Sympathy for American Pie

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Ice Cream Jonsey
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Post by Ice Cream Jonsey »

RetroRomper wrote:[youtube][/youtube]

Thinking about it, there are maybe three or four ways to take this song:

*Intellectually
*Culturally
*Genre
*Historically

To open myself up to ridicule and "Reasons Why I'll Never Be Able to Run for Office," the idea of Satan has always intrigued me: he is afar more sympathetic creation than the idea of a perfect being, dealing in and of the affairs of humanity. My affinity for this song kinda comes from that perspective, but, BUT it also illustrates to me why the Rolling Stones were considered "vulgar" in pushing these ideas in a conservative era.

Hearing it then kinda opened me up to a time and place I will never experience, which was pretty amazing and once again a bit of a MIND FUCK. The music itself I find really simple: a bit of maracas, repeating chorus, and the lyrics themselves laid over all these simple elements.

While there have been more complicated and intellectually stimulating songs on the subject (Neutral Milk Hotel and Cake sang extensively about Satan and his place in society,) this song really did perk me up and made me appreciate... Well... Music, that much more.
Sympathy for the Devil is literally the wo... wor.... wor..... WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOO! WOO WHOOrst song ever made.
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Post by pinback »

That was a bad take, and a bad post.
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Tdarcos
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Post by Tdarcos »

pinback wrote:That was a bad take, and a bad post.
Which can be said about practically everything you have written in this section. And I do not accept that you have the right to silence me on commenting about music

The Rolling Stones Honky Tonk Woman is another in the long series of stories of (essentially innocent) men who visit a brothel and their naivete* causes them to get into trouble. The most famous being The Animals Heart of the Rising Sun.

The concept is a very good one for a storyteller because they can look at it from many angles. Does the boy become jaded toward women because he had to buy one? Does he fall for a woman who only sees him as an ATM? Does the encounter cause him social problems? These and other rich, complex issues can be drawn out from what otherwise is a simple thing: a man buying a time with a woman.

Plus it's illegal most places which also opens up blackmail and/or scandal.

The Stones do another take on social issues when they look at a boy (presumably white) interested in a negro girl on a slave ship in Brown Sugar.

----
* This word has accent marks but if I use them this board's software will blank my message.
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Post by Tdarcos »

Before someone slams me, it's House of the Rising Sun.
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Post by pinback »

Tdarcos wrote:
pinback wrote:That was a bad take, and a bad post.
Which can be said about practically everything you have written in this section. And I do not accept that you have the right to silence me on commenting about music
Why are you so cruel to me, Paul? What have I ever done to you?
The Rolling Stones Honky Tonk Woman is another in the long series of stories of (essentially innocent) men who visit a brothel and their naivete* causes them to get into trouble. The most famous being The Animals Heart of the Rising Sun.

The concept is a very good one for a storyteller because they can look at it from many angles. Does the boy become jaded toward women because he had to buy one? Does he fall for a woman who only sees him as an ATM? Does the encounter cause him social problems? These and other rich, complex issues can be drawn out from what otherwise is a simple thing: a man buying a time with a woman.

Plus it's illegal most places which also opens up blackmail and/or scandal.

The Stones do another take on social issues when they look at a boy (presumably white) interested in a negro girl on a slave ship in Brown Sugar.

----
* This word has accent marks but if I use them this board's software will blank my message.
This is your first and only warning. Do NOT ruin this thread.
I don't have to say anything. I'm a doctor, too.

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Post by loafergirl »

*surprised eyebrows* Jonsey, not feeling "Sympathy for the Devil"? It's an awesome song... PLUS it ties into another good song (Don McLean's American Pie)

"And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died..."

was a reference to the Stones hiring Hells Angels to do security at a concert, where a fan got stabbed to death right after 'Sympathy for the Devil" was played.
1, 2, 5!
3 sir...
3!

