In the 1960s, a wave of new bands dominated the popular music scene, with infectious rhythms known as the British Invasion spreading across the pond. Of course, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were the biggest names. They both embodied a period of musical innovation and youth culture.
The Rolling Stones’ scandalous affairs, drug addiction, and general chaos, original lead guitarist Brian Jones even passed away at the age of 27 led to the band’s reputation as being less disciplined than The Beatles and as a symbol of the “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” lifestyle.
The Stones naturally turned their crazy experiences and tales into songs, frequently referencing the women they had fallen in love with over the years. Lead singer Mick Jagger has experienced a good deal of love and turbulent affairs, which have given him a wealth of lyrical inspiration. Marianne Faithfull, Bianca Jagger, Jerry Hall, and L’Wren Scott are a few of his most well-known partners. However, he was unfaithful to the majority of the women he claimed to love.
Mick Jagger wrote a number of songs, the true inspiration for many of which we may never know. Still, there are some tracks that we can almost certainly identify with specific women in Jagger’s life. Jagger’s four-year relationship with Faithfull served as the inspiration for a number of songs, including “I Got The Blues”. The song, which dropped a year after their breakup, possessed lyrics that discussed ending a relationship.
In addition, Faithfull provided inspiration for the song “Wild Horses”. She told Jagger that after emerging from a coma, “wild horses couldn’t drag me away.” She also disclosed to Classic Rock that she “contributed to the junk songs ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ and ‘Dear Doctor’ “. I’m aware that they drew inspiration from me for those hard drug songs. Though it was for a good cause, I was aware that I was being used.
From 1971 to 1978, Jagger wed Bianca Jagger, whose real name was Blanca Pérez-Mora Macías. “This is a Punk meets Chuck Berry number,” Jagger says of the Some Girls song “Respectable,” which features her. The song doesn’t have a particularly profound meaning, but I believe Bianca played a part.
Bianca and the singer had four children together after the singer cheated on her with Jerry Hall. According to rumours, Jagger was inspired by the model for the song “I Miss You,” wherein she discreetly mentioned her last name in the line “I’ve been waiting in the hall/Been waiting on your call.”
And lastly, the contentious song “Brown Sugar,” whose lyrics are racial and misogynistic in addition to being incredibly tasteless. Jagger used a story about rape and slavery to declare his love for African American women in the song, which he has since regretted writing. Two women, Marsha Hunt and Claudia Lennear, allegedly inspired the song. Despite their brief relationship, the latter was the mother of Jagger’s first child, Karis Hunt Jagger. Lennear briefly dated Jagger while she was a member of The Ikettes, which included Ike and Tina Turner. Hunt claims to be the song’s inspiration, but Bill Wyman has hinted that the song is about Lennear. It is unclear who Jagger had in mind when he wrote the song.
