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TL;DR:

  • Marianne Faithfull recorded The Rolling Stones’ “As Tears Go By” before The Rolling Stones did.
  • Faithfull released three renditions of the song.
  • She explained why her most recent recording of “As Tears Go By” is her favorite.
"As Tears Go By" singer Marianne Faithfull and The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger in black-and-white
Marianne Faithfull and Mick Jagger | Bettmann / Contributor

Many classic rock stars wrote songs for other artists. For example, The Rolling Stones‘ Mick Jagger co-wrote Marianne Faithfull’s “As Tears Go By,” her signature tune. During an interview, Faithfull discussed her romantic relationship with Jagger and her favorite version of “As Tears Go By.”

Marianne Faithfull said dating The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger nearly ‘destroyed’ her

During a 2021 interview with Rolling Stone, Faithfull was asked if dating Jagger made her stronger. “I don’t know if it did,” she said. “It almost destroyed me. 

“Although it was wonderful, it was only four years,” she added. “It was a wonderful time, and he was great, but I don’t think I fit into that life or what he wanted in a woman, that’s all. I couldn’t do it.”

Marianne Faithfull released 3 significantly different version of The Rolling Stones’ ‘As Tears Go By’

According to AllMusic, “As Tears Go By” was initially credited to Jagger, Richards, and The Rolling Stones’ manager/producer, Andrew Loog Oldham. Loog Oldham is no longer listed as a co-writer.

The ballad has a long and unusual history. Faithfull released the original version of the song in 1964 and its success made her a star. The Rolling Stones covered it the following year. Faithfull released a more melancholy rendition of the track in 1987 and another version of the song in 2018 for her album Negative Capability.

In Rolling Stone, Faithfull revealed her feelings about her three recordings of the track. “I liked the last one, the one I did on Negative Capability, best,” she revealed. “It took me a long time to really get it. I thought the first one was just too bright and breezy and poppy, and the second one was too sad, and the third one is really balanced.”

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Marianne Faithfull felt it was ‘weird’ for her to sing ‘As Tears Go By’ when she 1st recorded it

“As Tears Go By” is a song about getting older and feeling sad when you see others partake in the pleasures of youth. Faithfull was asked if “As Tears Go By,” which she originally recorded as a teenager, took on a different meaning for her now. “As you grow up, yes, of course it does,” he said. “It was a very weird thing to do, to give me that song to sing when I was only 17. Both Mick and Keith were 21 or 22 when they wrote it, but they are very brilliant.”

Subsequently, Faithfull was asked if she had advice to younger generations. The singer said people should be kind to themselves and others. She also encouraged young people to live in the moment. She acknowledged that task became difficult to do as she got older, but she was still able to do it sometimes. Notably, “As Tears Go By” is about missing the past rather than living in the moment.

The original “As Tears Go By” remains Faithfull’s signature tune even if she prefers her latest rendition of it.

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