Lyrics for Sympathy for the Devil as interpreted by oofus

Sympathy for the Devil Lyrics
Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long long year stolen many a man's soul and faith
I was around Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you hope you guess my name
But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game

Stuck around St. Petersburg when I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the Tzar and his ministers; Anastaria screamed in vain
I rode a tank held a gen'rals rank when the blitzkrieg
raged and the bodies stank
Pleased to meet you hope your guess my name, oh yeah
Ah what's puzzling you is the nature of my game, oh yeah

I watched the glee while your kings and queens fought for
ten decades for the Gods they made
I shouted out "who killed the Kennedy's?" when after all it was you and me
Let me please introduce myself I'm a man of wealth and taste
And I lay traps for troubadors who get killed before they reach Bombay

Pleased to meet you hope you guess my name, oh yeah
But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game, oh yeah

Pleased to meet you hope you guess my name
But what's confusin you is just the nature of my game

Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me Lucifer
'Cause I'm in need of some restraint

So if you meet me Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I'll lay your soul to waste, um yeah

Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, um yeah
But what's puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, um mean it, get down

Woo, who
Oh yeah, get on down
Oh yeah
Oh yeah!

Tell me baby, what's my name
Tell me honey, can ya guess my name
Tell me baby, what's my name
I tell you one time, you're to blame

oh, who
woo, woo
Woo, who
Woo, woo
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Oh, yeah

What's my name
Tell me, baby, what's my name
Tell me, sweetie, what's my name

Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Woo, who, who
Oh, yeah
Woo woo
Woo woo

Interaction
Mail to a friend Send Lyrics to a Friend
Share on Facebook

Stumble It
Add to Del.icio.us Add to Del.icio.us




  • 168 Comments
  • Printer Friendly Lyrics
oldest first     Expand All
ICantLeaveU2Behind
04-10-2005

Rated 0 
person in the songs reminds me of the Randall Flagg character in some Stephen King books. has like 3 different names, evilly sarcastic, and been around forever (i think)

Log in to reply
inconsistentme
05-26-2005

Rated 0 
When I was younger and had no idea who the Rolling Stones were, this song came on the radio a lot. My bro and mom would sing the words, and I'd sing the "whoo whooooo" background part. So I guess that's why this is my favorite RS song..

Same here. I still do sing along with the "whooo whoooooo" parts, haha.

Great song.

Log in to reply
stuntman44
07-14-2005

Rated 0 
I agree with ZepHead379One. This song is almost a rippoff of the short story by Hawthorne, Young Goodman Brown. Look it up and read it. Zephead is correct. Great story. Great song.

Log in to reply
stuntman44
07-14-2005

Rated 0 
I agree with ZepHead379One. This song is almost a rippoff of the short story by Hawthorne, Young Goodman Brown. Look it up and read it. Zephead is correct. Great story. Great song.

Log in to reply
pt
07-20-2005

Rated 0 
i got the remix (5 versions of Sympathy) and it's not as good as it should be......but the movie that shows the 4 stones working on this song in the studio is unreal. Unfortunatly it is short and the artsy part is a waste of time, but watching Keith inparticular makes it a great investment.


Who has seen C Sucker Blues? And what did you think of it?

Log in to reply
stoolhardy
08-30-2005

Rated 0 
Nobody says how much this song sucks, except for people scared of the devil, so I will be the only person to say that musically, this song sucks. WAY too many "woo woos." And the woo woos are too loud too and drown out the lyrics of the song. I never knew what he was saying in most of the song because of the damn "woo woos" that were loudly and clearly drowning out the words, except for the chorus part.

The song sounds like it was recorded underwater, as do many songs of this time period. That's why I am not fond of a lot of old classic rock, because the recording and production just sucks compared to now. There are some old songs that still sound good, but it seems to me they could have remixed and remastered many of these real popular old songs and it would have sounded much fresher. The song just sounds tinny and ... ugh... I'm just not fond of that "rough" sound of many rock songs, it's just bad production.

The lyrics - well this song came out at a time where talking about things like the devil, drugs and revolting were really cool. So, this fit in with the "bad boy image" that the Rolling Stones were so desperately trying to win, as opposed to the Beatles which for a while were trying to maintain a clean, "good boy" image. So they wrote a song about the devil in the first-person, to piss the "Ned Flanderses" of the world off, and gain more fans among the huge young population who really dominated the late 60s and 70s. And while we're on the topic, "Satisfaction" has to be about the most overated song in the history of rock.

