady -
so is that younger character supposed to be Kurt Cobain?
and if so was he supposed to be getting close to Jerry Hall?

your guess is as good as anyone's but...you might be taking it too literally.


IORR............but I like it!

Well here's some of the clues I see:


Verse 1:
There's a new guy in town
He's been dragging around
He's the figure of youth
And his eyes are so blue
And they're looking at you
So tell me the truth
----------> Kurt Cobain's eyes was remarkably blue, he was the new rock god at the time, he dragged around (Literally), he was the figure of youth (The spokesman for a generation, although he hated it). The last two lines seems to me like some nice lyrical oobu joobu mish mash, but it fits...

Here's another clue. (I'm not gonna go through the entire song 'cause I'm tired).
As you lose all control
To this slip of a youth
(Losing control to punk music as those guys have for a habit, and also because the world of music (Which the grunge wave seemed to be at the time) has finally arrived).

I see fire in his eyes
I see ice in his smile
(Kurt's devilish blue eyes and the smile he makes at the end of the Smells Like Teen Spirit video).

Well, well who is under his spell
Is paying the devil his due
(Kindda what the Stones themselves experienced in the early days. The music putting the fans "under the spell" and sinning along with Kurt.


Great great text here.

JumpingKentFlash

thanks for elucidating, Kent. i'm not convinced, but i don't have to be!
good lyrics always have a lot of levels - sort of like i always have a lot of popcorn.
have some.

Yeah, it could be about anyone really. Like I said it's probably only written with Kurt in mind, but since there's no mentioning of any specific Kurt Cobain or Nirvana incident, it's really up for grabs. You could see it as a song about Kurt, but you could also see it as a singer resenting some younger character who's gettin too close to his lady, as you said. I agree that a good text has many levels and this one just proves that exact point.

JumpingKentFlash

I can't see it being about Kurt Cobain.
Doubt that he was ever on Mick's radar...certainly not to the point where he'd write a song about him.

Like I said - I remember a REVIEWER assuming it was about Kurt Cobain, not a BAND MEMBER saying this.

Only Micky knows...

I am somewhat surprised to read positive reviews of the song. I always thought of it as one of the very worst in the Stones catalog. Oh well, I guess de gustibus non est disputandum.