Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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All About You
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas, January 18 - February 12, 1979 and
Electric Ladyland Studios, New York City, New York, US, April 1980

Keith Richards - lead vocals, backing vocals, electric guitar, bass, piano
Charlie Watts - drums
Ron Wood - electric guitar, backing vocals
Bobby Keys - saxophone

Well, if you call this a life, why must I spend mine with you?
If the show must go on, let it go on without you
So sick and tired of hanging around with jerks like you

Who'll tell me those lies, let me think they're true, yeah
What am I to do?
You want it, I got it too

Though the laughs may be cheap, that's just 'cause the joke's about you
I'm so sick and tired, hanging around with dogs like you
You're the first to get laid
Always the last bitch to get paid

Who'll tell me those lies, let me think they're true, yeah
I heard one or two and they
Weren’t about me, weren’t about her, they were all about you

Well, I may miss you, but missing me just isn't you
I'm so sick and tired of hanging around dogs like…

Who'll tell those lies, let me think they're true
I heard one or two and they weren't about me, weren't about her
They're all about you, all about you
I’m so sick and tired, I’m sick and tired
What should I do?

You want
You get
So how come I'm still in love with you?

Produced by The Glimmer Twins

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Emotional Rescue” LP
(Rolling Stones Records CUN 39111) UK, June 23, 1980



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-11-24 19:14 by René.

Get the bumbs from plain readin''bout it.
Always get me eager for a cigarette, this one
(thou I quit smokin' back in 1993...)..

the sound on All About You always kind of reminded me of the Clash's "Jimmy Jazz", mostly the intro of that song.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-08-25 10:48 by ryanpow.

"Though the laughs may be cheap, that's just 'cause the joke's about you"

Like this line a lot. And the whole song.
Recently I was wondering, If it was directed at one special person? Does anyone know?

Its widely agreed that it is about Both Mick And Anita, but on different levels. It can be interpreted as being about either person.

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ryanpow
Its widely agreed that it is about Both Mick And Anita, but on different levels. It can be interpreted as being about either person.

Thank you. Funny, I was sthinking about Anita right away but wasn't sure.

>> Its widely agreed that it is about Both Mick And Anita <<

Keith's confirmed that - and added that it's more about himself than anyone

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with sssoul
>> Its widely agreed that it is about Both Mick And Anita <<

Keith's confirmed that - and added that it's more about himself than anyone

I see that and I understand teh song was written by Mick too. Now, I wonder, why would Mick write anything like this about himself, or let it be written about him? Or did Keith write most of the lyrics of this song (sounds like it, I think)? Or probably there was nothing Mick could do about Keith writing this, y'know....

Keith wrote it, CharliMoon - the MJ/KR credit doesn't always mean they were both involved in creating it.
as i say Keith's confirmed that it's about both Mick and Anita, and added that it's mainly about himself.

Keith's also said that he thought he was just laying down a demo for Mick to take over the vocals on,
but that the whole band said "no, leave it like this - it's beautiful."
and they were right. it's a gorgeous feeling-full piece delivered just perfect.
what individuals sparked the feelings isn't the important thing - it's the resonance of the feelings that matters.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-08-25 18:38 by with sssoul.

I like the horns in this one.

Keith seems to really make these slow burning songs work really well. When I listen to his fast stuff and then the slow stuff, I prefer the slow stuff. Slower.

There was a radio interview with Mick, Ronnie, and I think Bill (Mary Turner for Westwood One possibly) at the time of the album's release. They mentioned for many months the track was known as "The Train Song" and Keith would not let anyone hear the vocal. Keith also claimed he didn't release the song sooner because he feared he "borrowed" the melody subcounsciously.

Loved the Al Greenesque horn-laced arrangement on the B2B tour....one of keef's better ballads

>> There was a radio interview with Mick, Ronnie, and I think Bill <<

and Charlie, if we're thinking of the same interview - the transcript used to be on timeisonourside.com, but i can't find it there now.
Charlie said it was a fantastic number to drum on, and that he "didn't know how Keith made a song out of it."

I think this song was the start of Keith's crooner phase which has continued up until today with songs like "Thief In The Night," "This Place Is Empty," etc., etc. At least its the first song in that mode I can remember off the top of my head.

It's my favourite Keith-song (I think).

It would be great to see him perform it live, although I think the timing is quite difficult on this one, the all about you lines.

