You Ca n't Always Get What You Want - wikipedia You Ca n't Always Get What You Want This article is about the song by the Rolling Stones. For the `` Grounded for Life '' episode, see You Ca n't Always Get What You Want ( Grounded for Life episode ). For the One Tree Hill episode, see You Ca n't Always Get What You Want ( One Tree Hill episode ). `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want '' Single by the Rolling Stones from the album Let It Bleed A-side `` Honky Tonk Women '' Released 4 July 1969 ( 1969 - 07 - 04 ) ( single version ) December 1969 ( extended album version ) Format 7 - inch single Recorded 16 -- 17 November 1968 Studio Olympic, London Genre Rock gospel Length 5 : 00 ( single ) 7 : 28 ( album ) Label Decca ( UK ) London ( US ) Songwriter ( s ) Jagger / Richards Producer ( s ) Jimmy Miller Rolling Stones UK singles chronology `` Jumpin ' Jack Flash '' ( 1968 ) `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want '' ( 1969 ) `` Brown Sugar '' ( 1971 ) Rolling Stones US singles chronology `` Street Fighting Man '' ( 1968 ) `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want '' ( 1969 ) `` Brown Sugar '' ( 1971 ) Audio sample file help `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want '' is a song by the Rolling Stones on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in its 2004 list of the `` 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ''. Contents 1 Composition and recording 2 Lyrics 3 Release and aftermath 3.1 Trump campaign use 4 Personnel 5 Chart performance 6 Covers and tributes 7 References Composition and recording Jagger commented on the song 's beginnings : `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want '' was something I just played on the acoustic guitar -- one of those bedroom songs. It proved to be quite difficult to record because Charlie could n't play the groove and so Jimmy Miller had to play the drums. I 'd also had this idea of having a choir, probably a gospel choir, on the track, but there was n't one around at that point. Jack Nitzsche, or somebody, said that we could get the London Bach Choir and we said, `` That will be a laugh. '' `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want '' was the first song recorded for the album. It exists in two versions, a 5 : 00 single mix and a 7 : 28 album mix. `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want '' was recorded on 16 and 17 November 1968 at Olympic Sound Studios in London. It features the London Bach Choir opening the song ( the choir opening is only on the album version ), highlighting throughout, and bringing it to its conclusion. Jimmy Miller, the Stones ' producer at the time, plays drums on this song instead of Charlie Watts. Al Kooper plays piano and organ, as well as the French horn intro, while Rocky Dijon plays congas and maracas. In his review of the song, Richie Unterberger of AllMusic said : `` If you buy John Lennon 's observation that the Rolling Stones were apt to copy the Beatles ' innovations within a few months or so, ' You Ca n't Always Get What You Want ' is the Rolling Stones ' counterpart to ' Hey Jude '. '' Jagger said in 1969, `` I liked the way the Beatles did that with ' Hey Jude '. The orchestra was not just to cover everything up -- it was something extra. We may do something like that on the next album. '' Lyrics The three verses ( and the varied theme of the fourth verse ) address major topics of the 1960s : love, politics, and drugs. Each verse captures the essence of the initial optimism and eventual disillusion, followed by the resigned pragmatism of the chorus. Unterberger ebalorated : Much has been made of the lyrics reflecting the end of the overlong party that was the 1960s, as a snapshot of Swinging London burning out. That 's a valid interpretation, but it should also be pointed out that there 's also an uplifting and reassuring quality to the melody and performance. This is particularly true of the key lyrical hook, when we are reminded that we ca n't always get what we want, but we 'll get what we need. Jimmy Hutmaker of Excelsior, Minnesota, claimed to be the `` Mr. Jimmy '' cited in