Why The Rolling Stones’ ‘Let It Loose’ Matters (1972)

By Marcelo Sonaglioni on May 15, 2025

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Rolling Stones songs: Let It Loose

In the bar you’re getting drunk, oh yeah/ I ain’t in love, I ain’t in luck…

Written by: Jagger/Richard
Recorded: Olympic Sound Studios, London, England, Oct. 17-31 1970; Rolling Stones Mobile, Nellcote, France, July-Oct-Nov. 1971; Sunset Sound Studios, Los Angeles, USA, Dec. 1971-March 1972; RCA Studios, Los Angeles, USA, March 1972
Guest musicians: Nicky Hopkins (mellotron), Bobby Keys (saxophone), Jim Price (trumpet and trombone), Tamiya Lynn, Shirley Goodman, Dr. John, Clydie King, Venetta Field and Joe Green (backing vocals)
*Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012

*Click for MORE ROLLING STONES SONGS 1962-PRESENT

More about ‘Let It Loose’ by The Rolling Stones

Let It Loose: Sex, Solitude, and Emotional Surrender

Let It Loose spins a soulful tale of emotional contradiction, where desire and detachment blur into one. The narrator knows full well that the woman by his side is trouble—too much for him to handle, likely to vanish without a trace. Her friends don’t even know his name, a clear sign of how fleeting this affair will be. Yet, he stays. Why? Maybe he’s lonely, or maybe she’s just a temporary fix for deeper wounds.

There’s a sadness that underpins every verse, but it’s not the weepy kind—it’s the quiet resignation of someone who’s given up looking for love and settled for something physical, something immediate. The friend’s voice in the first verse warns him, but the narrator responds with raw clarity: he’s not in love, he’s not lucky—he’s just there. And when Jagger sings “let it all come down,” it’s not romance; it’s a release, a sensual surrender to escape reality.

As for its lyrics, Mick pointed out in an interview with Uncut magazine in 2010 that “I think Keith wrote that, actually. That’s a very weird, difficult song. I had a whole other set of lyrics to it, but they got lost by the wayside. I don’t think that song has any semblance of meaning. It’s one of those rambling songs. I didn’t really understand what it was about, after the event.” Does that rule out the possibility that the song subtly reflects Keith’s emotions after Mick’s marriage to Bianca? Well, we don’t know.

Let It Loose: A Gospel-Soaked Soul Storm in the South of France

This is one of the Rolling Stones’ most emotional and soulful tracks, with Mick Jagger delivering a raw, gospel-inspired vocal performance. At its core, the song plays like a spiritual dialogue between Jagger and the backing singers, steeped in vulnerability and power.

While the basic track was recorded in the South of France, the gospel-style vocals were added in Los Angeles, featuring the unmistakable New Orleans touch of Dr. John. Keith Richards’ guitar—run through a Leslie speaker—adds swirling texture, while Nicky Hopkins contributes expressive piano and Mellotron chords.

The steady rhythm section of Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman keeps the groove grounded, as Bobby Keys and Jim Price inject bold Texas horns that became a Stones hallmark. Blending soul, rock, and gospel, Let It Loose is a slow-burning sermon of longing and release—one of the band’s most heartfelt musical statements.

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