Rolling Stones – Rip This Joint…Sunday Album Cut

This was recorded during an all-night session at Keith Richards’ rented villa in the South of France. The band rented houses in the area and used Keith’s basement as a studio.

This song was on Exile On Main Street and it’s an incredibly driven song. It comes right at you and never slows down.

Understanding lyrics in Rolling Stones songs has always been a challenge but Mick’s voice is lower than usual in this one. The song contains some obscenities and sexual references, but they are very hard to understand.

But no worries… just sit back and enjoy the ride and this song takes you on one. It also contains references to President Nixon and his wife Pat, but they are almost impossible to understand.

Exile on Main street peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, Canada, and the UK in 1972.

It’s Sunday…just turn this up to full blast and enjoy it.

 

From Songfacts

The “Butter Queen” is a reference to a famous groupie known as “Barbara the Butter Queen.” Her real name was Barbara Cope, and she would do her thing when bands came through Dallas. She was very proficient, and had a killer gimmick: she would use a stick of butter when servicing the rock stars and crew. The butter supposedly made her activity smell like movie theater popcorn.

This song was particularly inspirational to Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. He told Rolling Stone magazine: “When I went to my first rehab, at a place called Hazelden, I brought Exile on Main St. on cassette. I remember waking up the first morning there and realizing I hadn’t been sober once for the past 12 or 15 years, from LSD to heroin and cocaine and acid. The only way I could get a buzz at that point was to listen to ‘Rip This Joint.'”

Rip This Joint

Mama says yes, Papa says no
Make up your mind ’cause I gotta go
We’re gonna raise hell at the Union Hall
Drive myself right over the wall

Rip this joint, gonna save your soul
Round and round and round we go
Roll this joint, gonna get down low
Start my starter, gonna stop the show (Yeah)

Whoa, yeah!
Mister President, Mister Immigration Man
Let me in, sweetie to your fair land
I’m Tampa bound and Memphis too
Short Fat Fanny is on the loose
Dig that sound on the radio
Then slip it right across into Buffalo
Dick and Pat in ole DC
Well they’re gonna hold some shit for me

Ying yang, you’re my thing
Oh, now, baby, won’t you hear me sing
Flip Flop, fit to drop
Come on baby, won’t you let it rock?

Oh yeah! Oh yeah!
From San Jose down to Santa Fe
Kiss me quick, baby, won’tcha make my day
New Orleans with the Dixie Dean
To Dallas, Texas with the Butter Queen

Rip this joint, gonna rip yours too
Some brand new steps and some weight to lose
Gonna roll this joint, gonna get down low
Round and round and round we’ll go
Wham, Bham, Birmingham, Alabam’ don’t give a damn
Little Rock and I’m fit to top
Ah, let it rock

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

25 thoughts on “Rolling Stones – Rip This Joint…Sunday Album Cut”

  1. When I was looking for tracks around 180 bpm to build a running playlist, I thought of this one — but it’s nearer 200bpm! Surely winning the award for the fastest stones song? Not sure.
    Anyway a barn-stormer of a track from the best rock album of all time. TURN IT UP!

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    1. I wrote this last night or this morning at two in the morning and I thought about this and I meant to look it up. Thank you for telling me.

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  4. It’s quite remarkable The Rolling Stones managed to make Exile at the time, frankly any album. I understand the circumstances were challenging (perhaps chaotic would be a better term), which oftentimes prevented the band from working together like they had done on previous albums.

    While Keith Richards was using heroin daily, which prevented him from attending recording sessions, Mick Jagger and Bill Wyman oftentimes were absent as well for different reasons.

    Still, somehow the Stones pulled together a double LP many fans consider to be their best work. I like it but still prefer predecessor “Sticky Fingers”.

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    1. It was chaotic to say the least. I’ve read many books that told about that period. Keith would make everyone come to his basement lol… it was a circus…yea I prefer Sticky Fingers also.

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