Sympathy for the Devil - wikipedia Sympathy for the Devil This article is about the song. For other uses, see Sympathy for the Devil ( disambiguation ). This article contains too many or too - lengthy quotations for an encyclopedic entry. Please help improve the article by presenting facts as a neutrally - worded summary with appropriate citations. Consider transferring direct quotations to Wikiquote. ( July 2018 ) `` Sympathy for the Devil '' German single picture sleeve ( 1973 ) Song by the Rolling Stones from the album Beggars Banquet Released 6 December 1968 ( 1968 - 12 - 06 ) Recorded 4 -- 5, 8 -- 10 June 1968 Studio Olympic, London Genre Samba rock Length 6 : 18 Label Decca Songwriter ( s ) Jagger / Richards Producer ( s ) Jimmy Miller Audio sample file help `` Sympathy for the Devil '' is a samba rock song by the Rolling Stones, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The song first appeared as the opening track on their 1968 album Beggars Banquet. Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number 32 in its list of the `` 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ''. Contents 1 Inspiration 2 Recording 3 Aftermath 4 Personnel 5 Certifications 6 The 1968 film and others 7 Guns N ' Roses version 7.1 Personnel 7.2 Charts 7.3 Sales and certifications 8 Other recorded versions 9 References 10 External links Inspiration `` Sympathy for the Devil '' is credited to Jagger and Richards, though the song was largely a Jagger composition. The working title of the song was `` The Devil Is My Name '', having earlier been called `` Fallen Angels ''. Jagger sings in first person narrative as the Devil, boasting his role in each of several historical violent atrocities. The singer then ironically demands our courtesy towards him, implicitly chastising the listener for our collective culpability in the listed killings and crimes. In the 2012 documentary Crossfire Hurricane, Jagger stated that his influence for the song came from Baudelaire and from the Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov 's novel The Master and Margarita ( which had just appeared in English translation in 1967 ). The book was given to him by Marianne Faithfull. In a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone, Jagger said, `` I think that was taken from an old idea of Baudelaire 's, I think, but I could be wrong. Sometimes when I look at my Baudelaire books, I ca n't see it in there. But it was an idea I got from French writing. And I just took a couple of lines and expanded on it. I wrote it as sort of like a Bob Dylan song. '' It was Richards who suggested changing the tempo and using additional percussion, turning the folk song into a samba. Furthermore, Jagger stated in the Rolling Stone interview : `` it 's a very long historical figure -- the figures of evil and figures of good -- so it is a tremendously long trail he 's made as personified in this piece. '' By the time Beggars Banquet was released, the Rolling Stones had already raised some hackles for sexually forward lyrics such as `` Let 's Spend the Night Together '', or after their reprise of the Willie Dixon 's blues `` I Just Want to Make Love to You '' etc. and for allegedly dabbling in Satanism ( their previous album, while containing no direct Satanic references in its music or lyrics, was titled Their Satanic Majesties Request ), and `` Sympathy '' brought these concerns to the fore, provoking media rumours and fears among some religious groups that the Stones were devil - worshippers and a corrupting influence on youth. The lyrics focus on atrocities in the history of mankind from Satan 's point of view including the trial and death of Jesus Christ ( `` Made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands to seal his fate '' ), European wars of religion ( `` I watched with glee while your kings and queens fought for ten decades for the gods they made '' ), the violence of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the 