Respectable (The Rolling Stones song)
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| “Respectable” | |||||
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| Single by Rolling Stones from the album Some Girls |
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| Released | 1978 | ||||
| Format | 7" | ||||
| Recorded | October-December 1977 | ||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||
| Length | 3 min 07 s | ||||
| Label | Rolling Stones/Virgin | ||||
| Writer(s) | Jagger/Richards | ||||
| Producer | The Glimmer Twins | ||||
| Rolling Stones singles chronology | |||||
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| Some Girls track listing | |||||
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- For other uses, including the UK sitcom, see Respectable (disambiguation).
"Respectable" is a song by The Rolling Stones from their 1978 album Some Girls. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In the liner notes to the 1993 compilation album Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones (on which it was included), Jagger said, "It's important to be somewhat influenced by what's going on around you and on the Some Girls album I think we definitely became more aggressive because of the punk thing..." The lyrics are said to be about Mick Jagger's wife at the time, Bianca Jagger.
Recorded from October through December 1977, "Respectable" was originally written by Mick Jagger to be a slower song, but guitarist Richards saw the advantages of speeding up the tempo and crafting a rocker out of the song. Jagger continued in the liner notes, "On ["Respectable"] I was banging out three chords incredibly loud on the electric guitar, which isn't always a wonderful idea but was fun here. This is a punk meets Chuck Berry number..." This resulted in Jagger and Richards having arguments over the song's tempo.
The biting lyrics talk of a woman (most likely the then-Mrs. Jagger) rising into high society and Jagger's attempts to remind her of where she came from. Jagger said at the time of its release, "'Respectable' really started off as a song in my head about how respectable we as a band were supposed to have become, 'We're so respectable'. As I went along with the singing, I just made things up and fit things in. Now we're respected in society... I really meant [the band]. My wife's a very honest person, and the songs's not about her... It's very rock & roll. It's not like (Bob Dylan's) 'Sara'. 'Respectable' is very lighthearted when you hear it. That's why I don't like divorcing the lyrics from the music. 'Cause when you actually hear it sung, it's not what it is, it's the way we do it..."
| “ | Well now you're a pillar of society; You don't worry about the things that you used to be; You're a rag-trade girl, you're the queen of porn; You're the easiest lay on the White House lawn; Get out of my life, don't come back | ” |
"Respectable" is one of the songs on Some Girls famed for its use of the core Stones members, all five then-members of the band playing their respective instruments, plus Jagger on guitar. On Jagger's inclusion, Richards said in the Jump Back liner notes, "This was one of the first times we allowed him to join in on guitar. He's a really good rhythm player, man; but then, he's had a good teacher."
"Respectable" was released as a single in the UK on September 15, 1978, where it peaked at #23 on the UK Singles Chart. A memorable music video was made for the single, featuring a more "punk" Stones on display.
A live version from their 1997-1998 Bridges to Babylon Tour was released on the album No Security.
