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Jagger and Richards wrote the lyrics and much of the chord progression of "Paint It Black" during the first group of sessions for the then untitled Aftermath the previous December, and while on the 1966 Australian tour.
- Raga Rock Psychedelic Rock
- The Background
- A Game-Changing Suggestion
- The Finishing Touch
- The Lyrics
- The Release and Legacy
There was a sense of urgency in the studio, but the real pressure was on delivering a new hit single. The Stones had been chart-toppers since the summer of 1964, but it was only a year ago – when “The Last Time” was released in February 1965 – that they’d begun to score with original Jagger/Richards material. A string of Number Ones followed, and i...
Yet, here they were with an arrangement for “Paint It Black” that neither matched the intensity of its forebears, nor the oppressive themes which its lyrics suggested. “‘Paint It Black’ was just going to be like a beat group number,” Jagger said. “It was just one big joke.” Then, after listening to the last playback, Bill Wyman had an unusual idea....
In pursuing this curious musical detour, guitarist Brian Jones was set to add extra color – but not with his usual six strings. “Brian had pretty much given up on the guitar by then,” stated Keith Richards. “If there was [another] instrument around, he had to be able to get something out of it, just because it was there.” Brian had floundered in th...
Now backed by this malevolent milieu, Jagger’s lyrics – which would have been far too bleak for a straightforward pop song – are perfectly pertinent. It’s a song about bereavement and the despondency one feels during that process. In it, Mick has suffered a sudden loss, and can’t bear that life must go on without his lover – his mourning has veiled...
Arriving a month behind Aftermath, “Paint It Black” was released on May 7th in the US, and the 13th in the UK, rising to the top of the charts in both countries. It would be two years before The Rolling Stones would have another Number One single. In the meantime, the impact of “Paint It Black” was being felt – in many ways. The single, which bore ...
- 4 min
May 9, 2023 · The pair spawned a number of perennial Stones hits like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Beast of Burden,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” and “Paint It, Black.”
- Staff Writer
- 4 min
- The original version was entitled “Paint It Black” without a comma. Keith Richards later said that the comma was added by the record label, Decca.
- There was no specific inspiration for the lyrics. When asked at the time why he wrote a song about death and depression Mick Jagger replied: “I don’t know.
- In 1966, the single topped both the United States and the United Kingdom charts, making it the first ever US and UK number one single to feature a sitar.
- Jagger got the line “I turn my head until my darkness goes” from James Joyce’s Ulysses.
Brian Jones had a lot of input into this song, but was left off the songwriting credits (Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are the credited writers). Jones did the arrangements for "Paint It Black" and many other songs around this time, but according to Keith Richards, he never presented a finished song to the group, which kept him off the credits.
"Paint it Black" is one of the most iconic songs in rock 'n' roll history. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and recorded by the Rolling Stones in 1966, the song is a staple of classic rock radio.
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Jagger–Richards (spelled Jagger–Richard from 1963 to 1978) [nb 1] is the songwriting partnership between English musicians Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (both born 1943), founder members of rock band the Rolling Stones. They are one of the most successful songwriting partnerships in history.