Jelle

oh here's that fragment of the interview - conveniently located at [www.timeisonourside.com]

Charlie: The classic one on this album is the one Keith's done. I mean, I didn't know what ...
right up until about 2 months before the album ... has now come out.
Mick: Which one are you talking about, Charlie?
Charlie: I mean, I didn't know ...
Mick: Which song ... ?
Bill: All About You.
Mick: Oh, All About You.
Bill: The "train song".
Mick: Yeah.
Charlie: Yeah.
Ron: Train Song, that's what we knew it as.
Charlie: Yeah, Keith's, yeah ... Oh nobody knows ...
Bill: It's just a track called Train Song.
Charlie: And I never knew what Keith was going to (put) on it, I never knew what he wanted ...
But it was a great track to play. That's being a drummer, you know?
Ron: He ended up singing that too, which is quite pleasing.
Charlie: Yeah, it's great. But I mean ...
Mick: It's not me singing it (laughs).
Charlie: How he made a song out of it, I don't know.

- Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman & Ron Wood, 1980



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-08-25 18:33 by with sssoul.

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ohnonotyouagain
I think this song was the start of Keith's crooner phase which has continued up until today with songs like "Thief In The Night," "This Place Is Empty," etc., etc. At least its the first song in that mode I can remember off the top of my head.

coming down again and the bridge to memory motel came off the top of mine

You got the Silver too...

I thought of Memory Motel but don't really count it because he doesn't sing lead on the whole thing. Coming Down Again and You Got The Silver, though, good points on those.

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ohnonotyouagain
I thought of Memory Motel but don't really count it because he doesn't sing lead on the whole thing. Coming Down Again and You Got The Silver, though, good points on those.

there are rules to this?

actually, his vocal styling on memory motel is the crooner template he's employed on all about you and all about the subsequent ballads he's done...

Thanks for posting, with sssoul. Nice to know my memory is still pretty well intact.

I like it, yes i do....funny when the album was 1st released i hated it...but then i was a lot younger and wanted ONLY rock and roll from Keith...But years later (older and wiser) i love it. Very clever song. Keith is the best at writing slower blues/country tracks and not just the same old love songs you hear all the time...His songs make you think!

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hot stuff
......... Keith is the best at writing slower blues/country tracks and not just the same old love songs you hear all the time...

.....I think together they write dynamite country....but Mick's not too shabby doing country without Keith....Dead Flowers and Evening Gown are 2 that come to mind right off the bat that are entirely his........

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sluissie
It's my favourite Keith-song (I think).

It would be great to see him perform it live, although I think the timing is quite difficult on this one, the all about you lines.

Jelle

They did it quite frequently on the Bridges to Babylon tour. At least they did it in St. Louis for the pay-per-view show (although I think it may have been left off the later DVD).

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skipstone
I like the horns in this one.

Keith seems to really make these slow burning songs work really well. When I listen to his fast stuff and then the slow stuff, I prefer the slow stuff. Slower.

Yeah, I agree. I mean, listen to the version of "Little T&A" on the latest live CD, SAL. It hurts a bit to say, but let's face the truth, it sounds horrible. At least that's what I think about it.
I love Keith's slower stuff´nowadays. He's good at singing the ballads and love song. Or the old blues where he's singing and playing the piano. That's lovely, I really enjoy listening to those bootlegs. He used to be great off with "T&A" etc, but I really prefer him singing slower songs, actually.
I also loved it how he sang the bridges on Memory Motel. Beautiful, in fact it makes me cry all the time. *gg*


with sssoul, thanks a lot for posting the interview snippet. And I agree, they were right to leave it like that. It's a wonderful song just as it is.

any ideas for why they called it "The Train Song"? Just focusing on the backing track, I don't hear anything particularly trainlike (and there is a tradition of train songs).

stunningly sophisticated chord progression for this tune. I was enthralled the first time I discovered at the end of a so-so album (which grew on me fast). And what lyrics... wow. Great conceit and execution. Maybe there's some Tin Pan Alley chestnut that he's referring to ("All of Me"?), but it's not obvious to me.

Thanx everyone!

Any comments, input or alterations on the recording dates/places, musicians and lyrisc?

René

Always loved that one, always will!

I don't think "Dead Flowers" is entirely Mick's. Where did you get that from, Rip This?

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René
Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
________________________________________________________________________________

All About You
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas, January 18 - February 12, 1979 and
Electric Ladyland Studios, New York City, New York, US, April 1980

Keith Richards - lead vocals, backing vocals, electric guitar, bass, piano
Charlie Watts - drums
Ron Wood - electric guitar, backing vocals
Bobby Keys - saxophone

I thought I read somewhere that Ronnie (!) played drums on this.