Keith Richards Clarified What The Rolling Stones’ ‘All About You’ Is Actually About

Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were a powerful rock duo that led The Rolling Stones to international success. However, in the 1980s, the two had a brief feud as Jagger and Richards appeared to be moving in opposite directions. While the band never split, Richards may have expressed his frustrations with Mick Jagger in his music, especially with “All About You”.

Keith Richards grew frustrated with Mick Jagger in the 1980s

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards became friends in 1961 and formed The Rolling Stones one year later. While the height of their fame never reached the same level as their competitor, The Beatles, the Stones were still wildly successful and are a legendary band in rock history. Unlike The Beatles, the band has remained active for six decades, with a few changes to the roster. 

However, the band experienced turmoil in the 1980s, mainly due to a feud between Richards and Jagger. In Richard’s 2010 memoir, Life, the guitarist wrote that their relationship worsened because Jagger had developed an inflated ego and became “unbearable.”

“It was the beginning of the Eighties when Mick started to become unbearable,” Richards wrote. “That’s when he became Brenda, or Her Majesty, or just Madam.”

Keith Richards unconsciously aired out his grievances in The Rolling Stones’ ‘All About You’

“All About You” is a track from The Rolling Stones’ 1980 album Emotional Damage. It is written and performed by Richards, despite Jagger also having a writing credit. The lyrics are filled with anger and vitriol directed at a specific individual. While Keith Richards has never declared who The Rolling Stones’ track is about, many fans have speculated it could be about Jagger or his ex-partner, Anita Pallenberg. 

In a 2019 interview with MOJO, Richards said he never thought about who the song was about until he heard other people’s interpretations. The guitarist believes his frustrations with Jagger made it into the song without him doing it purposefully. 

“It was a song of love, discarded love. I never really thought about it in terms of how it was going to be interpreted – ‘Oh, that’s obviously him writing about him!’ I’m just writing another film noir love song,” Richards said. “I know that when I was singing ‘All About You’, I was certainly not thinking about Mick. 

“But relationships in the band being the way they were at the time, these feelings are transferable,” he added.” And once it was pointed out to me, I said, ‘Yeah! Maybe I do mean that!’ We are not in control of our unconscious.”

Jagger and Richards were able to reforge their friendship 

Life featured several insults directed at Jagger from Richards. However, the guitarist later apologized for it in a 2012 documentary. In the same documentary, Jagger said he was somewhat relieved that Richards threw out those insults because it allowed them to clear the air and end past grievances. 

“Looking back at any career, you are bound to recall both the highs and the lows,” the singer shared. “In the 1980s, for instance, Keith and I were not communicating very well. I got very involved with the business side of the Stones, mainly because I felt no one else was interested, but it’s plain now from the book that Keith felt excluded, which is a pity.”