1918 shooting of the Romanov family ( `` I stuck around St. Petersburg when I saw it was a time for a change / Killed the Tsar and his ministers / Anastasia screamed in vain '' ), and World War II ( `` I rode a tank, held a general 's rank when the blitzkrieg raged, and the bodies stank '' ). The song was originally written with the line `` I shouted out ' Who killed Kennedy ? ' '' After Robert F. Kennedy 's death on 6 June 1968, the line was changed to `` Who killed the Kennedys ? ''. And the answer is `` when after all it was you and me '', which is a way of saying that `` the devil is not the other one, but eventually each one of us. '' The song may have been spared further controversy when the first single from the album, `` Street Fighting Man '', became even more controversial in view of the race riots and student protests occurring in many cities in Europe and in the United States. Recording The recording of `` Sympathy for the Devil '' began at London 's Olympic Sound Studios on 4 June 1968 and continued into the next day ; overdubs were done on 8, 9 and 10 June. Personnel included on the recording include Nicky Hopkins on piano, Rocky Dijon on congas and Bill Wyman on maracas. Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg, Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, producer Jimmy Miller, Wyman and Richards performed backup vocals, singing the `` woo woos ''. Richards plays bass on the original recording, and also electric guitar. Brian Jones plays a mostly mixed out acoustic guitar, although in isolated tracks of the studio cut, it is audible playing along with the piano. In the 2003 book According to the Rolling Stones, Watts commented : `` Sympathy '' was one of those sort of songs where we tried everything. The first time I ever heard the song was when Mick was playing it at the front door of a house I lived at in Sussex... He played it entirely on his own... and it was fantastic. We had a go at loads of different ways of playing it ; in the end I just played a jazz Latin feel in the style of Kenny Clarke would have played on `` A Night in Tunisia '' -- not the actual rhythm he played, but the same styling. On the overall power of the song, Jagger continued in Rolling Stone : It has a very hypnotic groove, a samba, which has a tremendous hypnotic power, rather like good dance music. It does n't speed up or slow down. It keeps this constant groove. Plus, the actual samba rhythm is a great one to sing on, but it is also got some other suggestions in it, an undercurrent of being primitive -- because it is a primitive African, South American, Afro - whatever - you - call - that rhythm ( candomblé ). So to white people, it has a very sinister thing about it. But forgetting the cultural colors, it is a very good vehicle for producing a powerful piece. It becomes less pretentious because it is a very unpretentious groove. If it had been done as a ballad, it would n't have been as good. Aftermath In an interview with Creem, Jagger said, `` ( When people started taking us as devil worshippers ), I thought it was a really odd thing, because it was only one song, after all. It was n't like it was a whole album, with lots of occult signs on the back. People seemed to embrace the image so readily, ( and ) it has carried all the way over into heavy metal bands today. Some people have made a living out of doing this ; for example, Jimmy Page. '' Of the change in public perception the band experienced after the song 's release, Richards said in a 1971 interview with Rolling Stone, `` Before, we were just innocent kids out for a good time, they 're saying, ' They 're evil, they 're evil. ' Oh, I 'm evil, really ? So that makes you start thinking about evil... What is evil ? Half of it, I do n't know how much people think of Mick as the devil or as just a good rock performer or what ? There are black magicians who think we are acting as unknown agents of Lucifer