Skip to main content

TL;DR:

  • The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger covered Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” on a live album.
  • Jagger said he considered “Like a Rolling Stone” a pop song.
  • The original version of “Like a Rolling Stone” appeared on one of Dylan’s most popular albums.
The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger holding a microphone
The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger | Evening Standard/Getty Images

The Rolling Stones‘ Mick Jagger covered a number of classic songs. For example, he recorded Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” with his band. He revealed what he thought about the lyrics of the song.

The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger said it was ‘unusual’ for him to cover Bob Dylan’s ‘Like a Rolling Stone’

During a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone, Jagger discussed The Rolling Stones’ live album Stripped (1995). “I thought we just had to give something different,” he said. “We eventually got into it and developed a more intimate record.”

Jagger felt the song selection was different. “And we got a few unusual tracks going on, which is always good for a live record — not original songs but reworked,” he said. “I think ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ was unusual to do. We’ve never done a Dylan song before.”

Mick Jagger revealed what he thought about the lyrics of ‘Like a Rolling Stone’

Jagger was asked why “Like a Rolling Stone” appealed to him. “Well, melodically I quite like it,” he replied. “It’s very well put together; it’s got a proper three sections to it, real good choruses and a good middle bit, and great lyrics. It’s a really well-constructed pop song, in my opinion.”

Jagger was asked if he liked singing Dylan’s lyrics. “This is really a good one; it’s very much to the point, it doesn’t waffle too much,” he said. “I sang it a lot of times on the European tour — maybe 50 times. So I really got inside it, and I enjoyed it. I love playing the harmonica on it.”

Related

‘The Lord of the Rings’: Why The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger Didn’t Play Frodo in the 1978 Film

How Bob Dylan’s ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ and The Rolling Stones’ cover performed in the United States

Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” became one of Dylan’s most popular singles in the United States. It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the chart for 12 weeks. The track appeared on the album Highway 61 Revisited. The album hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 47 weeks. John Wesley Harding is Dylan’s only studio album to last on the chart longer.

The Rolling Stones’ “Like a Rolling Stone” was never a single, so it did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, Stripped hit No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and lasted a total of 19 weeks on the chart.

The Rolling Stones’ “Like a Rolling Stone” wasn’t a hit but it’s an interesting connection between the band and Dylan.

Best in Entertainment