The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil (REACTION) WRITER REACTS - First Time Hearing It

[@randallpetersen9164]

It's told from the devil's viewpoint, but the entire point of the song can be distilled to just one line _ "Tell you one time, you're to blame."

[@thomashiggins9320]

Yep. Humanity blames the Devil for our own corrupt decisions and evil actions. We don't need his influence to do these things, and blaming the Devil lets us try to avoid our own moral responsibility for the evil *we choose* .

[@stevesullivan8705]

​@@thomashiggins9320 Agreed. Why take the blame for your choices when you can just invent a scapegoat.

[@TylerD288]

BINGO. That's the key, but I will say the Devil is _partly_ to blame. The Devil whispers suggestions to humans who can either say yes to them, or no.

[@jannaromine5908]

Don't forget the devil is a liar who wants to shame us

[@stevesullivan8705]

​@@TylerD288 The devil doesn't exist. That's the point of the song anyway.

[@bethphillips9693]

Thank you!!!!! This song is just as relevant today as when it came out.

[@SaeedReacts.]

Thanks so much for watching, Beth!

[@michaeltaylor8835]

@@bethphillips9693 always will be

[@arnoldcox9128]

Don't blame the devil for the things that we do

[@christianmarler2253]

Agreed, we're 100% to blame. The devil knows that, too, and loves it.

[@JeanetteFaith]

@@christianmarler2253 The devil is always out there trying to deceive you into doing things.

[@BlueDragon53]

You are not dumb! Lots of people don't know what songs are about until they read the actual lyrics! Great reaction as always Saeed!

[@jellyrollnorton]

The lyrics are tight there on the screen :-). I’ve been blown away by how quickly Saeed figures out song meanings.

[@johnniekight1879]

A true masterpiece.

[@RichardDickson-to7zg]

Guess "Ol' Son" was tired of being a scapegoat for the evil men do! the last line in the outro; "Tell you one time, you're to BLAME!"

[@scoobysnacks]

Such an amazing song. I was listening to the Stones album when my daughter was young and this song came on. She was not a fan. She was too young to know what the lyrics meant but she said that the song made her scared. If it came on the radio when we were in the car she'd start crying. I asked her when she was older what it was about the song that used to scare her and she said she didn't know, she just felt scared when it come on. She's 30 now and still wont' listen to this song. Her Dad, on the other hand, still thinks it's a masterpiece.

[@davidvsr]

amazing word play...genius, and one hell of a groove!

[@joshb23]

One of those songs you've heard so may times for your entire life that it would never occur to you to purposely play it, but EVERY time you hear it, it only gets better!! Goddamn the Stones are SICK. Nobody created a vibe better than they did.

[@timithius]

One of my favorite songs ever! I'm so glad that you discovered it. In the pantheon of rock & roll, this sits close to the top of the heap.

[@spadams999]

This is a history lesson...

[@rickwelch8464]

The bass line here is so good.

[@SaeedReacts.]

100%

[@simontemplar3359]

Sure is! Crazy thing is that Keith played it on the recording as well. This is a sick song.

[@dbasstij512]

@@simontemplar3359 Keith is the best bassist in the Stones...

[@rickward460]

"Vanity... it's my favorite sin." 😳

[@JohnLedger-g4i]

When they perform this live it’s incredible - the crowd get so involved with the wo wos and it lifts the song to a whole new level

[@rubroken]

One of the live performances had a lot of celebrities in the audience, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono

[@april6058]

Such a smart song- you can blame the Devil, but it's all You!

[@christianmarler2253]

He really enjoys helping us decide. What we decide is 100% on us.

[@anthonyblakely399]

When Does Deception run it's course; when the realization interconnects with Wisdom.

[@denniswatson7654]

You're never late to the Stones' party.....keep diving into their music and enjoy the ride

[@marymargaretmoore9034]

A brilliant song; the lyrics are amazing. Great reaction!

[@Oske.images]

There a dvd / movie Sympathy For The Devil, that shows this song slowly being built in the studio. 👍

[@fpopee]

They were only 25 yrs old when they wrote this masterpiece poem and tribal music. Amazing

[@ohfour-seven6228]

The Stones are an amazing band and their songs are just as relevant today as the day they were written. Definitely need to hit Gimme Shelter next, it's just as iconic and relevant. Others: Street Fighting Man, Let It Bleed, Tumbling Dice, Moonlight Mile, Can't You Hear Me Knocking, 2000 Light Years From Home, Jigsaw Puzzle, Rocks Off (yes, that's what it's about!), Sweet Virginia, I can keep going on and on, their catalog is very very deep!