and others who think we are Lucifer. Everybody 's Lucifer. '' Contrary to a widespread misconception, it was `` Under My Thumb '' and not `` Sympathy for the Devil '' that the Rolling Stones were performing when Meredith Hunter was killed at the Altamont Free Concert. Rolling Stone magazine 's early articles on the incident misreported that the killing took place during `` Sympathy for the Devil '', but the Stones in fact played `` Sympathy for the Devil '' earlier in the concert ; it was interrupted by a fight and restarted, Jagger commenting, `` We 're always having -- something very funny happens when we start that number. '' Several other songs were performed before Hunter was killed. Personnel Mick Jagger -- lead vocals Keith Richards -- guitar solo, bass guitar, backing vocals Brian Jones -- acoustic guitar, backing vocals Bill Wyman -- maracas, backing vocals Charlie Watts -- drums, backing vocals, cowbell Nicky Hopkins -- piano, backing vocals Rocky Dzidzornu -- congas Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull -- backing vocals Certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Germany ( BVMI ) Gold 250,000 Italy ( FIMI ) Gold 25,000 United Kingdom ( BPI ) Gold 500,000 sales figures based on certification alone shipments figures based on certification alone The 1968 film and others Cover art for DVD release Sympathy for the Devil is also the title of a producer 's edit of a 1968 film by Jean - Luc Godard whose own original version is called One Plus One. The film, a depiction of the late 1960s American counterculture, also featured the Rolling Stones in the process of recording the song in the studio. On the filming, Jagger said in Rolling Stone : `` ( it was ) very fortuitous, because Godard wanted to do a film of us in the studio. I mean, it would never happen now, to get someone as interesting as Godard. And stuffy. We just happened to be recording that song. We could have been recording ' My Obsession. ' But it was ' Sympathy for the Devil ', and it became the track that we used. '' Guns N ' Roses version `` Sympathy for the Devil '' Single by Guns N ' Roses from the album Interview with the Vampire soundtrack B - side `` Escape to Paris '' ( by Elliot Goldenthal ) Released 13 December 1994 ( 1994 - 12 - 13 ) Recorded October 1994 Genre Hard rock Length 7 : 36 Label Geffen Songwriter ( s ) Jagger / Richards Producer ( s ) Guns N ' Roses Mike Clink Matthias Gohl Guns N ' Roses singles chronology `` Since I Do n't Have You '' ( 1994 ) `` Sympathy for the Devil '' ( 1994 ) `` Chinese Democracy '' ( 2008 ) Guns N ' Roses recorded a cover in 1994 which reached number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 ; it was featured in the closing credits of Neil Jordan 's film adaptation of Anne Rice 's Interview with the Vampire ( except the 4K cut of the film ) and was included on their Greatest Hits album. This cover is noteworthy for causing an incident involving incoming guitarist, Paul `` Huge '' Tobias, that was partially responsible for guitarist Slash departing from the band in 1996. Slash has described the Guns N ' Roses version of the song as `` the sound of the band breaking up ''. Rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke, who does not appear on the recording, noted that the recording foreshadowed his departure from the band : They did that while I was on the road touring for my solo record. (... ) I knew that that was the ending because nobody told me about it. Officially I was in the band at that time, and they did that song without me. That was one of the last straws for me, because nobody had said anything to me, and they recorded a song by one of my favorite bands. It was pretty clear I 'm a big Rolling Stones fan, and they recorded the song without me. So I knew that was it. Personnel W. Axl Rose -- lead vocals, piano Slash -- lead and rhythm guitars Duff McKagan -- bass guitar, backing vocals Matt Sorum -- drums, percussion Dizzy