Rolling Stones songs: Jigsaw Puzzle
*Click for MORE ROLLING STONES SONGS 1962-PRESENT

There’s a regiment of soldiers/ Standing looking on/ And the queen is bravely shouting/ “What the hell is going on?”…

Written by: Jagger/Richard
Recorded: Olympic Sound Studios, London, England, March 23-29 1968; Sunset Sound Studios, Los Angeles, USA, July 1968
Guest musicians: Nicky Hopkins (piano)
*Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012

From the The Rolling Stones – All the Songs book:
This is another song that smacks of the influence of the Bob Dylan of
Blonde on Blonde. When the narrator is not lying on the floor, trying to do
his jigsaw puzzle before it rains anymore, he describes seeing through his
window a tramp who is tryin’ to waste his time, the bishop’s daughter
looking a trifle jealous, a gangster who looks so frightening with his luger
in his hand. Scenes of everyday life, one might almost say.

However, Mick Jagger, who was responsible for these excellent lyrics,
also assumes the role of chronicler of the social realities of the United
Kingdom, with the twenty thousand grandmas waving their hankies in the
air, all burning up their pensions and shouting “it’s not fair,” the regiment
of soldiers standing looking on as the queen is bravely shouting “what the
hell is going on?” before blessing the grandmas.

And because he is the singer of the Rolling Stones, he also includes a reference
to a rock ’n’ roll band: a singer who is angry at being thrown to the lions,
a bass player who looks nervous about the girls outside, guitar players
who look damaged because they have been outcasts all their lives.
The images follow one another with all the dazzling rapidity of the writers
of the Beat generation.
(Ref. rolling stones jigsaw puzzle)