Sway (The Rolling Stones song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
"Sway"
Song by The Rolling Stones from the album Sticky Fingers
Released April 23, 1971
Recorded March 1970
Genre Blues rock
Length 3:51
Label Rolling Stones/Virgin
Writer Jagger/Richards, Mick Taylor
Producer Jimmy Miller
Sticky Fingers track listing

"Sway" is a song by the English rock 'n roll band The Rolling Stones from their 1971 album Sticky Fingers. It was also released as the b-side of the "Wild Horses" single in June 1971. This single was released in the US only. Initial pressings of the single contain an alternate take; later pressings include the album version instead.

Credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Sway" is a slower blues song and was the first song recorded by the band at Stargroves. Although the song is credited to Jagger/Richards, Mick Taylor has always stated that he wrote this song with Jagger, as well as "Moonlight Mile" from the same album, when Richards was not even present.

Ain't flinging tears out on the dusty ground for all my friends out on the burial ground. Can't stand the feeling getting so brought down. It's just that demon life has got me in its sway.

The song features a bottleneck slide guitar solo towards the middle of the song and a dramatic outro solo performed by Taylor. Rhythm guitar performed by Mick Jagger, was his first electric guitar performance on an album. The strings on the piece were arranged by Paul Buckmaster, who also worked on other songs from Sticky Fingers. Keith Richards, added his backing vocals but had provided no guitar to the track.

It was performed live for the first time in Columbus, Ohio, and then at many of the shows on the band's A Bigger Bang Tour in 2006.

A 7 minute version of Sway appears on the Carla Olson / Mick Taylor "live at the Roxy" album aka "Too Hot For Snakes." Mick gets to stretch out and solo and solo and solo whereas the Stones version faded at just under 4 minutes. (Ian McLagan plays piano on this version.)

Cover versions [edit]

The song was covered by the band Overwhelming Colorfast on the 1996 compilation album Super Mixer: A Goldenrod Compilation.[1]


References [edit]