Lyrics for Gimme Shelter as interpreted by spliphstar

Gimme Shelter Lyrics
Oh, a storm is threat'ning
My very life today.
If I don't get some shelter
Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away.

War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away.
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away.

Ooh, see the fire sweepin'
Our very street today.
Burns like a red coal carpet
Mad bull lost its way.

War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away.
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away.

The floods is threat'ning
My very life today.
Gimme, gimme shelter
Or I'm gonna fade away.

War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
I tell you love, sister, it's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away
Kiss away, kiss away

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Trailmaster
09-28-2009

Rated 0 
Sorry to crush some bubbles here, but Keith Richards has stated that he never wrote lyrics about recreational drug use. People seem to want to interpret all their songs as something about heroin. In fact the only times they did sing about drugs were about abuse (ref: Sister Morphine, Mother's Little Helper).

It was largely Vietnam that inspired this song according to interviews with Richards and Jagger, but also took into account some natural disasters happening worldwide at the time.

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Trailmaster
09-28-2009

Rated 0 
Sorry to crush some bubbles here, but Keith Richards has stated that he never wrote lyrics about recreational drug use. People seem to want to interpret all their songs as something about heroin. In fact the only times they did sing about drugs were about abuse (ref: Sister Morphine, Mother's Little Helper).

It was largely Vietnam that inspired this song according to interviews with Richards and Jagger, but also took into account some natural disasters happening worldwide at the time.

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zeitkreig
05-23-2009

Rated 0 
Rape Murder Its just a shot away. Rape and murder are constant by-products of war.

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zeitkreig
05-23-2009

Rated 0 
1969 Let It Bleed. Obviously about war. Tones of civil unrest may be seen in Fire sweeping the streets Today. And in Mad Bull losts its way may be ref to Bull Connor of 63 King protest in Birmingham infamy. there is a call to peace with Love Sister Its just a kiss away. One year after this song was released Kent State was the site of another watershed event. Neil Young "Four Dead in Oh Hi OH.

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danv1962
04-14-2009

Rated 0 

Where are the rest of the words? Rape, Murder? Hard to listen to I guess but works for the song.


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SympathyForTheDevil_
02-25-2009

Rated 0 
GREAT SONG

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bryan_b
08-26-2008

Rated 0 
this song is awesome! i listen to it everyday after work. Keith's solos in this song are amazing! this song is dark, but it was written during the darkest of times. i seen The Stones play in Toronto, during the benefit concert and they played this song amazingly! This song is awesome, but live is god like. Rock on Keith and Mick!

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KingoftheEyesores09
07-10-2008

Rated 0 
The intro is AMAZING! And I LOVE when the girl sings! Awesome song!

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me no nout
06-07-2008

Rated 0 
this song is highly influenced by the most notorious p3dow that have existed. Adam get over it , your dad is a p3edo. End of. Cya fatty !!
xxx

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zaqwert777
04-19-2008

Rated 0 
Quite possibly the coolest song that's ever been recorded.

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zaqwert777
04-19-2008

Rated 0 
Quite possibly the coolest song that's ever been recorded.

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crazyclaire2200
04-16-2008

Rated 0 
ok camel690 idk what the hell you are smoking. this song is not about heroin users. its acutally about war smart one. its about the Vietnam war, its a protest song. why the fuck would they use war in describing heroin. maybe that its a war to quite but no, this song is not about heorin. why would they be talking about love is just a kiss away? hmm?

anyway this song is amazing and i am writing a paper on it. it is amazing. fallonyourknees is dram right!

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sproutboy
12-30-2007

Rated 0 
In fact, so good is this song that I think it's played twice in The Departed... not to mention the CD cover of Exile On Main Street being used in the film as well. Martin Scorsese really loves the Stones!

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myamericanheartx3
12-08-2007

Rated 0 
When I was younger I always thought the lyrics were " go on, kill her. its just a shot away, its just a shot away". I always thought that because during Merry Clayton's solo she sings "rape, murder. its just a shot away" I always interpreted the main chorus as someone had raped a woman and now he was deciding whether or not to kill her. So you can understand how the difference between rape and murder is just one fatal "shot away". Its funny how wrong I was. Love this song though.

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edemaagd
11-30-2007

Rated 0 
Not that it's terribly significant, but the song intro plays on Adventures in Babysitting when they all go to pick up Chris' car at Dawson's Garage

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riegekn
11-06-2007

Rated 0 
This song just sends shivers down my spine. I mean, when Merry Clayton does her solo, it's pretty much amazing. You can tell she had a lot of heart and soul in that solo... Her voice even cracked because she was singing with such fervor and spirit, you know?

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the scenic world
10-29-2007

Rated 0 
this is my second favorite opening track on any album. My first being sympathy for the devil. But this is a very close second.

It's about the
The Vietnam War and so is everything else on let it bleed.

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*xmusicfreakx*
10-16-2007

Rated 0 
mick jagger..is a butt u kno? he takes so much credit for things he hasnt done all on his own. keith richards does so much more than mick and yet mick is the most credited stone..buncha bull. this song is their best btw

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ZEPPO
09-05-2007

Rated 0 
i'm not going to bother saying what i think this song means, only that i'm in perfect relaxation blasting this in my dorm.

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The Dead Boy
08-03-2007

Rated 0 
WOW! this is, besides Sympathy..., possibly the greatest Stones track ever. First heard this when I was very little, probably as young as about 5, as my dad is a massive Stones fan, and being very scared of it! i didn't actually realy know the lyrics until later on as Jagger slurs alot, and when realized what they were for the first time, it sent a chill down my spine, and i felt how I did when I first heard it all over again. love it to death now though!

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dazedandconfused91
07-23-2007

Rated 0 
love this song. very classic. pretty sure it was in the movie casino (awesome) and the departed (freakin awesome)

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mobileinfantry
07-15-2007

Rated 0 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P0NG4wcxEg

PERFECT video to the song...

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12Monkeys
07-02-2007

Rated 0 
This song is too kick ass for words to des cribe.

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12Monkeys
07-02-2007

Rated 0 
This song is too kick ass for words to des cribe.

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feelfree82
06-25-2007

Rated 0 
Its a kick ass song... specially I love the tune, one of their best for sure.

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