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Rolling Stones quotes: Mick Jagger on performing country music
“I love it, 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 Americanized, it feels very close to me, to my roots, so to speak.”
Mick Jagger on Country Music: A Playful Connection
For Mick Jagger, country music is both familiar and foreign. He admits he can’t quite take it too seriously, preferring to approach it with a touch of irony — the same tongue-in-cheek spirit he believes many country singers themselves embody.
What fascinates him most is how different its sound world is from the blues. The harmonic structure doesn’t bend and twist notes the way blues does, giving country its own crisp flavor. Yet despite its American polish, Jagger senses a strangely English character in it. That closeness makes the genre feel like part of his own roots, even if filtered through another culture. For him, country becomes both a playful challenge and an oddly personal echo.
The Rolling Stones’ Country Side: Rock Meets Twang
Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones have ventured into country music several times throughout their career, despite their core identity being rock and roll. Some examples, as follows:
Far Away Eyes (1978) – Featured on their album Some Girls, this song is a notable example of their country influence. Jagger’s twangy vocal delivery and the use of steel guitar give the track a distinct country flavor.
Country Honk(1969) – From the album Let It Bleed, this track is a country-styled take on their hit Honky Tonk Women offering a more relaxed, country arrangement compared to the rock original.
Dead Flowers (1971) – From Sticky Fingers, this song blends country and rock elements, featuring lyrics and musical arrangements that pay homage to traditional country music.
The Stones’ approach to country music often blends it with their rock roots, creating a distinctive mix that showcases their versatility and openness to exploring different genres. (Ref. Rolling Stones country experiments)
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