The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil (Live at the RS Rock & Roll Circus, London, 1968)

Album: Beggars Banquet
Charted: 14 - UK; 67 - USA/1968
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More information about the song at: https://www.songfacts.com/facts/the-rollin...

This sinister song perpetuated the image of the Stones as frightening bad boys, as opposed to the clean-cut Beatles. It was great marketing for the band, who got some press by implying an interest in the occult.
The lyrics were inspired by The Master and Margarita, a book by Mikhail Bulgakov. British singer Marianne Faithfull was Mick Jagger's girlfriend at the time and she gave him the book. In the book, the devil is a sophisticated socialite, a "man of wealth and taste." Jagger claims this is about the dark side of man, not a celebration of Satanism. The original title was "The Devil Is My Name."
The Stones performed this on Rock and Roll Circus, a British TV special The Stones taped in 1968 but never aired. It was released on video in 1995. During the performance, Jagger removes his shirt to reveal devil tattoos on his chest and arms.

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