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Rolling Stones quotes: Keith Richards on Far Away Eyes
Keith Richards had a theory about where Mick Jagger’s Far Away Eyes really came from, and it involved Merle Haggard, Bakersfield and a question Jagger apparently hadn’t answered himself. The Rolling Stones’ 1978 country detour was hardly subtle, with Jagger laying on the exaggerated accent while the band leaned into the sound of California country music. Richards, however, heard something more specific beneath the comedy. He suspected Jagger’s familiarity with Merle Haggard had helped shape the song’s strange combination of country authenticity and Stones-style mischief. His comment is a reminder that even when the Stones were joking around, their musical influences were rarely accidental.
“I know Mick listens to, and used to, a lot of Merle Haggard from Bakersfield, California…When you think about it, he even sings Bakersfield in Far Away Eyes… I wonder why Bakersfield? I’ve got to ask him that. Maybe he don’t even know himself. It must go back to him listening to a lot of Merle Haggard.”
Keith Richards on Far Away Eyes… Well, if there was ever a song that proved the Rolling Stones could do anything—even country music—now this is the song. Released on Some Girlsin 1978, this track is their hilariously over-the-top take on country, complete with twangy guitars, a honky-tonk piano, and Mick Jagger doing his best impression of a Southern preacher who just found salvation on the AM dial.
Jagger doesn’t just sing the lyrics—he performs them, putting on an exaggerated country drawl that makes it pretty clear the band isn’t taking this too seriously. He tells the story of a lonely guy driving through Bakersfield, tuning in to a radio preacher promising that everything will be fine as long as he sends in some money. And wouldn’t you know it? He follows the advice and ends up with a girl with “far away eyes.” Hallelujah!
Of course, the Stones had already dabbled in country before—thanks mostly to Keith Richards’ obsession with Gram Parsons—but Far Away Eyes takes things to another level. It’s both a tribute and a parody, managing to sound like a genuine country song while also poking fun at the whole genre.
So, was it satire? Was it sincere? With the Stones, who knows? But one thing’s for sure—nobody expected a bunch of British rock stars to pull off country this well… or to make it sound this ridiculous.
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