[@noblshtplz]

We have the choice to act on good or evil. This being the essence of the human condition. Heads I win...tails you lose...

[@daubreyjaneweirdsley]

Sympathy for the Devil was influenced by the decadent/symbolist 19th century French poet Charles Baudelaire's 'Les Fleurs du mal' - Flowers of Evil, based on a book given to Jagger by his stunning culturally/intellectually sophisticated, inamorata, 60's femme fatale Marianne faithfull - 'The Master and Margarita', written during the Stalinist era by Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov. The story concerns a visit by the devil to the officially atheistic Soviet Union. The Master and Margarita combines supernatural elements with satirical dark comedy and Christian philosophy, defying categorization within a single genre. Many critics consider it to be one of the best novels of the 20th century, as well as the foremost of Soviet satires. Sympathy for the Devil is considered one of the 60's greatest counterculture songs of warning and should be viewed as a companion piece to the Stones apocalyptic Gimme Shelter, Street Fighting Man and Dylan's/Hendrix All Along the Watchtower. These song represent the revolutionary turbulence taking place in the West in 1968. Sympathy is a song of dread and foreboding that represents the dark side of the 60's and the frailty of human morality. The lyrics: 'I watched with glee While your kings and queens Fought for ten decades For the gods they made' A reference to 'The Hundred Years War' a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. As for Jagger's voice its a fabulous, perfect for the song, a mixture of hauteur, contempt, derision and mockery filtered through a camp Dylanesque Blues drawl; perfect for the character of Lucifer, 'A man of wealth and taste.'

[@SaeedReacts.]

Thanks for taking the time to share this! Learning a lot!

[@dupplinmuir113]

The Hundred Years War wasn't about religion; the reference is more likely to be either the Crusades, or the religious wars of the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

[@daubreyjaneweirdsley]

@@dupplinmuir113 Hundred Years' War, (1337-1453)Intermittent armed conflict between England and France over territorial rights and the issue of succession to the French throne. It began when Edward III invaded Flanders in 1337 in order to assert his claim to the French crown. Hundred Years' War linked the War to religion and national identity. Religion was used to make people believe that God was on their side. Churches were used as forum to announce that the War was not just a dynastic conflict but a war between two kingdoms and all their inhabitants. Your comment is embarrassing. If by some miracle you attended secondary school or University I suggest you sue those institutions.

[@jessicaleblanc-nh1yl]

One of their very best! It is well done, intelligent & creative. So, glad that you had a moment to listen. It is an incredible piece & belongs to them. Shine on! =)

[@warrenhughes911]

Yessir.great reaction again bro.. Stones are awesome..you seen em in '81.. I got..Dylan.. Beatles..Stones..the Who..(in that order)..

[@SaeedReacts.]

Epic song. Awesome you saw them live! Thanks for watching

[@colleentrygg7376]

Sometimes the Stones songs are just great rock and roll , but they have some like this one that are absolutely brilliant lyrically.

[@bobdelp2023]

TIMELESS CLASSICCCC SAEED, FYYYYRRRR!!! 💯😊

[@PatrickMarcotte-z5e]

Been waiting for this one! Tell ya one time!!

[@billyrose76]

The line "Who killed the Kennedy's" was originally written as who killed John Kennedy. Then Robert was killed and Jagger changed the words just before they recorded it.

[@GinaJessee]

The hypnotic rhythm is perfect for the subject matter.

[@jannaromine5908]

One of my favorite videos is "I'm Just Waiting on a Friend 11:32 " I think it gives us a true glimpse into Mick's character. I highly recommend it❤

[@hectoraguilar965]

Great song. And a great reaction. And songs like this do get better with further listening, so listen again and again. Most good songs are like that. And can we please give a shout out to the artist who did the graphics for the lyrics. So creative, starting with the graffiti style lettering, and the precision of the words that match the rhythm of the song. One of the few lyric vids that actually enhances the song. A masterpiece. Many other Stones songs use a similar concern to their lyric videos and get even experienced listeners like me to really pay attention and understand the song better. Almost like hearing it again, for the first time.

[@davidmaholchic6146]

Great song love the lyric video love you

[@stevesuttie2644]

Do the live version from the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. It’s incredible! Thx great reactions.

[@SaeedReacts.]

Thanks for that recommendation! Much appreciated!

[@scottythetrex5197]

Mick wrote the basic track as a slow acoustic number, but Keith turned it into what we know. He sped it up, added the the bass, and the guitar work.