Reed -- keyboards Paul Tobias -- rhythm and lead guitars, backing vocals Charts Chart ( 1994 -- 1995 ) Peak position Australia ( ARIA ) 12 Austria ( Ö3 Austria Top 40 ) 17 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 18 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Wallonia ) 40 Finland ( The Official Finnish Charts ) France ( SNEP ) 15 Germany ( Official German Charts ) 20 Ireland ( IRMA ) 16 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 9 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 13 Norway ( VG - lista ) 5 Sweden ( Sverigetopplistan ) 7 Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 15 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 10 US Billboard Hot 100 55 US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) 10 Sales and certifications Region Certification Certified units / Sales Japan ( RIAJ ) Gold 50,000 shipments figures based on certification alone Other recorded versions This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia 's quality standards. The specific problem is : versions may not meet WP : SONGCOVER. Please help improve this section if you can. ( July 2018 ) In 2005, Cuban drummer and percussionist Horacio Hernandez ( `` El Negro '' ) recorded a Latin Jazz version of the song, sung by Latin great Rubén Blades. British gothic rock band Inkubus Sukkubus released a cover of the song on their 2007 album Science and Nature. Indie rock bands Band of Skulls and John & Jehn covered the song for the French TV show Taratata broadcast in March 2010. Motörhead covered the song for their 2015 album Bad Magic. Ozzy Osbourne covered the song on the 2005 album Under Cover. Sandie Shaw covered the song for her 1969 album Reviewing the Situation. Blood, Sweat & Tears released a version in 1970 on the band 's third album. English doom metal band Sabazius recorded their own 25 - minute cover version of the song and released it as an EP of the same name in 2008. Tiamat covered the song for their 1999 album Skeleton Skeletron. Jane 's Addiction as Sympathy on 1987 album Jane 's Addiction. This version was featured on the television series Sons of Anarchy. References ^ Jump up to : Wenner, Jann ( December 14, 1995 ). `` Mick Jagger Remembers ''. Rolling Stone. ^ Jump up to : Jagger, Mick ; Richards, Keith ; Watts, Charlie ; Wood, Ronnie ( 2003 ). According to the Rolling Stones. Chronicle Books. p. 119. ISBN 0 - 8118 - 4060 - 3. Jump up ^ Unterberger, Richie. `` Let 's Spend the Night Together ''. allmusic. 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2007. ^ Jump up to : Cruickshank, Douglas. `` Sympathy for the Devil ''. Salon.com. Retrieved 25 June 2006. Jump up ^ Jagger / Richards ( 20 June 2004 ). `` Sympathy for the Devil ''. RollingStones.com. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2008. ^ Jump up to : Greenfield, Robert ( 19 August 1971 ). `` The Rolling Stone Interview : Keith Richards ''. Rolling Stone. Jump up ^ Wyman, Bill ( 2002 ). Rolling With the Stones. DK Publishing. p. 309. ISBN 0 - 7894 - 9998 - 3. ^ Jump up to : Zentgraf, Nico. `` The Complete Works of the Rolling Stones 1962 -- 2008 ''. Retrieved 23 February 2008. Jump up ^ Burks, John ( 7 February 1970 ). `` Rock & Roll 's Worst Day ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 13 September 2008. Jump up ^ `` Gold - / Platin - Datenbank ( The Rolling Stones ; ' Sympathy For The Devil ' ) '' ( in German ). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 15 May 2018. Jump up ^ `` Italian single certifications -- The Rolling Stones -- ( Sympathy for the devil ) '' ( in Italian ). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 12 January 2015. Jump up ^ `` British single certifications -- The Rolling Stones -- ( Sympathy for the devil ) ''. British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 22 June 2018. