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Mick Jagger: vocals Keith Richards: acoustic guitar Brian Jones: harmonica Charlie Watts: drums
The Rolling Stones’ Beggars Banquet album marked a back-to-basics moment, a journey straight into their Delta blues roots. Among the album’s tracks, Prodigal Son stands out—it’s the first song since Out of Our Heads (1965) not written by Jagger-Richards. Originally penned by Mississippi-born Robert Wilkins, a blues and gospel legend, the track tells the timeless tale of a young man who squanders his father’s money, hits hard times, and returns home repentant, echoing the parable from the Gospel according to Saint Luke.
The Stones’ version keeps Wilkins’ stripped-down country blues feel intact. Keith Richards’ acoustic guitar, Charlie Watts’ shuffle beat, and Brian Jones’ subtle harmonica create a hauntingly authentic Delta vibe, while Mick Jagger’s low, gruff vocals emulate the Southern drawl of the 1920s blues era. It’s a raw, heartfelt homage, more about storytelling than rock showmanship.
Though initially miscredited, Prodigal Son remains a perfect example of the Stones connecting with the roots of American blues. Its simplicity, narrative depth, and stripped-back sound make it a standout track on an iconic album.
More about The Rolling Stones‘ take on Prodigal Son
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
Rediscovering Delta Roots: The Rolling Stones and Prodigal Son
Beggars Banquetmarked a turning point for the Rolling Stones, a back-to-basics venture that reminded the world just how deeply their Delta blues roots ran. Among the album’s tracks Prodigal Son stands out as a fascinating exception: the first song since Out of Our Heads (1965) not written by the Jagger-Richards duo. Originally composed by Reverend Robert Wilkins, a Mississippi-born bluesman whose career spanned from the twenties and included collaborations with Sleepy John Estes and Gus Cannon’s Jug Stompers, this country blues number carries the weight of gospel and Southern storytelling. Wilkins’ later conversion to Christianity in 1936 infused his music with spiritual resonance. The song narrates a young man who squanders his father’s money, faces hardship, and returns home repentant—a literal embodiment of the parable of the prodigal son from the Gospel according to Saint Luke, a theme both timeless and haunting in its moral gravity.
The Story Behind Robert Wilkins
Born in Mississippi, Robert Wilkins was a seminal figure in early blues, recording numerous tracks between 1928 and 1935, including Rolling Stone Parts I & II—a title that seems almost prophetic. After becoming a minister in 1936, he focused on gospel blues, culminating in eight tracks recorded at Wynwood Recording Studio in Washington, DC, in 1964, released as The Original 1964 Recordings. Among these tracks was the reworked Prodigal Son, originally titled That’s No Way to Get Along in 1929. Wilkins’ adaptation retained the storytelling and moral resonance, presenting the narrative of a lost son forced by circumstance to confront his mistakes before returning home. It’s a simple tale, yet profoundly evocative—a tale of loss, redemption, and the weight of personal choice, framed by the authentic musical textures of Delta blues and gospel.
The Stones’ Faithful Interpretation
The Rolling Stones’ rendition of Prodigal Son respects Wilkins’ minimalist approach while subtly stamping it with their own energy. The tempo remains largely faithful to the original, albeit slightly brisker, and the stripped-down arrangement highlights the raw blues narrative. Charlie Watts sets the beat with his signature hi-hat and bass drum accents, while Keith Richards delivers his acoustic guitar parts in open-D tuning with a capo on the second fret. Whether Ry Cooder contributed to the introduction and accompaniment is uncertain, though the interplay between Keith’s guitar and Mick Jagger’s low, gruff vocals creates a convincing Delta blues atmosphere. Brian Jones’ harmonica is faint but effective, adding a ghostly, mournful counterpoint. Remarkably, there is no bass, yet the track achieves full resonance through texture, timing, and the emotive delivery of the Stones themselves, who clearly immersed themselves in the spirit of Wilkins’ original.
Keith Richards (1989): “I very rarely play slide on records. There’s always a better slide player in the band than me. I did use slide on things, mostly on acoustic stuff like You Gotta Moveand Prodigal Son, stuff like that, open-D or open-E”
Credits and Trivia
Prodigal Son has its quirks beyond performance. On the original bathroom-wall cover of Beggars Banquet the song was correctly credited to Robert Wilkins, but the released edition mistakenly listed Jagger-Richards as the composers. This error was eventually corrected on early seventies reissues and later CD versions, a small but meaningful acknowledgment for Wilkins, who reportedly thanked the Stones during a church service to an appreciative congregation. Another curious detail appears at the track’s conclusion: a percussive sound rings out, likely Keith’s headphone cord, bracelet, or pick striking his guitar, adding an accidental flourish to the closing chord. Such moments of spontaneity contribute to the track’s authentic, human feel, emphasizing that this was not a polished, commercialized reproduction but a heartfelt homage to a foundational blues master.
Performance and Legacy
Though not the most innovative or standout track on Beggars Banquet, Prodigal Son exemplifies the Stones’ capacity to channel authentic blues storytelling. The song’s instrumentation—a jangly acoustic guitar, a walking low guitar line, a basic shuffle drum beat, wailing harmonica—combined with Mick Jagger’s convincingly Southern drawl, evokes the 1920s Delta blues era more than it does the electric blues-rock of the 1960s. The lyrics carry a fatalistic, gospel-tinged message, recounting a young man’s ill-fated independence and eventual repentance. Though initially misattributed, the song’s inclusion reinforced debates about cultural appropriation and recognition of black blues artists, a recurring tension in rock history. Beyond the studio, the Stones performed Prodigal Son during their 1969 American tour, including a memorable rendition at Madison Square Garden, where Keith accompanied Mick on a charmingly out-of-tune guitar—proof that the track thrived both as a homage and as a lively, living performance piece.
Mick Jagger (2003): “There was a kind of country and blues roots feel to tracks like Prodigal Son. You just let certain parts of you out when you wanted to. When we first started out we wanted to be a blues band and then we became more pop-oriented – because we wanted to be popular and to get played on the radio – and then we started to become more of an eclectic band”
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