[@SaeedReacts.]

That is interesting! Always love to learn more about the background and creative process of a song. Thanks for sharing.

[@gregorywilliams5105]

Hey Saeed, you do a great job. I enjoy your work, honesty and sincerity.

[@SaeedReacts.]

Hey Gregory! Thanks so much!

[@mikefetterman6782]

The videos for all these groups were made decades after the song was released. There was no MTV or music videos before 1981.

[@mikefetterman6782]

The message is that evil and the devil is just a part of humanity, we are the ones.

[@aaronarnold7653]

What's My Name??? excellent reaction 😅😅😂

[@jmleyland]

They played this when I saw them in May, and after all these decades, they’re still fire! 🔥

[@captainsatellite2112]

I remember my best friend got his first job in HS. Bought his first killer stereo as soon as he had the money. This was the 1st song we cranked to check it out. I'm sure the neighbors loved it too. Keith's bass was (and is) out of this world.

[@sad99q]

Thanks, Saeed. Not only is it a great song, but the video is one of the best lyric videos ever made.

[@SaeedReacts.]

Incredible song and the lyric video is really well made indeed.

[@beverlycoulston8058]

Great song❤

[@hopeklemann1]

🌸 there's a live version video and I don't exactly know the location etc but it's a super super small personal venue and towards the end of the video you see John and Yoko in the audience.

[@TheBajoman]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones_Rock_and_Roll_Circus

[@Shari225]

Amazing song, but what has always impressed me is the sheer talent and work involved with the graphics. The same artist did "Paint It Black" by the Stones.

[@boscobeans]

Amazing .

[@SaeedReacts.]

What an epic song!

[@RebeccaGonske-x1j]

You do a great Pacino!!!🤣🤣

[@steviesellers]

Usually you get a writer of lyrics and a writer of the music in groups hence the chemistry

[@fuchsiaswing8545]

I agree. In the Stones it oscillated. There was never one guy who handled more of the music or lyrics. Some songs that one might think Keef wrote the music to, such as “Brown Sugar” was in fact written by Mick. Whereas something like “Ruby Tuesday” was written primarily by Keef and Brian.

[@kamhlaba]

Very strongly recommend the live version from "Get Yer Ya-Yas out". The guitar work between Keith Richards and Mick Taylor is insane.

[@SteveMavronis]

Their song “Waiting On A Friend” music video or lyric video is good. The music video version starts out at the famous “Physical Graffiti” building in New York City, used as the Led Zeppelin album cover of the same name.

[@TylerD288]

Was just listening to this yesterday. Amazing song. Nice Pacino imitation!

[@TheNotedHero]

I love how he snuck in there, easy to miss, the line "I tell you one time, you're to blame.". A counterargument to the religious practice of externalising evil rather than acknowledging that evil is found within us. Tim Minchin's song "White Wine in the Sun" (Australia's unofficial Christmas song, you should react to it before Christmas!) has the lyrics "And yes, I have all of the usual objections to the miseducation of children who, in tax-exempt institutions, are taught to externalise blame and to feel ashamed, and to judge things as plain right or wrong."

[@jpmnewyork]

The stinging guitar in this recording is absolute perfection.

[@PaulSkuta]

The song has dark lyrics but a very celebratory feel because every time humanity does some evil deed it pleases the Devil to see how much like him we are.

[@akahina]

Peak Rolling Stones.

[@richardfweeler2939]

The Bass line drives this baby all the way through (think Kieth played all the guitars on this )

[@jockeyladjockeylad8492]

Good songs draw you in sonically. Really good songs draw you in sonically & tell a story with the lyrics. Epic songs draw you in sonically, tell a story with the lyrics & make you think. Genius, Elite level songs draw you in sonically, tell a story with the lyrics & make you think, make you ask questions, bring you to an epiphany, make you look at things differently, dissect life. The Stones hold up a big mirror to you & pose the question "You are going to blame the Devil for your banal evil? Your greed, avarice, cruelty, spite, hate, love of violence? You are going to blame the Devil & take no responsibility? No no no - the Devil might have opened the door but you chose to walk through it. & you don't get to abdicate your responsibility or cry about the consequences. This is all on you." As chilling now as the first time I heard it.

[@cindyclark9619]

That movie… still scares me when I think about it. This song is powerful too

[@naosmo]

Great insight

[@ricardocima]

There's a film by Jean Luc Godard where he shows the song being made in rehearsals.

