Marianne Faithfull Gets Sick of Singing The Rolling Stones’ ‘As Tears Go By’

The Rolling Stones‘ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards co-wrote Marianne Faithfull’s “As Tears Go By.” Afterward, Faithfull said she tires of the song sometimes. However, she much prefers it to another famous 1960s hit.

Marianne Faithfull feels she always has to sing The Rolling Stones’ ‘As Tears Go By’

Faithfull was in a relationship with Jagger between 1966 and 1970. The 2013 book 50 Licks: Myths and Stories from Half a Century of The Rolling Stones says Faithfull functioned as Jagger’s muse. He co-wrote her most famous tune, “As Tears Go By.” While the track is a tender classic rock ballad about getting older, Faithfull was merely a teenager when she recorded it. It’s a testament to Faithfull’s vocal performance that audiences were able to accept a young artist singing the song.

Faithfull discussed her feelings regarding “As Tears Go By.” “This is a song I first sung when I was little,” she said. “I was seventeen years old. My friends Mick and Keith [Richards] wrote it for me. Last night even, as I sing it, I feel it. What a beautiful song. And how wonderful it is for the audience.”

Faithfull revealed she isn’t always satisfied with “As Tears Go By.” “There are moments I can tell you where I’d like to retire it,” she said. “But there are certain songs that I have to sing and ‘As Tears Go By’ is definitely one of them. If you are going to have a song slung around your neck for life, you could do a lot worse. What if my hit song was ‘Wooly Bully?'”

Marianne Faithfull’s opinion of Sam the Sham and the Pharaoh’s ‘Wooly Bully’ isn’t fair

For context, “Wooly Bully” is the most famous song by the novelty pop group Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs. Even compared to most pop singles, the appeal of “Wooly Bully” is its instrumentation rather than its lyrics. Why? Well, “Woolly Bully” is a nonsensical track about characters named Matty and Hatty who watch a buffalo dance and then decide to dance themselves. The pop charts wouldn’t embrace an animal-themed pop single this silly until the release of Ylvis’ “The Fox” in 2013.

Is “As Tears Go By” superior to “Wooly Bully?” Of course it is. On the same token, one song is supposed to be emotional and the other is supposed to be silly fun. It’s an apples-and-oranges situation. 

How ‘As Tears Go By’ and ‘Wooly Bully’ performed on the charts

Despite Faithfull’s comments, “Wooly Bully” outperformed her signature song. “Wooly Bully” reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 18 weeks. Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs released several other top 40 singles, but none were nearly as popular as “Wooly Bully.”

On the other hand, “As Tears Go By” merely reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the chart for nine weeks. None of Faithfull’s songs were as popular including her excellent rendition of The Beatles’ “Yesterday.”

Faithfull is glad to have recorded “As Tears Go By” even if she gets sick of it.