The Rolling Stones song Mick Jagger saw as a joke: “I find it very hard to take it seriously”
Country music is an essential pillar of The Rolling Stones‘ unique sounds and stylings. The band established their identity by boldly embracing Chicago blues, wayward psychedelia, roots rock, and Chuck Berry-inspired rock ‘n’ roll. When Keith Richards formed a bond with former Byrds guitarist Gram Parsons, who, at the time, was pushing country further into the rock world than anyone else, it only solidified the band’s dedication to reproducing all kinds of uniquely American-rooted musical genres.
As a genre, country music is an American cultural force, and it is impossible to disconnect from the distinct Nashville twang. Anyone from outside the home of its origin can be derided as inauthentic, and the merits of their diversion into the musical arena are highly questioned.
Not only were The Rolling Stones not American, but they were from suburban England, another world from the deep southern states. However, rather than let this inescapable geographical fact deter them from taking flight on their desired musical adventure, they took it in their stride and used it as ammunition for fun.
Mick Jagger was acutely aware of his distinct lack of country music bonafides. Conversely, Richards cracked and offered up his weary voice, which was ideally suited for the genre. Undeniably, Jagger’s flamboyant strut and hard-edged bark weren’t quite as adept at singing those types of songs. He simply didn’t have the necessary twang, which shouldn’t be a surprise considering he was a young man raised in Kent.
Although country music wasn’t a genre that Jagger was raised on, he still deeply cared for it. Rather than let his flaws stop him from chasing the sound, Jagger decided to mix in elements that he had perfected: over-the-top showmanship and a hint of absurdity.
“I love country music,” Jagger once told Rolling Stone, “But I find it very hard to take it seriously. I also think a lot of country music is sung with the tongue in cheek, so I do it tongue in cheek. The harmonic thing is very different from the blues. It doesn’t bend notes in the same way, so I suppose it’s very English, really. Even though it’s been very Americanised, it feels very close to me, to my roots, so to speak.”
Jagger offered his thoughts on country after being probed specifically about ‘Dead Flowers’, the southern-fried heroin-referencing cut from the band’s 1971 classic Sticky Fingers.
Although ‘Dead Flowers’ wasn’t the first time the band had dipped their toes into the country world, it was a notable evolution and marked their debut fully-fledged attempt. ‘Country Honk’ was explicitly modelled after the genre, while elements of country can be found in ‘You Got the Silver’ and ‘Dear Doctor’. But ‘Dead Flowers’ did represent an embrace on Jagger’s part of the sillier and less serious delivery that he would utilise on the band’s future country material like ‘Far Away Eyes’.
“The ‘Country’ songs we recorded later, like ‘Dead Flowers’ on Sticky Fingers or ‘Far Away Eyes’ on Some Girls, are slightly different (than our earlier ones),” Jagger reflected in 2003. Elaborating further on his reasoning, he added: “The actual music is played completely straight, but it’s me who’s not going legit with the whole thing because I think I’m a blues singer, not a country singer – I think it’s more suited to Keith’s voice than mine.”
Country music would return to the band’s repertoire, colouring classic tracks like ‘Sweet Virginia’, ‘Torn and Frayed’, and ‘Winter’, permanently affecting the band’s musical growth. Even if the Stones could put together an entire album on country music, Jagger would likely baulk at the idea. However, he can’t refuse the idea of a jokey country song once in a blue moon, which quenches his thirst.
Even on their most recent album, 2023’s Hackney Diamonds, The Rolling Stones couldn’t help themselves from experimenting with country, further proving their dedication to the genre. Musically, ‘Get Close’ is a country anthem. However, Jagger’s vocal delivery is firmly rooted in rock ‘n’ roll traditions. Meanwhile, the tongue-in-cheek approach that Jagger previously committed to is eminent in ‘Dreamy Skies’. While it still sounds unmistakably like The Rolling Stones frontman, he’s unable to resist adopting a humorous Southern twang.
