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There’s gotta be trust in this world/ Or it won’t get very far/ Well, trust in someone/ Or there’s gonna be war…
Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: Regent Sound Studios, London, May 12 1964
Mick Jagger: vocals Keith Richards: guitar Brian Jones: harmonica Bill Wyman: bass Charlie Watts: drums
More about Good Times, Bad Times by The Rolling Stones
*^By Marcelo Sonaglioni
The Rolling Stones’ first blues-rooted originals
Before The Rolling Stones became masters of stadium-sized rock, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were still searching for their own songwriting identity. Good Times, Bad Times, written in 1964 at the encouragement of producer Andrew Oldham, represents one of their earliest steps away from simply performing songs by others and toward creating their own material. Inspired by the black American bluesmen they admired, the song explores the ups and downs of love, with Jagger reflecting on the importance of trust even when relationships face difficult moments. Released as the B-side of the UK single It’s All Over Now, the track captured a young Stones experimenting with their influences while slowly developing the songwriting instincts that would eventually transform them into one of rock’s defining bands
Acoustic blues experimentation
Unlike the louder rhythm and blues recordings that dominated much of the Stones’ early catalog, Good Times, Bad Times takes a more intimate and stripped-down approach. The track is built around Keith Richards’ Harmony 1270 12-string guitar, whose flowing patterns create a strong acoustic blues atmosphere influenced by musicians such as Blind Willie McTell and Leadbelly.
Brian Jones adds harmonica, delivering another memorable contribution that highlights his deep understanding of traditional blues. Bill Wyman’s bass remains deliberately understated, while Charlie Watts keeps the rhythm restrained, mainly focusing on the bass drum. Mick Jagger’s vocal performance combines emotion and control, with the added reverb giving the song an even stronger connection to classic blues recordings.
A step toward their own sound
Although Good Times, Bad Times is not usually placed among The Rolling Stones’ most celebrated songs, it represents an important stage in the growth of Jagger and Richards as composers. Compared with earlier self-written B-sides such as Stonedand Little By Little, the song showed a clearer connection to the acoustic traditions that influenced them.
The track moved away from the electrified Chicago blues style that shaped much of the band’s early repertoire and instead explored rural American blues. Built around 12-string guitar, harmonica, and a simple rhythm section, it functions as a heartfelt tribute to the artists who inspired The Rolling Stones. While it may not completely establish a unique identity of its own, it reveals the band’s genuine passion for the roots of the music they loved.
Release history and legacy
Good Times, Bad Times appeared in 1964 as the B-side of The Rolling Stones’ fourth UK single, It’s All Over Now, and was also used as the B-side for the American release. The song later became part of albums including 12 X 5 (inOctober 1964) and the US compilation Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass).
Its inclusion on these collections helped preserve an important early chapter of the band’s evolution. The song may not have achieved the popularity of later Stones classics, but it provides a fascinating glimpse into Mick Jagger and Keith Richards learning how to transform their blues influences into original compositions.
Not the Led Zeppelin song!
The Stones’Good Times, Bad Times is completely unrelated to the song with the same title that opens Led Zeppelin’s 1969 debut album. The Led Zeppelin track was credited to Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham and belongs to an entirely different musical era and style. Also not to be confused with the band’s take on Sam Cooke’s Good Times, which appeared in the Out of Our Headsalbum in 1965.
The Stones’ version remains a product of 1964: a young band exploring songwriting, honoring their blues heroes, and gradually moving toward the powerful blues-rock sound that would define their future. It may not be one of their most famous recordings, but Good Times, Bad Times captures the moment when The Rolling Stones were still discovering what they could become.
Keith Richards (1977): “I played the acoustic on that. I was a proud owner of a 12-string at the time. Actually, I had two: a Harmony and a Guild. The Guild was very nice.”
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