The Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Woman (Hyde Park '69)

The Rolling Stones are a prominent English rock band formed in April 1962 by guitarist and harmonica player Brian Jones, pianist Ian Stewart, vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup. Rhythm and blues cover songs dominated The Rolling Stones' early material; they are credited for raising the international regard for the earlier styles of blues typified by Chess Records' artists such as Muddy Waters who wrote "Rollin' Stone", the song after which the band is named. Unconcerned with being seen as authentic blues stylists, from the start the Rolling Stones have played rock and roll, and have written and recorded in many genres.
Jones led the band until Jagger and Richards teamed to write hit songs for the band while assuming band leadership. By 1969 Jones' contributions were minimal, and he was unable to tour the United States for legal reasons. By mutual agreement he left the band. Weeks later Jones drowned, while Mick Taylor had already joined the Rolling Stones on guitar. Taylor left in 1974 and was replaced by Ronnie Wood. Wyman left in 1990, and his replacement Darryl Jones became the primary bassist, but he has not been made a full member. Stewart was taken from the official lineup in 1963 to continue as the band's road manager and occasional keyboardist until his death in 1985. Chuck Leavell is the current primary keyboardist for the band.
After gaining popularity in Europe, The Rolling Stones became successful in North America during the so-called British Invasion of the mid 1960s. They have released 22 studio albums in the United Kingdom (24 in the United States), eight concert albums (nine in the US) and numerous compilations; their worldwide sales are estimated at more than 200 million albums. Sticky Fingers (1971) began a string of eight consecutive studio albums reaching number one in the United States. Their most recent album of entirely new material, A Bigger Bang, was released in 2005. In 1989 the Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2004 they ranked number 4 in Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked the Rolling Stones at number ten on "The Billboard Hot 100 Top All-Time Artists", and as the second most successful group in the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Honky Tonk Women" is a 1969 hit song by The Rolling Stones. Released as a single on 4 July 1969 in the UK and a week later in the US, it topped the charts in both nations.
The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards while on holiday in Brazil from late December 1968 to early January 1969. Inspired by Brazilian gauchos at the ranch where Jagger and Richards were staying in Matão, São Paulo, the song was originally conceived as an acoustic country song. Richards has said: "[It] was originally written as a real Hank Williams/Jimmie Rogers/1930s country song.
Two versions of the song were recorded by the band: the familiar hit which appeared on the 45 single and their collection of late 1960s singles, Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2); and a honky-tonk version entitled "Country Honk" with slightly different lyrics, which appeared on Let it Bleed. The concert rendition of the song featured on Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! differs from both the hit version and the country version, with a markedly different guitar introduction and an entirely different second verse, but is much closer to the single version than the album version.
I met a gin soaked, bar-room queen in Memphis,
She tried to take me upstairs for a ride.
She had to heave me right across her shoulder
'Cause I just can't seem to drink you off my mind.
It's the honky tonk women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues.
I laid a divorcee in New York City,
I had to put up some kind of a fight.
The lady then she covered me with roses,
She blew my nose and then she blew my mind.
It's the honky tonk women
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues.
(Yeah!) It's the honky tonk women.
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues.
(Yeah!) It's the honky tonk women.
Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues.

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• The Rolling Stones
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• Mick Jagger
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• '69