After yesterday's Fast Fuse by Kasabian, a track that also fires up passions, and is highly influential – recorded 50 years ago during an unprecedented period of demonstrations and riots. The song, original titled Did Everyone Pay Their Dues?, with very different lyrics, it was very much inspired by the political explosions of that year, from the May student and workers riots in Paris, anti-Vietnam War and civil rights demonstrations in the US, London, Berlin and elsewhere, Madrid marches against Franco, not mention the aftermath of the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F Kennedy. All in all, a tumultuous year, and even the Stones had to write something about this in their most overtly political song. While the Beatles did Revolution for the White Album, this, for Beggar's Banquet is slightly ambivalent in lyrics, commenting on what's happening but without necessarily urging us to join in, but is certainly saying that London was rather quiet and conservative by comparison in terms of demonstrating, and is no place for a street fighting man, rather one, perhaps to be in a rock'n'roll band. The release in August was timely nevertheless, within a week of the violent confrontations between the police and anti-Vietnam War protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Musically, however, it's a tour de force and full of experimentation. Keith Richards opening up with acoustic guitar, Charlie Watts playing a 1930s toy drum kit called a London Jazz Kit Set, Brian Jones playing sitar and tamboura, Pink Floyd's Nick Mason playing the Indian-style oboe, the shehna, and it was all originally recorded on a mono cassette by Richards. The result? Explosive, attention-grabbing and in its own way, revolutionary. And so, 50 years on, perhaps we are again, with so many burning issues at large, as well as political corruption and incompetence, in the thick of new demonstrable injustice that could spill out onto the streets.
[Verse 1]
Everywhere I hear the sound of marching, charging feet, boy
Because summer's here and the time is right for fighting in the street boy
But what can a poor boy do except to sing for a rock and roll band.
[Chorus]
Because in sleepy London Town
There's just no place for Street Fighting Man! No!
[Verse 2]
Hey! Think the time is right for a Palace Revolution
But where I live the game to play is compromise solution!
Well then what can a poor boy do except to sing for a rock and roll band.
[Chorus]
Because in sleepy London Town
There's just no place for Street Fighting Man! No!
[Verse 3]
Hey! Said my name is called Disturbance
I'll shout and scream, I'll kill the King I'll rail at all his servants
Well then what can a poor boy do except to sing for a rock and roll band.
[Chorus]
Because in sleepy London Town
There's just no place for Street Fighting Man! No!
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