Sweet Virginia
"Sweet Virginia" is the sixth track on the Rolling Stones' 1972 double album Exile On Main St.. This album was mostly recorded in a villa in Nellcóte, France,[1] as well as recorded in 1970 at Olympic Studios, with vocal overdubs added in early 1972 at Sunset Sound Studios, "Sweet Virginia" is a slow country-inspired song, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The song features a harmonica solo by Jagger, and a saxophone solo by Bobby Keys. Charlie Watts plays a country shuffle rhythm.[2] An alternate version without the backing singers was released on bootlegs.
| "Sweet Virginia" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Rolling Stones | |
| from the album Exile on Main St. | |
| Released | 12 May 1972 |
| Recorded | 1971–72 |
| Studio |
|
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:27 |
| Label | Rolling Stones Records |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Miller |
History
Sweet Virginia is an acoustic song that is thought to be influenced by Gram Parsons and the drug-fueled atmosphere of Nellcôte, where they mostly recorded the album.[3] It was known to be a series of chaotic recording sessions.[1]
The lyrics allude to drug use and pills and low-grade heroin (“drop your reds, drop your greens and blues”, "got to scrape that shit right off your shoes!").[3] However it has also been suggested it should be a state song for Virginia, and the song lyrics allude to Virginia's notable tourist attractions ("reds" for Virginia Piedmont’s famous clay, "greens" for leaves, and "blues for the Blue Ridge Mountains).[4]
Legal problems
After the release of Exile on Main St., Allen Klein sued the Rolling Stones for breach of settlement because "Sweet Virginia" and four other songs on the album were composed while Jagger and Richards were under contract with his company, ABKCO. ABKCO acquired publishing rights to the songs, giving it a share of the royalties from Exile on Main St., and was able to publish another album of previously released Rolling Stones songs, More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies).[5]
Live performances
"Sweet Virginia" was performed by the Stones during their 1972 American tour, and was featured in the concert film Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones, released in 1974. The Stones performed the song occasionally in 1973 and it returned to their set-lists on their 1994 Voodoo Lounge Tour, 2005 A Bigger Bang Tour, and 2017 No Filter Tour.
"Sweet Virginia" has also been covered by the band Phish[6] and Old Crow Medicine Show in concerts.
The song was also released as the B-side of the Stones' "Rocks Off" single in Japan.
Personnel
- Mick Jagger – lead vocals, harmonica
- Keith Richards – acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Mick Taylor – acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Bill Wyman – bass guitar
- Charlie Watts – drums
- Ian Stewart – piano
- Bobby Keys – saxophone
References
- "We rank the songs on The Rolling Stones' double LP 'Exile on Main St.'". Far Out Magazine. 2020-05-12. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
- Ciani, B. (2006). Great Rock Drummers of the Sixties (2nd ed.). Hal Leonard. p. 177. ISBN 9780634099250.
- "100 Greatest Rolling Stones Songs, #35 "Sweet Virginia" (1972)". Rolling Stone. 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
- Casey, Dan (January 14, 2015). "Casey: Stones' 'Sweet Virginia' deserves to be state song". Roanoke Times. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
- Goodman, Fred (2015). Allen Klein: The Man Who Bailed Out the Beatles, Made the Stones, and Transformed Rock & Roll. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 235–236. ISBN 978-0-547-89686-1.
- Mockingbird Foundation (2004). The Phish Companion: A Guide to the Band and Their Music. Hal Leonard. pp. 266, 313. ISBN 9780879307998.
