The Rolling Stones have often channeled friction into art, using their emotional intensity to fuel many of their iconic songs. Throughout their legendary career, the band has never shied away from confronting personal or political turmoil. A prime example is their protest anthem, “Street Fighting Man,” inspired by student riots in Europe protesting the Vietnam War.
The Stones have always been unapologetically open, preferring blunt, direct lyrics over subtlety. Their honest approach has helped them connect with millions worldwide, though their time together as a band has often played out like a dramatic soap opera.
Despite their success, The Rolling Stones have faced countless challenges, ones that might have ended lesser bands. From the tragic death of their bandmate Brian Jones to the infamous Altamont Free Concert disaster, the group has endured unimaginable hardships. Through it all, one of the most complex relationships in rock history has persisted: that between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Their connection is hard to define. They have been through great loss and difficulty together, but they also need each other to thrive creatively. At the same time, their bond has always been marked by occasional tension and public disputes. Richards and Jagger know exactly how to push each other’s buttons, which has led to some very public squabbles.
One of the most notorious incidents occurred after Richards made a crude remark about Jagger’s manhood in his 2010 autobiography, Life. In the book, Richards wrote, “Marianne Faithfull had no fun with his tiny todger. I know he’s got an enormous pair of balls – but it doesn’t quite fill the gap.”
Unsurprisingly, this comment strained their relationship, but the feud was relatively short-lived. Richards later apologized to Jagger, telling him, “I regret if I caused you any inconvenience or pain.” He added, “I’d say anything to get the band together, you know? I’d lie to my mother.”
Over the years, their creative clashes have often produced musical gold. One such example is the song “Had It With You,” which Richards wrote out of frustration with Jagger. In his autobiography, Richards recalls how the track came about while they were stuck in Ronnie Wood’s front room, waiting for the weather to clear so they could travel to Paris. “There was no heating, and the only way to keep warm was to turn on the amps,” Richards explained.
He admitted that the song wasn’t meant to be about Jagger, but the lyrics flowed out of him before he realized it. “You’re a mean mistreater, You’re a dirty dirty rat scum,” Jagger sings on the track.
At another point, the lyrics read: “You always seem to haunt me, Serving out injunctions, Shouting out instructions, But I had it, I had it, I had it with you.”
Although “Had It With You” isn’t one of the Stones’ most famous tracks, it perfectly encapsulates the push-pull dynamic between Jagger and Richards—a mixture of love and anger that has been at the heart of their partnership for decades.
Richards has acknowledged that the tension with Jagger often acts as a driving force in their songwriting, saying, “Some slide players, myself included, just slide along with the song, but when Felder plays slide he drives the band, and the whole thing revolves around him.” That energy, that blend of frustration and affection, is part of what makes The Rolling Stones so great. It’s not just the love between them—it’s the friction, too.
While Richards didn’t set out to write “Had It With You” about Jagger, the feelings that had been simmering inside of him manifested in the song. No single argument caused it, but the emotions were real. Ultimately, the tension between Jagger and Richards has always been a creative catalyst for The Rolling Stones, propelling them forward, even as it threatens to pull them apart.
