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Working on a Sunday in refinery/ Make a million for the Texans, twenty dollar me…
Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany, Jan. 14-28 1974; Rolling Stones Mobile, Stargroves, Newbury, England, Apr. 1974; Island Recording Studios, London, England, May 20-25 1974 Guest musicians: Nicky Hopkins (piano), Ray Cooper (percussion) *Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
Some facts about ‘Luxury’ by The Rolling Stones (from Songfacts)
This is a reggae-influenced song. Most of their previous album, Goats Head Soup, was recorded in Jamaica.
Keith Richards got the idea for this from a song that came on the radio while he was driving in Munich.
The lyrics tell the tale of a poor laborer working long hours while his boss at the oil refinery gets rich.
The CD version contains an extra 30 seconds which was left off the original.
Ray Cooper played percussion on this track. A British session musician, he played on most of Elton John’s albums in the ’70s, and has also recorded with Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, and Roger Waters.
The first side of It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll having concluded with a song shaped largely by the two Micks, Keith Richards takes things back in hand at the beginning of the second. Indeed “Luxury” can be described as a typically “Richardsian” number, with abundant killer guitar. The lyrics can be interpreted as an implacable indictment of man’s exploitation of his fellow man. The narrator declares that he has had enough of working for the company—which seems to be one of the many oil refineries in Texas—and for bosses who shamelessly grow rich on the back of his hard work and wallow in luxury. Make a million for the Texans, twenty dollar me, sings Jagger. The exploited employee, we are told, works seven days a week but can no longer make ends meet. His woman need a new dress, while his daughter got to go to school.