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Enter ( Sympathy for the devil ) in the search field and then press Enter. Jump up ^ Gary Graft ( January 1997 ). `` Total Guitar - Slash, Rock and Roses 1997 ''. oocities.org ; Total Guitar. Retrieved April 24, 2015. Jump up ^ Bozza, Anthony ; Slash ( 2007 ). Slash ( Paperback ). New York : Harper Collins. p. 480. ISBN 0 - 00 - 725777 - 5. ( German paperback is ISBN 0 - 00 - 725776 - 7 ) Jump up ^ `` Gilby Clarke Opens Up About His Final Guns N ' Roses Gig ''. Ultimate Classic Rock. Jump up ^ `` Australian-charts.com -- Guns N ' Roses -- Sympathy for the Devil ''. ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Austriancharts.at -- Guns N ' Roses -- Sympathy for the Devil '' ( in German ). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Guns N ' Roses -- Sympathy for the Devil '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Guns N ' Roses -- Sympathy for the Devil '' ( in French ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ Pennanen, Timo. Sisältää hitin : levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Otava Publishing Company Ltd, 2003. ISBN 951 - 1 - 21053 - X Jump up ^ `` Lescharts.com -- Guns N ' Roses -- Sympathy for the Devil '' ( in French ). Les classement single. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Offiziellecharts.de -- Guns N ' Roses -- Sympathy for the Devil ''. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Guns N ' Roses ''. Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Guns N ' Roses -- Sympathy for the Devil '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Charts.nz -- Guns N ' Roses -- Sympathy for the Devil ''. Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Norwegiancharts.com -- Guns N ' Roses -- Sympathy for the Devil ''. VG - lista. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Swedishcharts.com -- Guns N ' Roses -- Sympathy for the Devil ''. Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Guns N ' Roses -- Sympathy for the Devil ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Guns N ' Roses : Artist Chart History ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Guns N ' Roses Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Guns N ' Roses Chart History ( Mainstream Rock ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved March 26, 2017. Jump up ^ `` '' RIAJ > The Record > June 1995 > Page 5 > Certified Awards ( April 1995 ) `` '' ( PDF ). Recording Industry Association of Japan ( in Japanese ). Retrieved 2014 - 02 - 14. Jump up ^ `` La timba no es como ayer ''. AllAboutJazz.com. Retrieved 28 November 2010. Jump up ^ `` Science & Nature ''. Allmusic.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017. Jump up ^ `` video BAND OF SKULLS / JOHN JEHN : Sympathy for the devil -- bande of skulls, band of skull, band skulls -- videos MYTARATATA.COM ''. Video.mytaratata.com. Archived from the original on 28 February 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2010. Jump up ^ `` Motörhead To Release ' Bad Magic ' In August ''. Blabbermouth.net. June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Sandie Shaw -- Reviewing The Situation ''. discogs.com. Retrieved 16 June 2017. External links `` Reason to Rock '' review Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Beggars Banquet Side one `` Sympathy for the Devil '' `` No Expectations '' `` Dear Doctor '' `` Parachute Woman '' `` Jigsaw Puzzle '' Side two `` Street Fighting Man '' `` Prodigal Son '' `` Stray Cat Blues `` Factory Girl '' `` Salt of the Earth '' 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 ) Guns N ' Roses Axl Rose Duff McKagan Slash Dizzy Reed Richard Fortus Frank Ferrer Melissa Reese Tracii Guns Izzy Stradlin Ole Beich Rob Gardner Steven Adler Matt Sorum Gilby Clarke Paul Tobias Robin Finck Josh Freese Tommy Stinson Chris Pitman Buckethead Bryan `` Brain '' Mantia Ron `` Bumblefoot '' Thal DJ Ashba Studio albums Appetite for Destruction G N ' R Lies Use Your Illusion I Use Your Illusion II `` The Spaghetti Incident ? '' Chinese Democracy Live albums Live Era ' 87 -- ' 