Lyrics for You Can't Always Get What You Want as interpreted by oofus

You Can't Always Get What You Want Lyrics
I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she would meet her connection
At her feet was a footloose man

No, you can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you find
You get what you need

I saw her today at the reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she was gonna meet her connection
At her feet was a footloose man

You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you might find
You get what you need

And I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, We're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse

You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
You get what you need

I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled
I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill
We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was dead
I said to him

You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You get what you need

You get what you need, yeah, oh baby

I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need

You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need

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guitarherohero10
10-17-2009

Rated 0 
I love this song so much, it always makes me feel better when I don't get what I want....


As for the meaning, I'm guessing it's about how you can't always get what you want (but if you try sometimes, you can get what you need).

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Badass123
09-10-2009

Rated 0 
There are those who know this stuff and their probably right but the song to me is that you cant alaways get what you want like he cant get the girl in the beginning but in the end it turns out she was a bad lady so he got a lesson in which he needed. Iv applied it to my life and iv found that its a saying that has helped me move on about the sad things in life knowing that if i try hard things will work out for me in the end. for example i didnt go to Prom with the girl i wanted but by trying i met her cute friend who i took to Prom and had a great time. Thats just my 2 cents

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mrbradley
04-28-2009

Rated 0 
what a relatable message! i like how they took the sometimes frustrating feeling of not always getting what you want and turned it into a playful song!

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Wendy26
02-01-2009

Rated 0 
Eatapch4pce, I am not trying to argue, I mean this as a legitimate question. If it was this song that Jimmy Miller played the drums in, the song must have been written before they decided to put him in it as some sort of respectful gesture. So there must have been a meaning to that verse that had nothing to do with that man in particular. So was the name just used as a meaningless name to replace whatever other name they might have had there before (or did they alter or add the verse for him)? Your theory (or facts) doesn't really tell us what the song is about, and, therefore, hardly discounts other people's opinions--though I understand that Mr. Jimmy did not likely refer to Jimmy Miller and Jimmy from Minnesota.

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Wendy26
02-01-2009

Rated 0 
Since there are a few people backing it up, I definitely think that the story of Jimmy the handicapped man is worth considering, but I do not, however, think that this means the song is about him. His being alive does not prove that the song is not about death. He is just a metaphor. And, if there is any validity in the Jimi Hendrix story, there is a possibility that the name was used because it could refer to both of them. Often times songs, even songs about a single character, are not about a single real-life person. If Jimmy and Jimi both inspired this song, the important aspects of each, as well as perhaps some made-up things could have been combined to get a point across. The metaphor used is not always, or often, the real subject.

Just an interesting point: in the movie High Fidelity, they say this song is about death. Not that they cannot be wrong, but I tend to believe them. I came here to find out specifically how it is about death or what point it is making about death.

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Eatapch4pce
01-10-2009

Rated 0 
Considering you guys have no idea what you are talking about, you shouldn't be posting about the songs. Mr. Jimmy was their producer. The drummer at the time Charlie Watts wasn't able to play along with the groove that the song had and so Jimmy Miller (their producer) sat in and played the drums on the recording. This, in turn, caused the Rolling Stones to refer to their manager Mr. Jimmy as respect for filling in on the song

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browsacookiemonsta
11-23-2008

Rated 0 
it's the other way around, surrogatehobby! what we want isn't always what we need. like for example, he uses that really hot woman with a glass of wine in her hand that every guy wants, but her hands were bloodstained from being so deceptive, as posing as what every man wants when in reality, it's not. also, with the protest, fighting for something might not completely change things into however you want, but it's the feeling of fighting for an idea that changes it into a feeling you need, that you actually did something about it.

one of the best rolling stones songs ever

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surrogatehobby
08-21-2008

Rated 0 
I don't understand any of this song's references but I do understand that the main meaning is that you always get what you want but never what you need. :)

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crxbart
08-18-2008

Rated 0 
I too think it is about the our wants and needs, and how our wants probably will cause harm to us. Possibly the want being a relationship with someone who is not right for you, or is just going to cause you trouble and hurt you.

This song hit home to me the other day. I went to lunch and it came on my ipod in my car when I left. It was right after realizing things wouldn't work with this girl. I've dated her in the past, and always wanted ever since. I realized she would always take me for granted, and treat me badly and only think of herself, and her own agenda. I realized at that point, I didn't need her, and life would go on despite losing her. I tried with her time and time again. This was the point when I quit trying, and realized everything for what it really was.

