Stupid Girl (Rolling Stones song)
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"Stupid Girl" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song featured on the band's 1966 album Aftermath. It was also issued as the B-side of the U.S. "Paint It Black" single.
| "Stupid Girl" | |
|---|---|
 Cover of 1966 US single | |
| Song by The Rolling Stones | |
| from the album Aftermath | |
| A-side | "Paint It, Black" |
| Released |
|
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:55 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | Jagger/Richards |
| Producer(s) | Andrew Loog Oldham |
| Aftermath track listing | |
14 tracks
| |
Background and writing
editWritten by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Stupid Girl" is noted for its apparently degrading lyrics towards a woman, a claim also made about other Rolling Stones songs like "Under My Thumb". On the song, Bill Janovitz says in his review,
"Unlike another of the album's put-downs, "Under My Thumb," "Stupid Girl" rails and spits venom with a high school garage rock band-like intensity and with about the same level of polish and focus. But while it is not as well-written as "Under My Thumb," "Stupid Girl" possesses an endearing and energetic snottiness that might have won the Stones a good amount of sexually frustrated young men fans who might have otherwise started to defect to the Who and the Kinks when they heard ballads like "Lady Jane."[1]
On the song's lyrics, Richards said in a 1971 interview with Rolling Stone,
"It was all a spin-off from our environment... hotels, and too many dumb chicks. Not all dumb, not by any means, but that's how one got. When you're canned up - half the time it's impossible to go out - it was to go through a whole sort of football match."[3]
When asked about the song and its influences, Jagger said in a 1995 interview with the same magazine,
"Yeah, it's much nastier than 'Under My Thumb'... Obviously, I was having a bit of trouble. I wasn't in a good relationship. Or I was in too many bad relationships. I had so many girlfriends at that point. None of them seemed to care they weren't pleasing me very much. I was obviously in with the wrong group."[4]
I'm not talking about the kind of clothes she wears - look at that stupid girl. I'm not talking about the way she combs her hair - look at that stupid girl.
The way she talks about someone else; That she don't even know herself; She's the sickest thing in this world; Well look at that stupid girl
"Stupid Girl" was recorded at Los Angeles' RCA Studios on 6–9 March 1966. With Jagger on lead vocals and tambourine, Richards on electric guitars and backing vocals Brian Jones on acoustic. Charlie Watts on drums, while Bill Wyman plays bass. Ian Stewart plays organ on the song while Jack Nitzsche performs electric piano.
It was included on the 1989 compilation Singles Collection: The London Years.
Cover versions
editEllen Foley covered this song on her 1979 debut studio album Night Out (album).
Personnel
editAccording to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon,[5] except where noted:
The Rolling Stones
- Mick Jagger – vocals
- Keith Richards – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Brian Jones – rhythm guitar
- Bill Wyman – bass
- Charlie Watts – drums
Additional musicians
References
edit- ^ a b Janovitz, Bill. The Rolling Stones - Stupid Girl at AllMusic. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
- ^ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1966". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. pp. 104–105. ISBN 9781493064601.
- ^ Greenfield, Robert. "Keith Richards – Interview". Rolling Stone (magazine) August 19, 1971.
- ^ "Jagger Remembers". Rolling Stone. December 14, 1995 (accessed 28 July 2007).
- ^ Margotin & Guesdon 2016, p. 145.
- ^ Babiuk & Prevost 2013, p. 219.
Sources
edit- Babiuk, Andy; Prevost, Greg (2013). Rolling Stones Gear: All the Stones' Instruments from Stage to Studio. Milwaukee: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-1-61713-092-2.
- Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2016). The Rolling Stones All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. ISBN 978-0-316-31774-0.