As long as Keith Richards has been in a band, it’s easy to get into a groove during practice. Richards has always been looking for that one extra thing that could break your heart. He seeks to make you feel something extra when you hear it. Even though it takes him the same amount of time to write a song as it does for most of us to prepare a decent lunch. Even when it comes to the band’s classics, Richards’ bullshit detector has a history of working overtime. This is due to the length of time he has been doing it.
But even in the band’s heyday, Richards was content to write songs that would do well on the charts. Although the band initially gave away their hits to other acts, Richards and Mick Jagger didn’t figure out a formula. It wasn’t until they scored hits like “Satisfaction.”
Richards started to shape the very beginnings of the hard rock guitar riff by adding a great deal of menace to their traditional blues-infused roots. He even took his first attempts at open tunings on albums such as Beggars Banquet. Any skilled songwriter is aware that a writer’s ability to deliver a ballad effectively can also be an indicator of their caliber.
After penning the song “As Tears Go By” for Marianne Faithfull, Richards went on to become one of the industry’s most jaded balladeers. While singing songs like “Coming Down Again” or “You Got The Silver,” Richards’ croon had a rougher, edgier quality. This contrasted with Jagger’s earnest tone.
However, Jagger had the ideal lyrics for what would become ‘Angie‘ when they were writing their most recent heartache-themed song. Although Jagger was singing from a very personal place the song was named after David Bowie’s wife. Richards called out the song for having a somewhat uninteresting title that did not immediately draw the listener in.
That being said, Richards told 50 Licks, “Sometimes you have a hook, a phrase or word or name or something which maybe you don’t even intend to keep.” Keith Richards, though pleased with the song itself, frowned at the title on the lyric sheet. The Rolling Stones intended the song “Angie” to be a working title, but it became a hit. One could argue, “Who would name a song “Angie?” It’s so uninteresting; you know, another girl’s name.”
It’s not that the rest of the song lacked substance, even though it might have had a weak title to tie everything together. In contrast to the open-tuned ballads they had been writing, Richards delivered one of his most creative chord sequences. He teased the song’s tonal center occasionally to keep the listener guessing.
The song remains intact despite the thrilling music below. Jagger skillfully crafts a beautiful melody about a couple who never gives up, even in seemingly hopeless circumstances. It’s possible that the song’s simplicity in title was necessary to convey the song’s emotional significance, given how heavily it weighs emotionally.
