The Rolling Stones Revisit ‘100 Years Ago’ (Piano Demo, 1973)

By Marcelo Sonaglioni on June 28, 2025

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!

Rolling Stones songs: 100 Years Ago (piano demo)

Written by: Jagger/Richard
Recorded: Dynamic Sounds Studios, Kingston, Jamaica, Nov.-25.Dec. 21, 1972; Island Recording Studios, London, June 1973
Guest musicians: Nicky Hopkins (piano)
*Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012

*Click for MORE ROLLING STONES SONGS 1962-PRESENT

More about The Rolling Stones’ 100 Years Ago (Piano Demo)

*By Marcelo Sonaglioni

rolling stones songs 100 years piano demo 1973

A Glimpse into the Past with a Piano Twist

Before Goats Head Soup ever hit the shelves, 100 Years Ago had already taken shape in Mick Jagger’s mind. According to Mick Taylor, the song had been floating around for at least two years before the 1973 sessions and was even being toyed with during the making of Exile on Main St. It finally found its voice on Goats Head Soup—but fans got a rare peek behind the curtain in 2020 when a previously unreleased piano demo version was included in the album’s deluxe reissue. Stripped back and hauntingly raw, the demo shows a softer, more reflective side of the track. With just Jagger and a piano, the emotional weight of the lyrics comes through in a way that feels almost intimate. It’s not just a demo—it’s a time capsule, revealing the song’s earliest heartbeat before the full band brought it to life.

Fantasy, Memory, and the Forest Path

In the original version of 100 Years Ago Jagger’s lyrics take us on a dreamlike walk through time. The narrator drifts through a forest where the world feels like a carpet unfurled before him, soaked in nostalgia and wonder. He reminisces about sitting on a gate with his friend Mary, gazing at a dragon drifting across the sky—an image that flirts with the surreal whimsy of Their Satanic Majesties Request, though without the full psychedelic haze. This isn’t a return to the acid-soaked days of the late ’60s, but rather a softer reflection, tinged with age and perspective. The fantastical tone is still there, but grounded by memory.

COPYRIGHT © ROLLING STONES DATA
ALL INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE IS COPYRIGHT OF ROLLING STONES DATA. ALL CONTENT BY MARCELO SONAGLIONI.
ALL SETLISTS AND TICKET STUBS TAKEN FROM THE COMPLETE WORKS OF THE ROLLING STONES.
WHEN USING INFORMATION FROM ROLLING STONES DATA (ONLINE OR PRINTED) PLEASE REFER TO ITS SOURCE DETAILING THE WEBSITE NAME. THANK YOU.