The one lyricist Mick Jagger called underappreciated: “I don’t think it worries him”
The Rolling Stones hold the distinction nowadays of being one of the most overexplained groups in rock history. Much like their Liverpool counterparts, The Beatles, the world’s longest-running rock and roll band, have been mythologised to the point of parody, from the duckwalk that Mick Jagger was known for in his prime to people later adopting guitarist Brian Jones’s signature bowl haircut. Although Jagger is probably more than happy to see the group’s legacy become the stuff of legend, he still considers Keith Richards to be a bit underrated as a songwriter.
Then again, Richards is known more now as a walking rock and roll vampire than a person. Throughout his time in The Stones, Richards was the one normally reserved for rhythm guitar and coming up with the classic riffs that Jagger would sing over. It’s not an easy job for sure, but most artists would kill for a gig where all they had to do was play basic chords and lock in with the drummer.
Whereas most people find rhythm guitar easier than soloing, what Richards does is a bit of a lost art. Much like John Lennon, Richards had the weird ability to make the group jump whenever he played rhythm, usually putting more life into songs like ‘Gimme Shelter’ or ‘Street Fighting Man’ whenever his guitar came chiming in.
Though many of his riffs are just known as the basis for any song, Richards also had more than a few great turns behind the mic. On a track like ‘Happy’ or even ballads like ‘Coming Down Again’, Richards’s rough-around-the-edges singing style gave the group a lot more character, usually giving a badass or bittersweet flipside to whatever Jagger was singing about.
That kind of dynamic of songwriting would usually lead to any musicians butting heads, but Jagger still thought that Richards never got the respect he deserved, telling Rolling Stone, “I don’t think people really know or care that much about what really goes on. So they think, ‘Oh well, Mick must write all the lyrics, and Keith writes all the tunes’, which might have been true 30 years ago but isn’t true now. Keith might be underappreciated as a lyric writer, [but] I don’t think it worries him.”
Even though a lot of Richards’s vocals turn pale compared to what Jagger can do, every one of his lyrics always feels more experienced than what Jagger could do. For all of the great showmanship, it’s easy to see Jagger playing a character when he wants to, whereas Richards sounds like he’s genuinely hurting and is reaching into his soul to find a little shred of light still left in him.
When someone’s not careful, there are even a few lines that could chill them to the bone if they’re not ready for it. Yes, a song like ‘All About You’ might just sound like one long diss song to a bitter ex, but the final line, where Richards always finds a reason to say that he loves her, is a lot more mature from the man everyone usually thinks is the ultimate rock and roller.
Underneath that rough exterior is a man just as insecure and helpless as anyone, but he still manages to make it sound effortless. Richards certainly had the potential to make heartfelt songs, but sometimes, some of the most vulnerable hearts are the ones who build up their walls so high.
