Shattered

The Rolling Stones

Uh huh shattered, uh huh shattered
Love and hope and sex and dreams
Are still surviving on the street
Look at me, I'm in tatters!
I'm a shattered
Shattered

Friends are so alarming
My lover's never charming
Life's just a cocktail party on the street
Big Apple
People dressed in plastic bags
Directing traffic
Some kind of fashion
Shattered

Laughter, joy, and loneliness and sex and sex and sex and sex
Look at me, I'm in tatters
I'm a shattered
Shattered

All this chitter-chatter, chitter-chatter, chitter-chatter 'bout
Shmatta, shmatta, shmatta, I can't give it away on 7th Avenue
This town's been wearing tatters (shattered, sha ooobie shattered)

Work and work for love and sex
Ain't you hungry for success, success, success, success
Does it matter? (shattered)
Does it matter?

Ah look at me
I'm shattered
I'm shattered
Look at me, I'm a shattered, yeah (shattered)

Pride and joy and greed and sex
That's what makes our town the best
Pride and joy and dirty dreams and still surviving on the street
And look at me, I'm in tatters, yeah
I've been battered, what does it matter
Does it matter, uh-huh
Does it matter, uh-huh, I'm a shattered

Mmm, I'm shattered, unh
Sha oobie, shattered, unh
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered, shattered

Don't you know the crime rate is going up, up, up, up, up
To live in this town you must be tough, tough, tough, tough, tough!
You got rats on the West Side
Bed bugs uptown
What a mess this town's in tatters, I've been shattered
My brain's been battered, splattered all over Manhattan

Sha oobie, shattered, shattered, what say
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered

Uh-huh, this town's full of money grabbers
Go ahead, bite the Big Apple, don't mind the maggots, huh
Sha oobie, my brain's been battered
My friends they come around they
Flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter
Pile it up, pile it up, pile high on the platter


Lyrics submitted by spliphstar, edited by holybias11

Shattered Lyrics as written by Mick Jagger Keith Richards

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Shattered song meanings
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26 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    well yea...actually new york is a pretty sexy place....

    sweetave426on September 30, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song was the Stones' response to the Punk Rock sound of the late 70's. Of course, they adapted to the changing scene in rock music and the Stones wound up with one of the best punk songs ever. typical Stones -- they would bend with the times and then become masters of new music trends. Jagger and Richards loved N.Y. City even if it did have this dirty underbelly they sing of.

    Dynomiteon July 05, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    What?? No comments? Song is obviously about New York City....anyway...it's a true original, a sound all it's own.....they came up with another good song!

    happylittldittyon March 08, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    yes...i live about 45 min away from the Big Apple! I'm surprised there arent more comments about this song, because it is sooo good.

    aquarianarchiston November 06, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    gets the feel of fiscally and morally bankrupt NYC in the late 70's back when it was synonomous with getting mugged.

    The Stones are good about writing what a pain it is to be a rock star without making you dislike them. Shmatta, shmatta, shmatta indeed.

    Hilario_Bruthzooon March 16, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    today you are in more danger from rent than a mugger in nyc

    coo2kachooon April 13, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Its about life in the city, the hardships and lifestyles of the people. It, like most stones stuff has a faantastic tune and beat, you either love it or hate, it put my friend off the secound disc of forty licks, which I find hilarious. Its a brillliant song, specially from their 80s stuff. "Pride and Joy and Greed and Sex, thats what makes our town the best!"

    productofthe80son December 12, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    rolling stones = extreeeeme love to the 387356 power

    My friends they come around they Flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter Pile it up, pile it high on the platter.

    sup, BS?! BRILLIANT. fake people are dumbbb.

    shejustwantstorockon February 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I remember listening to Howard Stern list songs that were recommened to not be played on the radio after 9/11. This wasn't one of them but maybe it should have if you consider the brains splattered all over Manhattan line. Just an observation---I would never make light of what happened that day. Anyways--a great song.

    JumpyJackon May 28, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    great song SHADOOBEE...I kept singing that to this girl and she got really annoyed

    heyjude55on May 01, 2006   Link

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