Log in to reply
tootsvegan
09-18-2005

Rated 0 
People who think this song is anti-christian or satanic are stupid. This is a social commentary. It's saying, "are you looking for the devil, look at yourselves!" He was there when the blitzkrieg raged, and the bodies stank. They're singing from his perspective, but it isn't about the devil being good, it is about the rotten things humanity has done and does. Listen to the song before you condemn it, you stupid super-Christian twits, it's on your side, if you're willing to accept some responsibility for being human.

Log in to reply
zoe_064
10-06-2005

Rated 0 
i havent read all these comments, but the first few i did, that idiot put on a link to a site about saton. this song isnt saying jagger himself is a link to the devil, its uts about the devil. just coz songs these days are all so obvious, its not that hard to figure this one out!

Log in to reply
+++ALK- - -
12-15-2005

Rated 0 
I would like to think that I am correct in my interpretation of this song. I would like to think that the meaning is very blatant. When Mick says: "Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name. But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game." The meaning and answer to the song is all contained in that one line. I haven't read anyone's comment that actually has tried to guess his name. Maybe you are just confused by the nauture of his game.............I'm not being a smug asshole but i do know what his name is and I don't want to share it because that is for you to ponder for yourselves.
p.s. It isn't the devil.

Log in to reply
cmw000
12-16-2005

Rated 0 
The guy complaining about the production value of classic rock is a moron. Music isn't supposed to be precise like a physics equation. It's supposed to have heart and make you want to lose your mind and jump off a fucking bridge.

I think this song IS about how everyone has the devil in them. And there ain't nothin wrong with that.

The point is that "evil" has always been around and always will be. Just as every cop is a criminal and all the sinners saints.

If there was no evil in the world, we would be weak.

Log in to reply
ledhed4ever
01-27-2006

Rated 0 
its a list of all the bad things that have happened in the world, in the point of view of satan, however, satan admits he was there yet it was really man, not him who did these things (after all it was YOU and me) and jesus says in the bible to love and forgive our enemies, hence the song's name "sympathy for the devil"

Log in to reply
wazojugs
02-01-2006

Rated 0 
the song is about all of the bad and evils things that happen in the world and its all down to human beings and not the devil as the church would have you think

Log in to reply
celticray47
02-07-2006

Rated 0 
Great song, similar sentiment to Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower". Sometimes I think Dylan wrote Sympathy as a ghost writer and sold it to the Stones.

No matter...Interesting historical references. It's a song which I find myself studying rather than listening. Thank you all for your input. Very interesting insights. I don't think the Stones repeated a song like this for about this for almost thirty years when they released "Saint of Me."

Log in to reply
Presagio
02-07-2006

Rated 0 
mmm, you really man, dont know who are the troubadors? Think.. Bombay (India)... Tramps, (fight).. People, breakin a relationship, in India... Yees!! The Beatles.
The beatles are troubadors. And after they came back from India. The John Lennon "Super Ego" started causing troubles. They became more competitives between themselves. In fact, India killed them. Of course, REALLY COOL RECORDS (Revolver, Sgt Peppers, Magical Mystery, etc) But they, they didnt have a good relation. So much troubles after that, you know.
And Jagger turns really ironic about them, like saying "the devil put tramps to the troubadros when they reached Bombay", so they "fighted".
The beatles were seen like troubadors, you know, the "good boys".

Log in to reply
OpinionHead
02-09-2006

Rated 0 
After reading some recent comments, I am reminded of this bit that Bill Hicks recorded on his Salvation CD. It was about how "musical artists" who had no talent and wanted 15 second careers would have to suck Satan's cock to get what they wanted. It may have been one of the funniest bits I've ever heard.

Log in to reply
Slappywhite
02-22-2006

Rated 0 
Wow, The rolling stones suck this song sucks and anybody that likes it sucks. Queen is so much better and so is bohemian rhapsody and once aagain.....you suck.

Log in to reply
gut-tar troubadour
03-08-2006

Rated 0 
Hmm, everyone must be sick of the christian debate by now, but portrayal of the devil is a centries old accepted practice BY THE CHURCH (not that i think Jagger is a christian - the song is clearly inspired by Bulgakov's brilliant book). The old medieval morality and mystery plays, performed in every village, always had the devil portrayed vividly, sometimes amusingly, along the simple principle that you have to know your enemy to defeat him (and laugh at him). Puritan christianity blocked out any pictoral/dramatic/sculptural reproductions of religious matter (including that of the saints or god) and these two instincts still do battle today as we are seeing in this thread!
What i find most interesting is that U2, the biggest rock band today and also comitted christians (let that debate lie - they have at least stated it often enough) actually created a devil character - Mcphisto - in the Zoo TV tour. He was an embodyment of modern greed and weakness but, just like the mystery plays, was an amusing character which we laughed at after he was bought out into the open.
The devilish aspect of the stones was only present in the depressive self-destruction of paint it black etc. when the evil was not acknowledged. As soon as it is in the open it is cathartisised and seen for what it is. I sang this with my band last week and channelled a whole lot of bad stuff out. Felt really good afterwards.

