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Seven years is a long time in rock ‘n’ roll—long enough for rumors, reunions and at least a few exaggerated obituaries. Then The Rolling Stones returned with Doom and Gloom proving that sounding grim can actually be a lot of fun. Instead of chasing nostalgia, the band threw listeners into a chaotic world packed with dark humor, restless energy and riffs that refuse to sit quietly. Somehow, a song about disaster feels strangely alive, reminding everyone that the Stones have always thrived when things look a little messy. Apparently, the apocalypse can still make for a pretty great rock record.
I crash landed in a Louisiana swamp/ Shot up a horde of zombies but I come out on top…
Written by: Jagger/Richards Recorded: Studio Guillaume Tell, Suresnes, France, Aug. 20-23 2012
Mick Jagger: vocals, guitar, cowbell, handclaps Keith Richards: guitar Ronnie Wood: guitar Charlie Watts: drums Guest musicians: Darryl Jones (bass), Chuck Leavell (organ), Jeff Bhasker (synthesizer), Emile Haynie (drum programming)
More about ‘Doom and Gloom’ by The Rolling Stones
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
Doom and Gloom: The Rolling Stones Return With Their Darkest Modern Rocker
Seven years after A Bigger Bang Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ron Wood reunited in the studio to record new material, but this was no comfortable trip down memory lane. Instead, Doom and Gloomexploded with frantic energy, proving the Rolling Stones still had fresh ideas rather than recycled nostalgia. Written primarily by Mick Jagger, the song transforms modern anxieties into an outrageous nightmare filled with crashing airplanes, zombies and social chaos. Yet beneath its apocalyptic imagery lies a small but unmistakable spark of hope, showing that even when everything appears to be falling apart, the Stones can still find a reason to keep the music loud, sharp and defiantly alive.
Mick Jagger’s apocalyptic vision
If the recording sessions carried any tension, it seemed to come mainly from Mick Jagger, whose creative mood shaped the entire song. His lyrics plunge listeners into an unsettling dream in which he pilots an airplane filled with drunken, unhinged passengers before crashing into a Louisiana swamp, where zombies complete the nightmare. The repeated line, “All I hear is doom and gloom,” reflects a world overwhelmed by crisis, fear and endless bad news. Still, Jagger avoids pure pessimism by introducing a brief glimpse of hope through the face of a mysterious beautiful stranger appearing in the darkness. The result is another example of the Stones exploring apocalyptic themes while balancing darkness with irony.
Producer Jeff Bhasker watched Jagger develop the lyrics and immediately recognized how unusual they were. He later praised the fearless combination of social commentary, outrageous imagery and dark humor, noting that the references to zombies and crashing airplanes somehow came together naturally instead of feeling forced.
Released on October 11 2012Doom and Gloom became the Rolling Stones’ first original song since Biggest Mistake in August 2006. Premiering on BBC Radio 2 one month before the release of GRRR!, the band’s 50th anniversary compilation, it reached No. 61 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 30 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart. A lyric video also appeared on YouTube on the day of its premiere.
Keith Richards: “I don’t think the Stones have ever cut a track so fast. It was like three takes and – boom! We were like looking at each other and going, ‘Got anything else?’ It was amazingly quick. The Stones are amazing that way, their chemistry and their energy when they get together. The hard bit with the Stones is getting them together.”
Recorded almost before anyone noticed
The reunion sessions in Paris during the autumn of 2012 produced not only Doom and Gloom but also One More Shot. According to Keith Richards, speaking with Mark Ellen, the recordings happened with remarkable speed. The band completed the track in roughly three takes, leaving everyone looking around the studio wondering whether there was anything else to record. For a group famous for refining songs over lengthy sessions, the efficiency was almost unbelievable.
Musically, the track rests on a classic Stones groove driven by a riff written by Mick Jagger rather than Keith Richards. Jagger delivers one of his most urgent vocal performances, while Richards keeps his guitar work understated and Ron Wood injects sharp lead phrases. Charlie Watts combines his unmistakable drumming with programming by Emile Haynie, Darryl Jones supplies a deep bass foundation, Chuck Leavell plays Hammond organ and Jeff Bhasker adds synthesizers that give the production a subtle contemporary flavor without sacrificing the band’s identity.
Mick Jagger (2012): “These two songs were done separately. We came together to do this very quickly. Keith said, ‘I’ve got this one song I think you’re gonna like’. I said, ‘Well, how fast is it? It’s sort of medium fast’. So I thought I’ll pick one more up-tempo. I didn’t think a ballad would be suitable. It needed to be two energetic songs. It was a good process, in the studio, it was easy and fun. No hanging about, which is good.”
The centerpiece of GRRR!
Rather than simply celebrating five decades with another retrospective, the Rolling Stones used Doom and Gloom as the lead single from GRRR!, reminding listeners they could still produce compelling new material. The song quickly became the defining feature of the anniversary collection, demonstrating that the band’s story was continuing rather than simply being remembered.
Jonas Åkerlund brings the chaos to life
The official video, released on 20 November 2012, was directed by Swedish filmmaker Jonas Åkerlund, whose résumé includes work with Moby, Iggy Pop, Paul McCartney and Madonna. Filmed at Cité du Cinéma in Saint-Denis, France, it stars actress Noomi Rapace, best known for playing Lisbeth Salander in the original Millennium trilogy. Her unpredictable performance perfectly captures the song’s frantic mood, turning its themes of excess, confusion and looming disaster into a visually striking companion to one of the Rolling Stones’ strongest later-period recordings.
Keith Richards (2013): “At first I said, ‘Hey Mick, Doom and Gloom is a kind of weird title for a 50-year celebration’, you know? But you know what the Stones are like, it’s always against the grain. But he came up with it and it’s a great track and a really quite ‘funny’ song, actually — there are some great lyrics.”
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