As Tears Go By............
The year was 1964.... Mick and Keith, each, were all of 21 years old. They were busy puffing their chests out through their frilly, slick, sleek mostly unbuttoned shirts - thanks to the popularity of I (Can't Get No) Satisfaction - and, Hey, Hey, You You, Get Off Of My Cloud.
All the while, their manager had one eyeball on them, one on The Beatles, and no, it wasn't Marty Feldman. Mick admittted at the time, "we don't really know what direction we're moving in... I don't think anyone knows."
Manager feller, Andrew Loog Oldham had plans. (Time out. Can't you just hear Andrew's parents, he, eight months in the belly of his ma, dad (or mom) asking, "What do you think about for a middle name?" "Oh, I dunno... I kinda like "Loog".. you?" Done with that)
Back to Loog, one eye on Stones - anudder on the Beatles Lennon/McCartney. "They're one up on you... you've GOT to become songwriters TOO." Keith's reaction was "Who do you think I am? John Lennon? I've been playing the guitar since the turn of the Century." (< AI did that).
Not so fast. Loog went so far as locking the twosome in the kitchen of their Willesden flat, only to be released once they had written a song. There's more. "It can't be the blues, or a copy of an old favorite, I want something entirely new."
Jualah. -> the damn computer redlined that. I don't know words (witness no Wordle today, I friggin gave up after two guesses).. I mean like "presto"... or, pronounced Wall-ah.
"As Tears Go By" was written. 'HELP, LEMME OUT" said Keith. He didn't, but, I bet he thought it.
The song had sweeping sentimentality, lush instrumentation (don't compliment my writing, I stole that crap off the internet) Both Mick and Keith thought the song was tripe... Loog had met Marianne Faithful, all of 17 at the time - and a lightbulb went off, "mebbe she could sing it." Marianne, as all 17 year olds do, said what was on her mind, "The Stones are crass and boorish."
Time changes things. She said "OK, I'll sing it." Wildly popular in the UK, and in spite of her earlier "crass and boorish" comments, by 1966 her and Sir Mick were smooching buddies.
Back to the purpose of this blog. YOUR BLOGS HAVE A PURPOSE? Uh huh, on purpose.
It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Smiling faces I can see
But not for me
I sit and watch
As tears go by
My riches can't buy everything
I want to hear the children sing
All I hear is the sound
Of rain falling on the ground
I sit and watch
As tears go by
It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Doin' things I used to do
They think are new
I sit and watch
As tears go by
Of course the Stones recorded it too... Mick would later say "It's a very melancholy song for a 21 year old to write. "The evening of the day, watching children play - it's very dumb and naive, but it's got a very sad sort of thing about it, almost like an older person might write. You know, it's a metaphor for being old. You're watching children playing and realizing you're not a child. It's a relative mature song considering the rest of the output at the time."
We've all got different tastes - but I enjoy the heck out of Mick, Keith, The Rolling Stones. Band camp, a friend of mine used to write music reviews for the Kansas City Star...Years and years he interviewed all of em. So I asked him one time... "Everyone asks 'Who are the jerks in the industry.. can you name a couple of the really nice ones?" Quickly out of his mouth, "David Bowie and Mick Jagger." Turns out Mick was like "Yes sir" and "No sir" the entire interview.
That, and I'm Kansas City biased. Whilst here one year to play, Mick brought the entire band to tour the Negro Leagues Museum.
Interesting now that it IS the evening of the day for Mick.
I ain't no preacher and I've said time and time again, I write to me, for me, hitchhikers welcome. I'd like to think Mick would now say "it's not a dumb and naive song"... it's very thoughtful. And, it's NOT sad. It's a wonderful thing to watch children do as we used to do.
As (Happy) Tears Go By.......
Right Loog?
Love, Victurd
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