She hurt me, and I was the "bleeding man in the glass"

I realized I didn't need her, she was always just a want, and will always be a want. I got what I needed from her. I'll get nothing more. As much as I wanted her, I'll have to move on. That's what it means to me.

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JesseRussell
07-29-2008

Rated 0 
I'm from Minnesota and I knew Mr. Jimmy too

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HonkyFire
04-22-2008

Rated 0 
Think about the first and last verse. At the beginning she has a glass of wine in her hand. At the end it turns into a bleeding man in the glass. Pretty negative, as if she "drinks the blood of men" after deceiving them. That's why I think this song is all about our wants having potentially negative consequences most of the time, and that good luck prevails and prevents us from obtaining what we want, only allowing us to have what we need. Something we truly need is something that can't kill us.

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Lord_Fletcher
10-07-2007

Rated 0 
Mr. Jimmy has died at age 75. I live in the Lake Minnetonka area and my dad was at that Stones show in '64 at the Excelsior amusement park. It was not big a big show by any means. Jim Hutmaker is the real thing. Rest in peace, Mr. Jimmy.

http://www.startribune.com/466/story/1465889.html

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RiversideGuitarist
08-18-2007

Rated 0 
Whitewolf, that guy must be crazy and lying to you, because Mick Jagger himself said that Mr. Jimmy was the producer "Jimmy Miller". He produced this song with him and they were friends at the time. I dont have the article, but heres a link that has a little info on it. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6595945/you_cant_always_get_what_you_want

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everybodylies
05-26-2007

Rated 0 
One of the most played songs on House (despite Teardrop)

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Bennn
05-03-2007

Rated 0 
Hi Folks,
I always thought the first verse is about Janis Joplin, who drank herself to death. She meets her (Drug)-connection. her ''footloose'' man is Bobby Mc Gee, from her most famous Song...(and lost Love)
Jimmy obviously is Jimmy Hendrix, who also died because of excessive Drug use.
Of course you can't always get what you want, and surely those two guys didn't.
-Like many of this Generation...whose Spirit died also..

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shantastic
03-16-2007

Rated 0 
this song pretty much speaks for itself. Trying your best doesn't always work out. This is a great song to sing to people who get whatev. they want.

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sportsism
10-05-2006

Rated 0 
Personally, this is ony of my favorite songs. The boy's choir at the beginning followed by the acoustic song, and the way the song brings in more instruments as the song goes on is fantastic. The lyrics are really interesting as well.

I listen to this song whenever I'm depressed, and it's jokingly become my mantra for the football team I root for - I listen to this song after a loss.

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Ludey
08-21-2006

Rated 0 
So far, in my life, I've usually gotten what I've needed to get by. The things I've wanted are usually the things that have caused the most trouble for me.

This song, to me, says something along the lines of: You're not always going to get what you desire, but, hey, most of the time those things bring more trouble than they're worth. If you try to get what you truly need, you'll get by just fine, and maybe one day one of the things you want will come to you.

This song also reminds me of a close friend of mine. He was griping one day because he didn't get what he wanted, and his dad instantly started singing this song to him.

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Occams_Harmony
06-30-2006

Rated 0 
Yeah. It's about trying to get what you need to say alive. Also, it might not be so bad after all, even if you can't get what you want. After all, do you really need it? All you can ask for in life is what you need. If you get what you need, that's a good life. Anything more is a bonus.

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despondent
06-03-2006

Rated 0 
The Excelsior, Minnesota story is an urban legend, and nothing more.

This song is most likely about the difficulties of scoring good drugs. Sorry to suck the mystery and life out of it for you.

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heyjude55
05-25-2006

Rated 0 
Oh shit I dig this song. I dig the bongos, the opera, the music, drums, jagger, everay thing

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heyjude55
04-02-2006

Rated 0 
i think this has a relation between an incident with jimi hendrix. see my comment on Fire by Hendrix

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chevellefan11
02-20-2006

Rated 0 
A great song

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underoath_55
01-23-2006

Rated 0 
yeah you people talking about some retarded guy are a little off ..."jimmy" refers to hendrix, who was good friends with mick jagger. Hendrixs favorite soda was Cherry flavored. all he said to me was "dead". sorry to ruin your guys guessing game.

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etrigan
01-09-2006

Rated 0 
Its worth it to note that Devon Wilson died by falling from the Chelsea Hotel in 1971. Of course thats a bit after the song was written. She was most def. linked to Jimi and Mick...pretty much a supergroupie.

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