You're the kind of person you meet at certain dismal dull affairs.
Center of a crowd, talking much too loud running up and down the stairs.
Well, it seems to me that you have seen too much in too few years.
And though you've tried you just can't hide your eyes are edged with tears.

You better stop, look around,
Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes, here it comes.
Here comes your nineteenth nervous breakdown.

When you were a child you were treated kind
But you were never brought up right.
You were always spoiled with a thousand toys but still you cried all night.
Your mother who neglected you owes a million dollars tax.
And your father's still perfecting ways of making sealing wax.

You better stop, look around,
Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes, here it comes.
Here comes your nineteenth nervous breakdown.

Oh, who's to blame, that girl's just insane.
Well nothing I do don't seem to work,
It only seems to make matters worse. Oh please.

You were still in school when you had that fool who really messed your mind.
And after that you turned your back on treating people kind.
On our first trip I tried so hard to rearrange your mind.
But after a while I realized you were disarranging mine.

You better stop, look around,
Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes, here it comes.
Here comes your nineteenth nervous breakdown.

Oh, who's to blame, that girl's just insane.
Well nothing I do don't seem to work,
It only seems to make matters worse. Oh please.

When you were a child you were treated kind
But you were never brought up right.
You were always spoiled with a thousand toys but still you cried all night.
Your mother who neglected you owes a million dollars tax.
And your father's still perfecting ways of making sealing wax.

You better stop, look around,
Here it comes
Here comes your nineteenth nervous breakdown.
Here comes your nineteenth nervous breakdown.
Here comes your nineteenth nervous breakdown.
Here comes your nineteenth nervous breakdown.
Here comes your nineteenth nervous breakdown.
Here comes your nineteenth nervous breakdown.



Lyrics submitted by spliphstar

Track duration: 03:56

"19th Nervous Breakdown" as written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards

Lyrics © ABKCO Music Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


19th Nervous Breakdown song meanings
Add your thoughts

18 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:According to Bill Wyman the line "On our first trip I tried so hard to rearrange your mind" was a sly reference, missed by the censors, abour Mick and Chrissie taking LSD.
    Flag winsfordtownon May 26, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:Kha lif as,or mark an 6. Sorry, backspace broke. what I meant was; It's as if His heart is broke because he knows this girl inside and out. Like they were childhood sweet hearts, or Soul-mates. You can almost read it as being, not just the woman's but, also his nervous break down. Like the reference to the fool in school, maybe that was him. something that happened that enabled her to be the Selfish B--ch she is. But he's still there. trying to fix her. Trying to make her see how much he loves her. Trying to teach her. If it was some other fool that messed her up, why would he stay. 19 times has to be true love. I wonder how old they are. what if they're in a retirement home.
    Or, I could also be way out there, and reading way to much into it. Help!
    Flag converbs2627on December 04, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Reminds me of Eddie and Roland walking in front of a music store in New York in the Dark Tower Series. Roland asked if this is what Eddie's world called music....ah, good books by an excellent author, sai Stephen King.
    Flag MeddlingFloyd94on August 07, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Ceiling Wax?!?!? Oh dear.....if someone hadn't already corrected that, I would!

    This song is about an out-of-control girl...spoilt, crazy, annoying....brilliant lyrics!
    Flag buffoniaon July 07, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh and what an awesome deep (Rickenbacker?) bass line with a wandering lower rhytm guitar on top. What is funny is lots of the songs I loved at 6 years old are still cool. I wonder if the 'stuff' on the radio now will last that long?
    Flag UmIthinkIknowon June 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I hate to be pedantic (actually no, I love it) but it is "Sealing Wax" not "Ceiling Wax". My grandfather was a Bostonian blue blood dandy who had a pinkie ring with the family crest on it, and it was for sealing letters with our family coat-o-arms. The wax used to seal the letters is the reference. No paper cuts on the tongue in those days.
    Flag UmIthinkIknowon June 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This reminds me of an ex... hahaha sweet revenge
    Flag mollyrose-xon January 31, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The first Stones song I remember, and like previous contributors, it was something my mother used to say to us when we got on her nerves!
    Flag Massapequaon November 19, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this is my favorite stones song ever.
    Flag lin_neaon March 13, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This was recorded in December of 1965 and Mick was still with Chrissie. This was most likely about her, as he always complained about how high maintainence and self absorbed she was. He supposedly wrote Under my thumb about her too, when their was a power shift in their relationship. Marianne and him didn't get together until late 66, early 67.
    Flag jenn7575on September 13, 2006   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain