{"id":668059,"date":"2026-07-01T14:15:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/668059\/"},"modified":"2026-07-01T14:15:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-01T14:15:20","slug":"the-1968-rolling-stones-song-mick-jagger-wanted-to-retire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/668059\/","title":{"rendered":"The 1968 Rolling Stones song Mick Jagger wanted to retire"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

Credit: Alamy<\/p>\n

Wed 1 July 2026 12:04, UK <\/p>\n

When in a band as big as The Rolling Stones<\/a>, a few songs tend to wear out their welcome on tour. <\/p>\n

Even though many fans may love to hear tracks like \u2018Wild Horses\u2019 and \u2018Satisfaction\u2019 whenever they attend a Stones concert, it\u2019s easy to see classic bands going through the motions as they try their best to bring an authentic performance to the crowd. While Mick Jagger has never soured on many of The Stones\u2019 classic tunes, he thought that one song never held up as much as he thought.<\/p>\n

Then again, the idea of the band becoming world-class songwriters was stumbled upon almost accidentally. To be a sonic force on the same level as The Beatles, Jagger and Keith Richards fashioned themselves into songwriters on their own, creating tracks like \u2018As Tears Go By\u2019 and \u2018The Last Time\u2019 to work into their set alongside their bluesy covers like \u2018I Just Want To Make Love To You\u2019.<\/p>\n

After breaking down the door for hard rock on songs like \u2018Satisfaction\u2019, Jagger and Richards were leading the way for the dark side of the British Invasion, talking about subjects that were more jaded than what the Fab Four would have sung about on tracks like \u2018Under My Thumb\u2019 and \u2018Get Off My Cloud\u2019. <\/p>\n

As the band started to carve out a name for themselves past their local scene, though, they started to take more than a few cues from their contemporaries as well. In the wake of The Beatles becoming one of the most adventurous bands in the studio, The Stones would end up taking chances whenever they went to record, fashioning themselves into the sounds of baroque pop and psychedelic rock on albums like Between the Buttons<\/a> and Their Satanic Majesties Request.<\/p>\n

\"Mick<\/a>Credit: Far Out \/ Alamy<\/p>\n

Outside of the music, though, the rest of the world was changing as well, with the protests from the Vietnam War causing riots on the streets of America. Inspired to make something that would comment on the political situation, Jagger offered up \u2018Street Fighting Man\u2019 as a supportive anthem for the protestors, thinking there was nothing more for a poor boy to do than play rock and roll or riot in the streets.<\/p>\n

Released in 1968 amid widespread civil unrest, the song quickly became controversial. Several American radio stations pulled it from rotation following the assassination of Robert F Kennedy, fearing its title and subject matter could be interpreted as an incitement to violence despite Jagger insisting it was an observation rather than a call to arms.<\/p>\n

Although the song would become a killer hit for the band upon release, Jagger would soon start to fall out of love with the song as well. When doing a retrospective of the band\u2019s recording career, Jagger thought that the song sounded far more dated than it should, telling Jann Wenner, \u201cI don\u2019t know if it [resonates]. I don\u2019t know whether we should really play it. I was persuaded to put it in this tour because it seemed to fit in, but I\u2019m not really sure if it has any resonance for the present day\u201d.<\/p>\n

Jagger\u2019s uncertainty reflected his reluctance to treat the song as a timeless protest anthem. Rather than believing its message applied universally, he viewed it as being rooted in a very specific political and cultural moment, even if audiences continued to find fresh relevance in its themes of frustration and dissent.<\/p>\n

What Jagger thought it lacked lyrically, though, the band more than made for with the instrumentation. Featuring a snarling riff from Richards, the song relies more on the groove than the lyrics half the time, creating the musical picture of marching into battle against those who would prefer to be stifled. <\/p>\n

While the idea of political riots may not have been a central part of life anymore, every subsequent generation of rock stars has used the song as a model to rebel against anything keeping them down. From Oasis to Rage Against the Machine, Jagger\u2019s lines about finding freedom in making one\u2019s voice heard have become the model for any aspiring musician with a chip on their shoulder.<\/p>\n

Ironically, the song has outgrown its creator\u2019s reservations. While Jagger questioned whether Street Fighting Man still spoke to modern audiences, successive generations have continued to embrace it whenever periods of social unrest emerge. Its enduring appeal suggests that, even if the circumstances change, the desire to challenge authority through music remains as powerful as ever.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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