“I know they’re there”: Keith Richards’ bizarre desire to meet aliens
Keith Richards has seen more than most over the course of his 80 years stationed on Earth. Living the archetypal life of sex, drugs and rock and roll, The Rolling Stones guitarist has been privy to situations and experiences that most ordinary people could scarcely even imagine. It’s difficult to imagine Richards feeling as though he has missed out on any experiences, but there is one thing that the guitarist has on his bucket list: aliens.
An essential part of The Rolling Stones’ success, Richards’ impact on the history of rock and roll music is only overshadowed by his bizarre tales. From snorting his father’s ashes to falling out of a palm tree in Fiji, the life stories of Richards read like episode plots from a particularly surrealist sitcom. His musical fame is lucky, in a way, because if he was not a guitarist for The Stones, then it would be easy to imagine him sitting in the corner of a pub, endlessly muttering absurd stories about aliens and conspiracy theories.
The Stones axeman has met a variety of important people throughout his career, from world leaders like Queen Elizabeth II to fellow musical icons such as Jimi Hendrix. However, Richards has never had the pleasure of meeting any type of extra-terrestrial – despite the amount of mind-altering substances the musician has taken over the years. Although he hasn’t made contact, the guitarist has at least seen a few UFOs in his time, or so he would argue.
Back in 1968 – coincidentally, the time during which The Stones were at the peak of their psychedelic experimentation – Richards claimed that aliens were regularly visiting his Redlands Estate in Sussex. At the time, he revealed to Melody Maker, “I’ve seen a few, but nothing that any of the ministries would believe. I believe they exist – plenty of people have seen them.”
Perhaps it was these early glimpses that prompted a desire in the guitarist to, one day, make contact with an otherworldly being. “They are tied up with a lot of things,” he continued, “like the dawn of man, for example. It’s not just a matter of people spotting a flying saucer… I’m not an expert. I’m still trying to understand what’s going on”. Whether or not Richards continued his – ahem – research after these sightings in 1968 is unknown, but his interest in UFOs never faltered.
On his official YouTube channel in 2018, Richards answered fan-asked questions, including ‘Do you believe in aliens?’. In response to the question, an over-excited Richards eagerly replied, “I can’t wait to meet them!” adding, “I know they’re there. I mean, let’s hope they’re there – we need some help.” Explaining his penchant for extraterrestrial possibilities, the guitarist continued, “I love the wonderment of it, I love the possibility of it and I love busting old myths. Let’s hope they are, I can’t wait,” before concluding, “Beam me up Scotty”, with a beaming smile.
The Rolling Stones have hinted at the potential of otherworldly beings at various points throughout their career. Given their appreciation for drugs, though, it’s unclear which songs are about aliens and which are about addiction – presumably, some are about both. One such song is ‘Moonlight Mile’, which could be interpreted as being about UFOs and abduction… or cocaine.