93 Appetite for Democracy 3D Extended plays Live ? ! * @ Like a Suicide Guns N ' Roses The `` Civil War '' EP Compilation albums Use Your Illusion Greatest Hits Appetite for Destruction : Locked N ' Loaded edition Singles `` It 's So Easy '' `` Welcome to the Jungle '' `` Sweet Child o ' Mine '' `` Paradise City '' `` Patience '' `` Nightrain '' `` You Could Be Mine '' `` Do n't Cry '' `` Live and Let Die '' `` Knockin ' on Heaven 's Door '' `` November Rain '' `` Yesterdays '' `` Civil War '' `` Ai n't It Fun '' `` Estranged '' `` Since I Do n't Have You '' `` Sympathy for the Devil '' `` Chinese Democracy '' `` Shadow of Your Love '' Promo singles `` Mr. Brownstone '' `` My Michelle '' `` 14 Years '' `` Pretty Tied Up '' `` So Fine '' `` Dead Horse '' `` Garden of Eden '' `` Hair of the Dog '' `` New Rose '' `` Oh My God '' `` Better '' `` Street of Dreams '' `` Welcome to the Jungle ( 1986 Sound City Session ) '' `` Move to The City ( 1988 Acoustic Version ) '' `` November Rain ( Piano Version / 1986 Sound City Session ) '' Other songs `` Think About You '' `` Rocket Queen '' `` Used to Love Her '' `` One in a Million '' `` Coma '' `` Get in the Ring '' `` The Garden '' `` Shackler 's Revenge '' `` Madagascar '' `` Prostitute '' Videos and DVDs Use Your Illusion I Use Your Illusion II Garden of Eden : Strictly Limited Edition Welcome to the Videos Appetite for Democracy 3D Tours The Early Days of Guns N ' Roses Appetite for Destruction Tour Use Your Illusion Tour Guns N ' Roses / Metallica Stadium Tour Chinese Democracy Tour Up Close and Personal Tour Appetite for Democracy Not in This Lifetime... Tour Related Articles Discography Members Songs Awards and nominations Del James West Arkeen Guns N ' Roses Pinball Riverport Riot Watch You Bleed : The Saga of Guns N ' Roses The Roots of Guns N ' Roses Uzi Suicide Bands Slash 's Snakepit The Dead Daisies Hollywood Rose Kings of Chaos L.A. Guns Neurotic Outsiders Road Crew Velvet Revolver Book Category Works based on Faust Folk legend Faust Johann Georg Faust Deal with the Devil in popular culture Simon Magus Theophilus of Adana Erdgeist Mephistopheles Pan Twardowski Stingy Jack Seminal works Historia von D. Johann Fausten ( 1587 chapbook ) Cenodoxus ( 1602, play ) Doctor Faustus ( 1604 play ) Goethe 's Faust ( 1808 play ) Faust, Part One Faust, Part Two Prose `` Bearskin '' `` Daniel and the Devil '' Melmoth the Wanderer ( 1820 ) `` The Devil and Tom Walker '' ( 1824 ) St. John 's Eve ( 1830 ) Auriol ( 1844 ) Chasse - galerie ( 1892 ) The Sorrows of Satan ( 1896 ) Exploits and Opinions of Dr. Faustroll, Pataphysician ( 1898 ) The Master and Margarita ( 1929 -- 40 ) Mephisto ( 1936 ) The Devil and Daniel Webster ( 1937 ) None but Lucifer ( 1939 ) Doktor Faustus ( 1947 ) The Devil in Velvet ( 1951 ) The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant ( 1954 ) Gimmicks Three ( 1956 ) The Devil to Pay in the Backlands ( 1956 ) That Hell - Bound Train ( 1958 ) For a Breath I Tarry ( 1966 ) The Damnation Game ( 1986 ) Eric ( 1990 ) The Devil 's Own Work ( 1991 ) Jack Faust ( 1997 ) Johannes Cabal the Necromancer ( 2009 ) Plays Gretchen ( 1879 ) Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter ? ( 1955 ) The Black Bonspiel of Wullie MacCrimmon ( 1965 ) Temptation ( 1986 ) Operas Faust ( 1816, Spohr ) La damnation de Faust ( 1846, Berlioz ) Faust ( 1859, Gounod ) Mefistofele ( 1868, Boito ) Faust and Marguerite ( 1855, Lutz ) Faust up to Date ( 1888, Lutz ) Doktor Faust ( 1916 -- 25, Busoni ) Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights ( 1938 ) The Rake 's Progress ( 1951, Stravinsky ) Reuben, Reuben ( 1955 ) Historia von D. Johann Fausten ( 1994 ) Faustus, the Last Night ( 2006 ) Classical music Gretchen am Spinnrade ( 1814, Schubert ) Faust Overture ( 1840, Wagner ) Grande sonate ' Les quatre âges ' 2nd movement `` Quasi-Faust '' ( 1847, Alkan ) Scenes from Goethe 's Faust ( 1853, Schumann ) Part II of Symphony No. 8 ( 1906 -- 