[@daveloboda1769]

The best of many, many songs from, imho, the best band of the 60s and one of the best ever since.

[@robinreiley1828]

This song is from the "Beggars Banquet" album, and is one of the Stone's best! Besides 'Jumpin' Jack Flash" which was a huge hit for the Stones, it has "Street Fighting Man", "No Expectations" , "Salt of the Earth", "Factory Girl" etc. All are worth checking out...

[@OroborusFMA]

"Stray Cat Blues" ain't chopped liver, either. Can't say I am a fan of some of the other stuff like "Jigsaw Puzzle".

[@robinreiley1828]

@OroborusFMA I couldn't remember all the songs in the album. After all it was 55 years ago that I owned the album!

[@hopeklemann1]

🌸 this is a pretty deep song

[@jsmilers]

Also a great interpretation of the song by you

[@sven-m1x]

Jean-Luc Godard made the most amazing documentary movie, showing how the Stones built this song, layering sound after sound until they got the final symphony.

[@helenespaulding7562]

No. No, no, no, no, no. You could not POSSIBLY have not heard this before! Truly??? 😱

[@kaychristensen4394]

You 'bout to be blown away. Hang tf on! 😎

[@tomgribbin9531]

"There ain't no devil, only god when he's drunk," Tom Waits.

[@catherinefitzgerald7291]

Reminds me of a Joni Mitchell line in a Case of You. "I'm afraid of the devil but am drawn to those who ain't afraid."

[@LordEagle]

The Stones are fantastic,,,,,top 3. Woo, woo,,💥💥💥👍👹

[@bettybaby63]

For many songs the chorus doesn’t give an indication of what the song is really about. It’s why IMO their over use in commercials is almost sacrilegious. Love this track, the beat is hypnotic. & that guitar line!

[@patriciaspaeth4215]

Great reaction, love that we are to blame

[@kengunter6903]

1 of there best songs!!

[@Marjolein26264]

Great song, great video, great reaction!

[@SaeedReacts.]

Such an epic song! Thanks for watching!

[@grandwazoodebris1015]

great song, superb lyrics. One of my 2 fav Stones songs. My other is Gimme Shelter, another great lyric, Keith wrote most of that one I think. I feel it's very different lyrical feel, less details, more impressionistic. Also a very legendary backing vocal by Merry Clayton. Would suggest hearing that next.

[@stevesullivan8705]

"There is no Devil. There's just God when he's drunk.".- Tom Waits

[@zunbake3]

I just sang this song with my new Band today. It is very tough for my range because I am more like a Billy Gibbons style singer, but great song of course anyway.

[@boqndimitrov8693]

Eternal song! And that movie wouldn't be remembered today without Pacino. 🤘👹

[@jsmilers]

Great imitation of Pacino in Devil's Advocate.

[@bazkeen]

A great John Milton there 😂😂

[@SaeedReacts.]

So many great lines in that movie 😄

[@bazkeen]

@SaeedReacts. Oh yes. Great film 👍🏻

[@lathedauphinot6820]

There was a strange movie made by Jean-Luc Godard in 1968 called ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ or ‘One Plus One’ that has politics, interviews, but also The Rolling Stones in the studio recording this song, of all things, so you can see how this song developed and came together.

[@OroborusFMA]

While the non-studio stuff is strange the overall result is more impressive than the Beatles "Let It Be" film. In 1968 there was a sense of anything being possible and there was a lot of radical experimentation including film. The one thing that disappointed me was that the finished song wasn't used over the final credits (or was it).

[@rubroken]

I've always thought that Keith Richards was overrated as a guitarist. Hearing this, I'm rethinking that

[@sukie584]

He’s a riff master and thank goodness for that.

[@cdnpicker]

I grew up listening to the “Guitar Gods” Hendrix, Winter, Beck, Clapton, Page etc. It took me a while to understand Keith’s genius, he is the consummate band guitarist, very rarely at the forefront, listen to what he does to serve the song and the and the group, he and Charlie together were just so musical, Keith is playing bass on this too.

[@rubroken]

@@cdnpicker Kinda my thought on Keith

[@debrathackerson8624]

"His" name is Humankind!

[@waynemoon5359]

Thanks Saeed!

