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Rolling Stones songs: 2000 Light Years from Home
Bound for a star with fiery oceans/ It’s so very lonely, you’re a hundred light years from home…
Original titles: Title 12 ; Toffee Apple Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: Olympic Sound Studios, London, England, July 7-22 1967 Guest musicians: Nicky Hopkins (piano) *Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
More about 2000 Light Years From Home by The Rolling Stones
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
Mick Jagger wrote 2000 Light Years from Home in a moment of deep loneliness during his brief time in Brixton Prison. On the night of June 29–30, 1967, he sat in his cell, unaware that he would be released on bail the next day. He had just been sentenced to three months for the illegal possession of Benzedrine after the infamous Redlands bust, and the weight of the situation hit him hard.
That overwhelming isolation found its way into the song’s haunting lyrics. Rather than writing directly about his imprisonment, Jagger cleverly turned his personal turmoil into a cosmic journey. The song’s narrator, like an astronaut drifting further into space, grows more detached as he travels—first one hundred light-years from home, then six hundred, then one thousand, until he is completely lost at two thousand.
The lyrics are a brilliant use of metaphor, capturing Jagger’s anxiety and despair without being obvious. His feeling of alienation transforms into a surreal voyage toward the distant star Aldebaran. The result is one of the most atmospheric and poetic songs in the Stones’ catalog, a product of both Jagger’s restless mind and the strange, isolating experience of that night in jail.
With the Space Age in full swing, the fascination with space exploration likely played a role in inspiring 2000 Light Years from Home. The idea of venturing into the unknown, drifting through the cosmos, and experiencing the vastness of space fit perfectly with the song’s eerie, psychedelic vibe.
The late ‘60s saw a surge in space-influenced rock, and the Stones, in their own way, tapped into that fascination—creating a track that felt like a surreal journey through both the universe and the mind. In fact around the same time, Pink Floyd was also experimenting with a similar sound, blending cosmic themes with atmospheric, otherworldly music.
2000 Light Years from Home can also be seen as a vivid representation of an LSD trip, a musical journey into the psychedelic unknown. In many ways, it aligns with Timothy Leary’s concept of the “politics of ecstasy,” where expanded consciousness and altered perception lead to new ways of experiencing reality.
The song’s progression feels like a psychedelic voyage—starting with a soft explosion, propelling the listener toward a distant, mysterious star surrounded by fiery oceans, where energy pulses through every part of existence. It’s a surreal and otherworldly trip, capturing the sense of disorientation and wonder that came with mind-expanding substances in the late ‘60s.
At the same time, the song serves as a uniquely Rolling Stones take on the Summer of Love. While many bands of the era embraced flower power with bright, optimistic anthems, the Stones delivered something darker and more unsettling. Their version of psychedelia wasn’t just about blissful escapism—it hinted at the isolation, alienation, and eerie detachment that could come with such experiences. 2000 Light Years from Home wasn’t just about space travel; it was about the vast distances within the mind itself.
Musically speaking, 2000 Light Years from Home has a bit of that psychedelic vibe that California bands were experimenting with at the time—think Eight Miles High by The Byrds or White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. But while it fit right in with the late ‘60s psych-rock sound, the song ended up having a huge impact on the British progressive rock scene.
On this track, Brian Jones brought in the eerie, spacey vibe by playing a Mellotron, one of the earliest synthesizers. Jones was known for experimenting with all kinds of unusual instruments during his time with the Stones, always adding a unique touch to their sound. Brain’s influence on their music—especially during their psychedelic phase—was undeniable.
The song was released as a single in several countries with She’s a Rainbow as the B-side. Even today, its spacey vibe stands out as one of the Stones’ most unique tracks.
The Stones brought this track back to life during their Steel Wheels tour in 1989. At one of the shows in Atlantic City, they even broadcast it with a 3D version of the song (people attending the show had to wear those ridiculous glasses to watch it) Classic Stones, always doing something extra!
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