the song and that he said the phrase `` you ca n't always get what you want '' to Jagger during a chance encounter at an Excelsior drug store in 1964. However, David Dalton, a writer for Rolling Stone who witnessed the filming of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, claims in his commentary for the DVD of the concert that `` Mr. Jimmy '' refers to Jimmy Miller, the Stones producer from 1968 to 1973. Marianne Faithfull has also claimed a role : `` Obviously I also contributed to ' You Ca n't Always Get What You Want ' and ' Dear Doctor ' -- junk songs... I know they used me as a muse for those tough drug songs. I knew I was being used but it was for a worthy cause. '' Release and aftermath The song was originally released on the B - side of `` Honky Tonk Women '' in July 1969. Although it did not chart at the time, London Records re-serviced the single in 1973 and `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want '' reached number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 34 on the Cashbox Top 100 Singles chart. One of the Stones ' most popular recordings, it has since appeared on the compilations Hot Rocks, Singles Collection ( single version ), Forty Licks, Rolled Gold+ : The Very Best of the Rolling Stones ( 2007 edition ), Singles 1968 - 1971 ( single version ), Slow Rollers ( single version ) and GRRR ! ( single version ). The song is also very popular at Rolling Stones shows in part because of its sing - along chorus, and is played at almost every show, where it is customary for Jagger to change the lyrics from `` my favourite flavour, cherry red '' to the question `` What 's your favourite flavour ? '' to which the audience replies `` Cherry red ! '' Live recordings appear on the albums Love You Live, Flashpoint, Live Licks, and Sweet Summer Sun : Hyde Park Live, as well as on The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, filmed in 1968. Stones concert films that contain the song include : Ladies and Gentlemen : The Rolling Stones, From the Vault -- L.A Forum - Live in 1975, Let 's Spend the Night Together, Stones at the Max, Bridges to Babylon Tour ' 97 -- 98, Four Flicks, The Biggest Bang, and ' Sweet Summer Sun : Hyde Park Live. The song was performed live with members of Voce Chamber Choir and London Youth Choir for the Stones ' 2012 reunion shows in London, November 25 and November 29. The same choir also performed on the track at Glastonbury and two performances at Hyde Park in 2013. Trump campaign use Donald Trump played the Rolling Stones ' recording of the song at campaign appearances during the 2016 Republican primaries and the presidential election, including his nationally televised acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in July. After the convention, the band stated publicly that they do not endorse Trump and requested that he cease all use of their songs immediately. Despite the requests to stop, Trump continued using the song at campaign rallies before and after the 2016 election. According to Jagger, the band considers the use of the song as a play - out at rallies to be `` odd, '' given that it is a `` sort of doomy ballad about drugs in Chelsea. '' Personnel The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger -- vocals, acoustic guitar Keith Richards -- acoustic and electric guitars, backing vocals Bill Wyman -- bass guitar Additional personnel London Bach Choir -- choral arrangements by Jack Nitzsche Al Kooper -- piano, organ, French horn Jimmy Miller -- drums Rocky Dijon -- congas, maracas, tambourine Madeline Bell -- backing vocals Nanette Workman -- backing vocals ( credited as ' Nanette Newman ' on the LP ) Doris Troy -- backing vocals Chart performance Chart ( 1973 ) Peak position Canada RPM Top Singles 68 US Billboard Hot 100 42 Covers and tributes This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia 's quality standards. The specific problem is : may not meet WP : SONGCOVER Please help improve this section if you can. ( July 2013 ) 1980 -- Bette Midler recorded a live version for her concert album and film Divine Madness. The song was made into a medley featuring Bob Dylan 's `` I Shall Be Released ''. 