07, Mahler ) Faust Symphony ( 1854 -- 57, Liszt ) Mephisto Waltzes ( Liszt ) Gothic Symphony ( Brian ) Bagatelle sans tonalité ( Liszt ) Other music Albums Epica Saga Epica The Black Halo Beethoven 's Last Night The Black Rider Songs `` Mephisto Polka '' ( 1859 -- 85 ) `` Cross Road Blues '' ( 1936 ) `` Sympathy for the Devil '' ( 1968 ) `` Friend of the Devil '' ( 1970 ) `` Bohemian Rhapsody '' ( 1975 ) `` The Devil Went Down to Georgia '' ( 1979 ) `` Faustian Echoes '' ( 2012 ) `` The Mephistopheles of Los Angeles '' ( 2015 ) Films Faust and Marguerite ( 1900 ) The Damnation of Faust ( 1903 ) Faust and Marguerite ( 1904 ) The Student of Prague ( 1913 ) Rapsodia satanica ( 1915 ) The Student of Prague ( 1926 ) Faust ( 1926 ) The Devil and Daniel Webster ( 1941 ) Alias Nick Beal ( 1949 ) The Legend of Faust ( 1949 ) Beauty and the Devil ( 1950 ) Marguerite de la nuit ( 1955 ) Damn Yankees ( 1958 ) Faust ( 1960 ) Bedazzled ( 1967 ) Doctor Faustus ( 1967 ) El extraño caso del doctor Fausto ( 1969 ) Mephisto ( 1981 ) Doctor Faustus ( 1982 ) Oh, God ! You Devil ( 1984 ) Faust ( 1994 ) The Master and Margarita ( 1994 ) Bedazzled ( 2000 ) Faust : Love of the Damned ( 2001 ) Fausto 5.0 ( 2001 ) I Was a Teenage Faust ( 2002 ) Shortcut to Happiness ( 2003 ) Faust ( 2011 ) Television Episodes `` The Devil 's Hands Are Idle Playthings '' ( 2003 ) Other The Devil and Daniel Mouse ( 1978 ) Musicals Damn Yankees ( 1955 ) Randy Newman 's Faust ( 1993 ) Success ! ( 1993 ) Faust ( 2003 ) Other Paintings Faust ( ballet ) ( 1848 ) Gods ' Man ( 1929 ) Faust ( manga ) ( 1950 ) Doctor Faustus ( comics ) ( 1968 ) Faust ( Avatar Press ) ( 1987 ) Category BNE : XX4154957 GND : 7666489 - 2 VIAF : 212922511 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sympathy_for_the_Devil&oldid=856426229 '' Categories : 1968 songs Cultural depictions of Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia The Rolling Stones songs Songs written by Jagger / Richards Song recordings produced by Jimmy Miller Music based on the Faust legend Songs about the Devil 1973 singles 1994 singles 2003 singles Guns N ' Roses songs Decca Records singles Geffen Records singles London Records singles WrestleMania themes Music controversies Hidden categories : CS1 German - language sources ( de ) CS1 Italian - language sources ( it ) CS1 Japanese - language sources ( ja ) Wikipedia articles needing style editing from July 2018 All articles needing style editing Use British English from April 2012 Articles with hAudio microformats All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2017 Articles with unsourced statements from May 2011 Certification Table Entry usages for Germany Certification Table Entry usages for Italy Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom Singlechart usages for Australia Singlechart usages for Austria Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Wallonia Singlechart usages for France Singlechart usages for Germany2 Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Norway Singlechart usages for Sweden Singlechart usages for Switzerland Singlechart usages for UKsinglesbyname Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart usages for Billboardmainstreamrock Certification Table Entry usages for Japan Articles needing cleanup from July 2018 All pages needing cleanup Cleanup tagged articles with a reason field from July 2018 Wikipedia pages needing cleanup from July 2018 Use dmy dates from April 2012 Wikipedia articles with BNE identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Euskara فارسی Français Italiano עברית ქართული Magyar Македонски Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Slovenčina Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska ไทย Українська 17 more Edit links This page was last edited on 25 August 2018, at 03 : 14 ( UTC ). 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Question: who wrote the rolling stones song sympathy for the devil
Answer: Mick Jagger