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TL;DR:

  • A rock star revealed The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” is a personal favorite.
  • He said he couldn’t understand one line of the song for years.
  • He felt “Gimme Shelter” “has an otherworldly vibe to it.”
The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger with a microphone
The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger | Evening Standard/Getty Images

A rock star said he didn’t understand The Rolling Stones‘ “Gimme Shelter” for decades. In addition, he revealed the song always makes him want to cry. Notably, Mick Jagger gave fans insight into one of the song’s most famous lines.

Styx’s James Young said The Rolling Stones’ ‘Gimme Shelter’ is the best song by the group

In a 2021 article from Loudersound, dozens of musicians were asked to name their favorite song from The Rolling Stones. One of the artists was James Young from the band Styx. Styx is known for a string of hits from the 1970s and 1980s, including “Lady,” “Mr. Roboto,” and “Come Sail Away.”

Young revealed his favorite song by The Rolling Stones was “Gimme Shelter.” “‘It’s just a shot away, it’s just a shot away’ — those words capture the turmoil in the world and particularly in America during the year 1969,” he opined. “Just a short while before recording this song the Stones had just seen someone killed in front of them at Altamont. It was a shock for all fans of rock music.”

Styx’s James Young said The Rolling Stones put a ‘scary message’ in the song

Young said he didn’t always understand the lyrics of “Gimme Shelter.” “Having listened to the song for many decades, only in the last few years, when I looked up the lyrics to the song, did I realize that the previously unintelligible-to-my-ear first two words of every chorus were: ‘Rape, murder,'” he said. “They moderate the scary message at the end by saying that love is ‘just a kiss away.’ For whatever reason, whenever I hear this song I end up fighting back tears.”

Young further explained his feelings about “Gimme Shelter.” “I love the way it sounds,” he said. “The song is simple and sparsely orchestrated, but it has an otherworldly vibe to it.” Young complimented Merry Clayton’s vocals on “Gimme Shelter,” as well as the way the track fuses elements of Chicago blues, British rock, and American gospel music.

Related

The Rolling Stones’ ‘Miss You’: The 5th Beatle Helped Mick Jagger Write the Song

Mick Jagger discussed how Merry Clayton’s part of ‘Gimme Shelter’ came together

During a 2012 interview with NPR, Mick Jagger discussed the lyrics about rape and murder. He said he and other members of the band were mixing the song and decided a woman should sing that line. They called up Clayton. Subsequently, she put her all into the track. He felt “Gimme Shelter” has been an amazing live song ever since.

“Gimme Shelter” is a classic track and Young says it almost brings tears to his eyes.

How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.

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