Log in to reply
TheRighteous
03-15-2006

Rated 0 
I saw them play this on "Gimme Shelter" in my History of Rock N' Roll class. When the Stones played this song as the crowd was being to become unstable. It stayed with me for a couple of days, the images of a guy shouting at Mick to stop the show, and Mick just dancing.
But to me, this song is very religious. In some text of the Bible when the Devil appears, God has respect for his role in the universe. What the song says to me is that someone is being tested by Satan, and he is showing the person what he has been capable of doing. But the fallacy in his introduction is that he says, "I was around Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain". Tht was just it. A moment. In the end, Jesus truimphs, and Satan loses in man's salvation. When I picture the visuals in the song, I see Satan trying to convince a person of his prestige, but the person standing taller than Satan because of his faith. But that's me.
Great song by a great band.

Log in to reply
Squeven
03-23-2006

Rated 0 
Gilthanis... If you ever read this, I want you to know that you're my hero, man.

Anyway, this song kicks ass. I don't think I need to say anything more about it.

Log in to reply
thedarkcanuck
05-09-2006

Rated 0 
In Bulgakov's "The Master and Margarita," (which several interviews and articles mention when referencing this song) the Devil, under the guise of "Woland" walks into Communist Russia with some of his cohorts in a time when Russia had no established Church and atheism was a widely held belief. Because nobody believes in the existence of the Devil in the story, except for a few, he is free to do as a he pleases and wreaks complete havoc. Those who are tormented and dare to mention him and his cohorts, who include a walking talking cat named Bohemoth, end up institutionalized because the public sees them as being insane.

The novel also tells a parallel story written by "The Master" about Pilate and Christ. The act of washing his hands, vidicating himself of Christ's death is what ensures the guilt of Pilate and sends him to hell. Which is why the Devil "made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands and sealed his fate."

The novel opens with two men on a park bench discussing religion, mostly atheism - and the Devil walks right up and begins talking about the crucifixion with them, openly telling them he was there, but they don't "guess his name." Instead they just see him as being crazy.

I think this song is about how the Devil tricks people, coerces people, and is usually a guilty party. Our decision to not believe in him gives him more power to do as he pleases. He convinces us he is something he isn't - hence the "What's my name?"-"Have you guessed my name?"

Then again, I'm an atheist myself. After all, it was you and me...

Log in to reply
harmonicaplayer
07-15-2006

Rated 0 
an amazing song...a true look at history stones style, one of my all time fav songs.

Log in to reply
Jaws201020
07-21-2006

Rated 0 
I think that this song is saying that the devil is just doing his job. With out the devil there would be no reason for good or believing in God. Also if the devil didn't take "evil" people to hell then where would they go. He is the punishment. If we were perfect there would be no need for the devil. Ithink that he exists to help purify the human race. i think that is also what the coming of the anti-christ is for. So (IMHO) that is what the song is saying.

Log in to reply
Mr_Craw
07-29-2006

Rated 0 
Well, to anyone who's ever read Stephen King... Does anyone else this would be the perfect theme song for Randall Flagg?

Log in to reply
Mojo Working
09-04-2006

Rated 0 
"It wasn't my fault Your Honour, The Devil made me do it".

For all the bullshit conexions between religion and the law, it amazes me that the above is not a valid defense plea.

Log in to reply
sailingallalone
12-29-2006

Rated 0 
bowen, you HATE the devil? That is the funniest oxymoron I've ever heard...YOU HATE the DEVIL. hahahaha...you did that on purpose, right? To be funny, right? If not, you're a fuckin' idiot. Also, Philly Eagles, I know you meant the most underrated band ever....Their biggest rivals, who weren't really their rivals at all, The Beatles, were the most overrated band in history....well, no I take that back....KISS is the most overrated, but the Stones covered all sorts of genres and started many too. Now, that said, like John Lennon said, "The Beatles was nothing." Now, Zeppelin was great, but c'mon...the Stones are the original rock 'n roll band. Zeppelin just followed suit, but did a damn good job. Page is the best guitarist I've ever heard, IMO, but his band wasn't the best.

Log in to reply




  • Add Your Comments
What does this song mean to you?

You must be logged in to post your comments.

Feel free to create an account with us, or log in with your existing account, to start adding your comments to songs.





Popular
Top:   Lyrics, Artists, Albums
Random:   Lyric, Artist, Album

Your Ad Here