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Rolling Stones songs: Already Over Me
LOVE SLIPPING THROUGH THE STRINGS Already Over Me hits that classic Stones sweet spot—love fading, hearts aching, and vibes that cut deep. Mick’s gentle strums and moody keys pull you right into the storm before Charlie’s drums give it heartbeat. It’s tender, sad, and real—the kind of song that stays with you long after it fades out.
Hard to hold on to a love divine/ I’m kneeling in a corner praying to your shrine…
Written by: Jagger/Richards Recorded: Ocean Way Recording Studios, Hollywood, USA, March 13-July 1997 Guest musicians: Jim Keltner (percussion), Don Was (bass), Benmont Tench (keyboards), Kenny Aronoff (bucket), Blondie Chaplin (piano and background vocals), Bernard Fowler (background vocals) *Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
Already Over Me captures that bittersweet ache of a love that’s slipping away—a theme The Rolling Stones have always known how to turn into timeless art. The song’s haunting atmosphere draws you in before a single lyric lands. Mick Jagger’s opening guitar strums set a reflective tone, soon joined by Benmont Tench’s airy synth pads and Blondie Chaplin’s delicate piano touches. It’s intimate yet full of quiet tension. As the track unfolds, Charlie Watts’s drumming grows in emotional weight, guided by Don Was’s steady bassline.
Was would later admit that it took him time to fully understand Charlie’s peculiar way of building rhythm around the singer’s phrasing. That’s what gives the song its pulse—an understated groove that feels spontaneous yet intentional, as if every note knows it’s part of something fading but still beautiful.
Crafting A Classic Stones Sound
Before the final version emerged, Already Over Me went through several creative turns. Mick Jagger had initially brought in R&B master Ken “Babyface” Edmonds to mix and overdub songs for Bridges to Babylon. Babyface worked on a version of the track and offered high praise for it, but Mick wasn’t satisfied. He knew something essential was missing—the song needed the grit and heart of a traditional Stones performance. Don Was agreed. “It was like a Babyface ballad put on top of ‘Wild Horses’, he later said, realizing they needed to bring it back to the band’s organic roots. The decision paid off: the rerecorded version balances emotion and restraint, blending bluesy sadness with understated elegance.
The Stones frontman explains the origins of Already Over Me in a 1997 interview: “‘It was really my fault—I threw the wrong song at him,” Jagger says of Babyface. “We went in and wrote the loops and the programs. We got Charlie to play on it. And in the end, I didn’t like the way it was looped. I said, ‘Kenny, leave it. I’m gonna do it another way.’”
The Soul Behind Every Note
Once the band regrouped, the song became a true ensemble piece. Mick handled acoustic guitar and vocals, while Keith Richards added rhythm support and two stunning solos that breathe both tenderness and tension. Ron Wood’s contribution—his soulful Dobro slides and a baritone guitar part with thick vibrato—adds warmth and depth to the arrangement. Benmont Tench’s Hammond C-3 organ swells beneath the mix, while percussionists Jim Keltner and Kenny Aronoff give the track its subtle texture. The result is a lush, introspective ballad that feels deeply personal yet unmistakably Stones. Already Over Me may speak of endings, but in its sound and spirit, it proves that emotional honesty never goes out of style.
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