1981 -- Aretha Franklin covered the song on her album Love All the Hurt Away. 1983 -- The song is on the soundtrack for the movie `` The Big Chill '' and is played after the funeral of the unseen character who everyone is there to mourn. 1989 -- `` Weird Al '' Yankovic included the song in `` The Hot Rocks Polka '', a polka medley consisting entirely of the Stones ' songs. 1990 -- George Michael used the song 's rhythm, chords and chorus in his single `` Waiting for That Day ''. Jagger and Richards received shared songwriting credit. 1992 -- Def Leppard released an acoustic cover of the song as a b - side to their single `` Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad ''. 1993 -- folk singers Greg Brown and Bill Morrissey covered the song on their only joint recording Friend of Mine. 1998 -- the jam band Rusted Root included a version on their self - titled fourth album. 2007 -- Band from TV covered it for the House M.D. Original Television Soundtrack, the song being a recurring theme in the television show. 2008 -- Belgian outfit Soulwax released a remix of the song, which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2008 film 21. 2009 -- the cast of Glee recorded a cover in the episode `` Sectionals ''. 2012 -- Anastacia covered the song for her album It 's a Man 's World. 2016 -- Parliamentary rock group MP4, Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs, Steve Harley, KT Tunstall and David Gray teamed up with Members of the British Parliamentary choir and the Royal Opera House Thurrock Community Chorus to record a charity version of the song in memory of Labour MP Jo Cox. References ^ Jump up to : The original London Records single label lists `` Time : 5 : 00 '' ^ Jump up to : The original London Records Let It Bleed inner sleeve lists `` 7 : 28 '' Jump up ^ Loewenstein, Dora ; Dodd, Philip ( 2003 ). According to the Rolling Stones. San Francisco : Chronicle Books. ISBN 0 - 8118 - 4060 - 3. ^ Jump up to : `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want ''. AllMusic. Retrieved 2009 - 10 - 31. Jump up ^ `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want ''. Time Is On Our Side. 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2007. Jump up ^ Cohen, Ben ( 2007 - 10 - 04 ) Jimmy Hutmaker was town character of Excelsior, Star Tribune Jump up ^ Bell, Max ( March 2011 ). `` A walk on the wild side ''. Classic Rock # 155. p. 76. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2015 ). The Comparison Book. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin : Record Research Inc. p. 431. ISBN 0 - 89820 - 213 - 2. Jump up ^ `` I got satisfaction rocking with Mick and Keith ''. The Independent. Jump up ^ `` Donald Trump 's Victory Speech Ended with a Very Ironic Song ''. Fortune. 2016 - 11 - 09. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 25. Jump up ^ Lauren Craddock. `` Rolling Stones Say Trump Used ' You Ca n't Always Get What You Want ' Without Permission at RNC ''. Billboard, 2016 - 07 - 22. Accessed 2016 - 11 - 05. Jump up ^ `` President Trump gets what he wants, plays The Rolling Stones despite band 's request to stop ''. www.nydailynews.com. 2017 - 08 - 22. Retrieved 2017 - 12 - 22. Jump up ^ Handley, Lucy ( 2018 - 05 - 15 ). `` Rolling Stone Keith Richards says America has to ' get rid ' of Donald Trump ''. CNBC. Retrieved 2018 - 05 - 18. Jump up ^ RPM Jump up ^ `` The Rolling Stones Complete Hit Singles List ( 1963 -- 2006 ) ''. BeatZenith. Retrieved 24 July 2009. Jump up ^ `` Jo Cox charity single brings together politicians and musicians ''. BBC News. BBC. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016. Let It Bleed Side one `` Gimme Shelter '' `` Love in Vain '' `` Country Honk '' `` Live with Me '' `` Let It Bleed '' Side two `` Midnight Rambler '' `` You Got the Silver '' `` Monkey Man '' `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want '' The Rolling Stones singles discography Decca ( UK ) and London ( US ) singles `` Come On '' `` I Wanna Be Your Man '' / `` Stoned '' `` Not Fade Away '' / `` Little by Little '' `` It 's All Over Now '' `` Tell Me '' / `` I Just Want to Make Love to You '' `` Time Is on My Side '' `` Little Red Rooster '' `` Heart of Stone '' `` The Last Time '' / `` Play with Fire '' `` ( I Ca n't Get No ) Satisfaction '' / `` The Spider and the Fly '' `` Get Off of My Cloud '' / `` I 'm Free '' `` As Tears Go By '' `` 19th Nervous Breakdown '' / `` As Tears Go By '' `` Paint It Black '' / `` Stupid Girl '' `` Mother 's Little Helper '' / `` Lady Jane '' `` Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow ? '' `` Let 's Spend the Night Together '' / `` Ruby Tuesday '' `` We Love You '' / `` Dandelion '' `` In Another Land '' `` She 's a Rainbow '' / `` 2000 Light Years from Home '' `` Jumpin ' Jack Flash '' `` Street Fighting Man '' / `` No Expectations '' `` Honky Tonk Women '' / `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want '' Rolling Stones / Atlantic singles `` Brown Sugar '' / `` Bitch '' / `` Let It Rock '' `` Wild Horses '' / `` Sway '' `` Tumbling Dice '' / `` Sweet Black Angel '' `` Happy '' / `` All Down the Line '' `` Angie '' / `` Silver Train '' `` Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo ( Heartbreaker ) '' / `` Dancing with Mr. D '' `` It 's Only Rock ' n Roll ( But I Like It ) '' `` Ai n't Too Proud to Beg '' / `` Dance Little Sister '' `` Fool to Cry '' `` Hot Stuff '' Rolling Stones `` Miss You '' / `` Far Away Eyes '' `` Beast of Burden '' / `` When the Whip Comes Down '' `` Respectable '' / `` When the Whip Comes Down '' `` Shattered '' `` Emotional Rescue '' `` She 's So Cold '' / `` Send It to Me '' `` Start Me Up '' `` Waiting on a Friend '' / `` Little T&A '' `` Hang Fire '' / `` Neighbours '' `` Going to a Go - Go '' ( live ) / `` Beast of Burden '' ( live ) `` Time Is on My Side '' ( live ) / `` Twenty Flight Rock '' ( live ) `` Undercover of the Night '' `` She Was Hot '' `` Too Much Blood '' `` Harlem Shuffle '' `` One Hit ( To the Body ) '' `` Mixed Emotions '' `` Rock and a Hard Place '' `` Almost Hear You Sigh '' `` Highwire '' / `` 2000 Light Years from Home '' ( live ) `` Ruby Tuesday '' ( live ) / `` Play with Fire '' ( live ) `` Jumpin ' Jack Flash '' ( live ) / `` Tumbling Dice '' ( live ) Virgin singles `` Love Is Strong '' `` You Got Me Rocking '' `` Out of Tears '' `` I Go Wild '' `` Like a Rolling Stone '' ( live ) / `` Black Limousine '' / `` All Down the Line '' `` Wild Horses '' ( live ) / `` Live with Me '' ( live ) / `` Tumbling Dice '' ( live ) `` Anybody Seen My Baby ? '' `` Saint of Me '' / `` Gimme Shelter '' ( live ) `` Out of Control '' `` Do n't Stop '' / `` Miss You '' ( remix ) `` Streets of Love '' / `` Rough Justice '' `` Rain Fall Down '' `` Biggest Mistake '' / `` Before They Make Me Run '' ( live ) Universal singles `` Plundered My Soul '' / `` All Down the Line '' `` No Spare Parts '' / `` Before They Make Me Run '' `` Doom and Gloom '' `` One More Shot '' Other countries `` Let It Bleed '' / `` You Got the Silver '' ( London Japan ) `` Rocks Off '' / `` Sweet Virginia '' ( Japan ) `` Star Star '' / `` Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo ( Heartbreaker ) '' ( France, Germany ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=You_Can%27t_Always_Get_What_You_Want&oldid=854547129 '' Categories : The Rolling Stones songs 1969 songs Songs written by Jagger / Richards Rock ballads Song recordings produced by Jimmy Miller Decca Records singles London Records singles Chrysalis Records singles Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from August 2010 Articles with unsourced statements from September 2010 Articles needing cleanup from July 2013 All pages needing cleanup Cleanup tagged articles with a reason field from July 2013 Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from July 2013 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Español Français 한국어 Italiano ქართული Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk nynorsk Русский Suomi Svenska 5 more Edit links This page was last edited on 12 August 2018, at 04 : 26 ( UTC ). 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Question: can't always get what you want lyrics meaning
Answer: the lyrics reflecting the end of the overlong party that was the 1960s