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Post by Ice Cream Jonsey »

I mean, they say "whoo-whoo" for literally four minutes.
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Post by pinback »

You're on the wrong side of history with this one, my man.
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Post by Tdarcos »

loafergirl wrote:*surprised eyebrows* Jonsey, not feeling "Sympathy for the Devil"? It's an awesome song... PLUS it ties into another good song (Don McLean's American Pie)

"And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died..."

was a reference to the Stones hiring Hells Angels to do security at a concert, where a fan got stabbed to death right after 'Sympathy for the Devil" was played.
No, it wasn't. "American Pie" was the story of February 3, 1959, when Richie Valens, J. P. (Jiles Perry, "The Big Bopper") Richardson, and Buddy Holly died in a plane crash.

February made me shiver,
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I died
When I read about his (probably Buddy Holly's) widowed bride

There's another story about that fatal flight.

Four of the band members wanted to take the plane but it could only hold 3 plus the pilot. Some reports say there was a coin toss and he "lost", some say he gave Richardson his seat because he was sick, but as a result, Waylon Jennings didn't take that plane.

Reminds me of the story about a businessman who was usually scrupulously punctual, but overslept one day and missed his plane, one of the ones that flew into the towers on September 11.
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Post by pinback »

Tdarcos wrote:
loafergirl wrote:*surprised eyebrows* Jonsey, not feeling "Sympathy for the Devil"? It's an awesome song... PLUS it ties into another good song (Don McLean's American Pie)

"And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died..."

was a reference to the Stones hiring Hells Angels to do security at a concert, where a fan got stabbed to death right after 'Sympathy for the Devil" was played.
No, it wasn't.
You really are a fuckhead. Its not JUST about the plane crash, and loafergirls interpretation of the fifth verse is generally accepted as correct. But you know every fucking thing so I won't confuse you with the facts.

This was a great thread once. Sorry, Retro.
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Post by Ice Cream Jonsey »

I'll cut it starting with my own post.

But yes, this is another thread that Tdarcos ruined.
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Post by Jizaboz »

The "lead" in this song always bothered me too. It's just random notes and bullshit for the most part with the exception of like 5 seconds.

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Post by Flack »

At least My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult did something decent with it. Sample at 2:!5.

[youtube][/youtube]
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Post by loafergirl »

pinback wrote:
Tdarcos wrote:
loafergirl wrote:*surprised eyebrows* Jonsey, not feeling "Sympathy for the Devil"? It's an awesome song... PLUS it ties into another good song (Don McLean's American Pie)

"And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died..."

was a reference to the Stones hiring Hells Angels to do security at a concert, where a fan got stabbed to death right after 'Sympathy for the Devil" was played.
No, it wasn't.
You really are a fuckhead. Its not JUST about the plane crash, and loafergirls interpretation of the fifth verse is generally accepted as correct. But you know every fucking thing so I won't confuse you with the facts.

This was a great thread once. Sorry, Retro.
Aww, look it Pinners coming to the rescue!

No need for the thread to be ruined... just keep on posting songs referencing the devil, s'all good.
1, 2, 5!
3 sir...
3!

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Post by Tdarcos »

loafergirl wrote:Aww, look it Pinners coming to the rescue!

No need for the thread to be ruined... just keep on posting songs referencing the devil, s'all good.
[youtube][/youtube]

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Post by Jizaboz »

They play that one wayyyy too often on the classic rock station around here.

It's on my "as soon as it's on I change the channel list"

Also on this list is Stairway to Heaven.

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Post by Flack »

The Primus version is way better.

When I was a kid my mom was on a bowling league. Every Wednesday, she and her friends would go to the local bowling alley and bowl for several hours while my sister and I and all the other kids had the run of the place. We usually got a buck or two in quarters which we spent on video games (Rally-X, Pac-Man, Galaga) and the pool table. When we ran out of money we sat at the snack bar drawing pictures and sipping on cans of Coke, trying to get them to last for an hour. There was a jukebox right next to the snack bar which was filled with singles from Eddie Rabbit, Kenny Rogers, the Oak Ridge Boys, Mac Davis' "Oh Lord, It's Hard to be Humble," and of course "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." There were a few rock records in there too, like Joan Jett's "I Love Rock and Roll," but if you dared play one of them one of the adults was liable to come over and unplug the machine to reset it. Dicks.
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