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Rolling Stones songs: Who’s Driving Your Plane?
And I wanna see your face when your knees and your legs/ Are just gonna break down and die…
Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: RCA Studios, Hollywood, USA, Aug. 3-7 1966; IBC Studios, London, England, Aug. 31-Sept. 2 1966 Guest musicians: Jack Nitzsche (piano) *Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
More about Who’s Driving Your Plane? by The Rolling Stones
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
Who’s Driving Your Plane?: A Forgotten B-Side with a Wild Edge
Among the many B-sides the Rolling Stones produced in the 1960s, some became classics—think Play With Fire or You Can’t Always Get What You Want. Others, however, faded into obscurity, sounding more like afterthoughts or hastily assembled tracks. One such rarity is Who’s Driving Your Plane?, the lesser-known B-side to Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?
Unlike many Stones songs of the era, Who’s Driving Your Plane?never found a home on an LP at the time. It wasn’t until 1989 that it finally appeared on a U.S. album, landing on Singles Collection: The London Years. The track itself feels like a spontaneous studio jam, built around a standard blues-boogie chord progression—a style the Stones had largely moved past by 1966.
Yet, despite its conventional structure, the song stands out thanks to its eccentric production. Right from the start, listeners are hit with a wild, almost unhinged fuzz guitar, giving the track an unpredictable and chaotic energy. While it may not rank among their most refined works, it’s a fascinating glimpse into the band’s raw, experimental side during a pivotal era.
A Fuzzy Psych-Blues Rolling Stones Oddity
Among the Rolling Stones’ most obscure B-sides, Who’s Driving Your Plane? stands out not for its brilliance, but for its sheer oddity. The song is drenched in chaotic energy, from its slow, near-burlesque groove—driven by Ian Stewart’s playful piano—to its clamorous, almost slapdash mix. It sounds as if it was recorded either at the end of a long, grueling session at four in the morning or in the early hours when the band was still shaking off a night of heavy drinking.
Mick Jagger’s vocals are particularly peculiar, layered with an eerie echo that gives the impression of a ghostly repetition drifting from the next studio over. The effect adds to the song’s raw, unpolished feel, making it one of the strangest-sounding tracks of their mid-’60s period.
Lyrically, Who’s Driving Your Plane? is even more brash and surreal than most of the Stones’ early material. Jagger delivers a scathing takedown of a woman, with biting lines that make the blues covers of their early years seem tame in comparison. While far from their best work, the song remains a fascinating glimpse into the band’s wilder, more experimental side.
Who’s Driving Your Plane?: A Bluesy Rant Wrapped in Chaos
At its core, Who’s Driving Your Plane? is an electric blues number, the kind the Rolling Stones had been cranking out since their early days. It provides the perfect backdrop for Mick Jagger to unleash one of his signature lyrical tirades—this time, aimed at a woman who seems to have lost control of her own life.
Jagger’s frustration isn’t just about parental influence; it’s about dependency, about someone unable—or unwilling—to break free from the forces steering their path. The title itself, Who’s Driving Your Plane?, is a sharp, metaphorical jab, much like Get Off of My Cloud. It’s a pointed question that implies its own answer, one the narrator both knows and dreads.
Musically, the song is as loose and ragged as its message. The slow, swaggering blues rhythm carries a burlesque touch, particularly in Ian Stewart’s playful piano. The raw, almost chaotic mix makes it feel like a late-night jam session or an early-morning, post-hangover recording—messy, urgent, and unfiltered. It may not be one of the Stones’ most refined tracks, but it’s certainly one of their most intriguing oddities.
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