The “very difficult” decision that changed Mick Jagger’s life forever: “It was totally stupid”
Even two band members as self-assured as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards would never truly be able to claim they never made a bad decision. While they have musically come pretty close to striking perfection on several occasions, some songs and albums miss the mark, revealing that even they can be susceptible to creative missteps.
However, what makes Jagger’s flawed demeanour somewhat endearing is the fact he always faces the scrutiny head-on, often playing into several tropes of it himself, sometimes as a way of taking better control of a bad situation but other times because, ultimately, there’s nothing more fun than being a bit of a wind-up.
His deprecating disposition has always extended beyond just his self-image and into his perceptions about the industry as a whole and the artificiality of the media. In 1970, he summarised his opinion on music journalism with one brutal, sweeping statement: “It’s a lot of nothing, as far as I’m concerned,” he said, adding: “They’re reviewing one song in six columns; the sociological meaning, the religious meaning, the political meaning, and then what I personally think, and they wrap it all up—it’s just ludicrous.”
He’s also not very sparing when it comes to other bands he regards pointless, but, for some reason, Jagger’s bitterness is always given a free pass, probably likely due to his own accreditation within the industry and his reputation as one of the originators of rock ‘n’ roll as we know it today. Even now, as a thorough industry veteran, Jagger’s opinion still carries weight, almost as if anything he says ripples into the ether, shaping the thoughts and views of the industry at large.
But Jagger’s opinionated and assertive ways have been hardwired into him since an early age, flourishing during his years attempting to balance attending the London School of Economics and performing within the Stones. Back then, he went to college during the week and performed within the band at weekends, but it wasn’t too difficult because the band rarely got any work back then, as difficult as that is to believe.
But Jagger wasn’t totally sold on the idea of being in the band yet, either. His detached demeanour made it difficult for anything to captivate his attention long enough for him to deem it time-worthy, and, to him, the Stones were a major blocker between him and the one thing that was the most important at the time—finishing school. Consequently, when he chose the band over college, he knew he had made a bad choice.
“It was very, very difficult because my parents obviously didn’t want me to do it,” he told Rolling Stone in 1995. “My father was furious with me,” he continued, “Absolutely furious. Anything but this. He couldn’t believe it. I agree with him: It wasn’t a viable career opportunity. It was totally stupid. But I didn’t really like being at college. It was really a dull, boring course I was stuck on.”
Still, in spite of the band’s success, Jagger looked back on his decision with disdain, knowing that dropping out of school for whatever reason wasn’t the smartest idea but doing it for a career in music was one sure path to failure. At the same time, it makes complete sense why the musician would be so critical, despite his path taking a turn for the better—after all, his analytical mind and in-built scepticism always win out, even when reflecting on his own achievements.
