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Rolling Stones quotes: Mick Jagger on singing Far Away Eyes (2008)
Far Away Eyes shows The Rolling Stones taking a bold detour into country—but with a twist only they could pull off. From Some Girls (1978), the track turns genre exploration into something playful, as Mick Jagger leans into an exaggerated Texas drawl that feels more like performance art than imitation. Instead of chasing authenticity, the band flips expectations, blending humor, irony, and style into a uniquely Stones-like take on country music. The result is a song that feels both like a tribute and a wink at the genre itself—proving that sometimes not taking things too seriously is exactly what makes them unforgettable.
“All of these songs have characters. They’re all different. That’s the thing about the Stones, they have lots of other kinds of facets which make them kind of interesting. They’re not really stuck in classic-rock mode… Don’t force me to intellectualize it. I just do the characters. I’ve done a couple of songs, even very early, on those songs like Dear Doctor and all that – they’re that sort of character. I have an affinity with that country thing, I think.”
Far Away Eyes captures Mick Jagger at his most mischievous, turning what could have been a straightforward country experiment into something far more entertaining. Featured on Some Girls (1978), the song dives into American country traditions—but never quite plays it straight. Instead, Jagger leans hard into a Texas-style drawl that feels intentionally exaggerated, almost like he’s auditioning for a role he has no intention of taking seriously. The result is a performance that walks a fine line between homage and parody. Rather than trying to sound authentic, he embraces the artificiality, transforming the accent into part of the joke. It’s this self-awareness that makes the track stand out, proving that The Rolling Stones could explore new genres without losing their identity. In fact, by not taking it too seriously, they end up making an even stronger impression.
Performance as playful parody
What makes Far Away Eyes so memorable isn’t just the genre shift—it’s the performance itself. Mick Jagger doesn’t simply sing the song; he performs it like a character. His exaggerated southern drawl sounds closer to a honky-tonk caricature than anything authentically Texan, and that’s clearly the point. There’s a theatrical quality in the way he stretches vowels and delivers lines, as if he’s fully aware of the absurdity and leaning into it for effect.
That playful tone creates a sense of ambiguity. Is he poking fun at country clichés, or just enjoying the style for what it is? The answer seems to be both. Jagger never commits to sincerity or satire entirely, and that tension gives the song its charm. It feels like an inside joke shared between the band and the listener.
Humor, identity and a standout moment
Within the Some Girls era Far Away Eyes stands out as a reminder that The Rolling Stones thrived on personality as much as sound. The track is sarcastic, relaxed, and undeniably bold in its approach. Instead of carefully blending into the country genre, the band reshapes it through their own lens—irreverent, self-aware, and slightly cheeky.
In the end, the song works precisely because it doesn’t try too hard to convince. Jagger’s over-the-top delivery becomes the hook, turning what could have been a novelty into a defining moment. It’s a perfect example of how the Stones could experiment, entertain, and still make it unmistakably their own.
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