Like what you see? Help keep it going! This site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh Rolling Stones content coming your way every day. Thank you!
Keith Richards, when he was asked about the Stones penchant for “writing songs about sex and drugs and rock and roll”
“We don’t know much about anything else. It seems that and violence is playing a greater role in the world. We’re that great old cliché, a mirror of society. I love clichés, they’re so true and so boring, but there are horrible elements of truth in cliché. To me this album (Undercover) is a little bit of a brother to Beggars Banquet…
…When there’s too much crap going down, you find yourself writing about it and singing about it. We never stepped out of our way to be political or sociologically interesting. ‘Undercover Of The Night‘ is basically about Central America: ‘Oops a daisy, here we go again,’ the possibilities and the confusion and the stupidity of not leaving people alone. I was reading something the Other day that said, ‘If the system’s the answer, it must have been a bloody stupid question.’ “
“Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.” It’s the ultimate cliché, right? The go-to phrase when people talk about the wild side of rock stars, their insane lifestyles, and the chaos that came with being a musical icon in the ’60s and ’70s. It’s been used so many times, it’s practically lost all meaning, but let’s not kid ourselves—there’s some truth in it.
This phrase basically became the soundtrack to the lives of bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Led Zeppelin. It’s a snapshot of an era when rock stars weren’t just musicians—they were living legends who did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. It wasn’t just about the music; it was about the rebellion, the excess, and the fact that no one could tell them what to do. It was about living fast and hard, whether that meant partying all night or indulging in the kind of rock ‘n’ roll debauchery that’s made these bands infamous.
Of course, as time has passed, the phrase has become a bit of a joke—kind of like the whole idea of the rock star life itself. Still, there’s no denying that for a few wild decades, “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” was the mantra of the most outrageous, untouchable musicians in the world. A lifestyle that’s long been glamorized, exaggerated, and, yeah, cliché—but still pretty damn legendary.
Like what you see? Help keep it going! This site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh Rolling Stones content coming your way every day. Thank you!