[@manwithumbrella]

You need to watch the documentary film of the same name by Jean-Luc Godard, part of it is a behind-the-scenes of the making of the track you were reacting to. 1968

[@dantallman5345]

Hey Saeed..was very interested in what your take would be. Not sure there is a definitive correct take. ‘What’s puzzling you is the nature of my game. ‘ I think puzzling us was maybe Mick and Keith’s game. Sure worked. Makes us think. Btw-This song was partially inspired by the novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. This novel was written over the span 1928-1940 and became available in English in 1967. In much of the novel the devil and his posse rattle around Stalin-era Moscow raising all kinds of hell. And there are sections having to do with Pilate, Matthew, and Jesus set in first century Jerusalem. So it seems two verses tie directly to the novel. Quite the read.

[@kweile4339]

Loved the Pacino quote!

[@drboris01]

The Rolling Stones masterpiece

[@larryleyba6496]

This may be the most perfect Rock n Roll song of all time. I believe that Keith was mostly responsible for the original idea for the music and most of the lyrics to this bad ass banger. Dig into the Rabbit hole, there are hundreds of great songs by these guys. I highly recommend Midnight Rambler, Brown Sugar, Gimme Shelter is considered by many to be their best song, Monkey Man, Bitch, Miss You, Under My Thumb, Paint It Black, Can't You Hear Me Knocking is an absolute banger, Hot Stuff, Break the Spell, Harlem Shuffle has a Video, Love Is Strong has a great video, This is just a small sample of great music these guys have put out over six decades of producing great music, They put out a great song at the end of 2023 with Laddy Gaga and Stevie Wonder called Sweet Sounds Of Heaven. When available, I recommend the lyric vid. If you did a top 100 songs bye the Stones, you would be forced to leave out some really good stuff.

[@Notarealponcho444]

When it 1st came out we Boomers never really took a deep dive into these lyrics. It had a good beat & we could dance to it.

[@TerenceShortman]

The lines I shouted out "Who killed the Kennedy's When after all It was you and me" and "Tell me baby, what's my name I tell you one time, you're to blame" suggest to me that we are to blame not the devil it is the innate cruelty and evil that is part of human nature not any mythical entity. The line "I watched with glee While your kings and queens Fought for ten decades for the gods they made" also alludes to the fact it is us not a mythical entity humanity is at fault we just use religion as a scape goat for such things either to justify the actions or the devil made us do it.

[@steveullrich7737]

Brilliant writing, "What's My Name?" the answer is you and me. The Rolling Stones have so many more great songs to react to. You may want to start with their early songs such as “Satisfaction”, “Paint it Black”, “Ruby Tuesday” and “Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown”. Now that’s it’s coming upon the holiday Christmas season, I would suggest a timely reaction to “Happy Xmas (War Is Over) Reaction” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. An anti-war song with a holiday connection. It’s now been 44 years this month since his tragic death.

[@SaeedReacts.]

Definitely need to explore more. Thanks for the suggestions!

[@shelleybleu4903]

Should be singing in the Orange mango's voice.

[@AP-gb3eh]

The groove of the music is amazing and has and will always stand the test of time. The lyrics I always took this as a look at ourselves kind of song, so many never take responsibility for the pain they inflict on the world. Instead they blather on about the devil control them, when in fact they are giving in to their baser instincts. As a species we let ourselves off the hook for our greed,selfishness cruelty and the religions happily take money for selling a clear conscience.

[@JessMessica]

I'll make you feel better. I also didn't know until today. I also feel dumb for never paying attention to the lyrics. I don't think I new most of these lyrics until reading them today. Of course, I know this song. I mean, come on, it's the Stones, but yea... I don't think I knew this was the name of this song even.

[@janefrees5775]

There is a movie about the making of this song. Here's the Wikipedia link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sympathy_for_the_Devil_(1968_film)

[@kevanwillis4571]

'As every cop is a criminal.' (Opposites.) 'All you sinners, saints.' (Opposites.) 'As heads is tails.' (Opposites.) 'Just call me Lucifer.' (Opposite?) You're welcome.🙂

[@thumpyloudfoot864]

The only reason why I'm still alive because "Lucy" (he hates it when I call him that) knows I am next inline and I am HELL BENT set on making some changes...

[@jeffmande4671]

Happy Birthday Keith Richards!

[@OroborusFMA]

You have to understand the context. Britain in 1968 still had thousands upon thousands of WW2 veterans and here's this long-haired kid singing about being a (German) general "as the blitzkrieg raged and the bodies stank". It would be like some kid rapper born after 9/11 singing about how he flew the plane that destroyed the towers in Allah's name. The graffiti "Thanks Nicky" at the very beginning is a shoutout to session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins who played on many famous Stones songs.

[@timdenier3021]

Devil has everything you want but nothing you need.

[@SaeedReacts.]

That is a good one! Must remember that.