Rolling Stones – 100 Years Ago

Don’t you think it’s sometimes wise not to grow up?

100 Years Ago has a good melody and it changes it’s focus in the last three-quarters of the way through…a good song with an interesting outro. It’s an album cut and you never hear much on the radio. It’s worth a listen. If you see them in concert and want to hear this song…don’t hold your breath.

It was only played on the first two performances of European Tour of 1973, and has not been performed live since. Come on guys! Play it again…it’s not like the world can’t do without another version of Satisfaction.

I took an instant liking to this song. It starts with a little country influence and then ends with a funky free for all. I have the new version of Goats Head Soup and this one cleaned up really well.

The album peaked at #1 in the Billboard 100, The UK, and Canada in 1973.

The Stones recorded this at Kingston’s Dynamic Sound Studios in November and December, 1972.  Jagger performs lead vocals and is accompanied by Mick Taylor on backing. Taylor performs the song’s guitars while Keith Richards and Charlie Watts perform bass and drums, respectively. Nicky Hopkins provides piano while Billy Preston performs clavinet.

“100 Years Ago”

Went out walkin’ through the wood the other day
And the world was a carpet laid before me
The buds were bursting and the air smelled sweet and strange
And it seemed about a hundred years ago
Mary and I, we would sit upon a gate
Just gazin’ at some dragon in the sky
What tender days, we had no secrets hid away
Well, it seemed about a hundred years ago
Now all my friends are wearing worried smiles
Living out a dream of what they was
Don’t you think it’s sometimes wise not to grow up?
Wend out walkin’ through the wood the other day
Can’t you see the furrows in my forehead?
What tender days, we had no secrets hid away
Now it seems about a hundred years ago
Now if you see me drinkin’ bad red wine
Don’t worry ’bout this man that you love
Don’t you think it’s sometimes wise not to grow up?
You’re gonna kiss and say good-bye, yeah, I warn you
You’re gonna kiss and say good-bye, yeah, I warn you
You’re gonna kiss and say good-bye, oh Lord, I warn you
And please excuse me while I hide away
Call me lazy bones
Ain’t got no time to waste away
Lazy bones ain’t got no time to waste away
Don’t you think it’s just about time to hide away? Yeah, yeah!

…

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.

38 thoughts on “Rolling Stones – 100 Years Ago”

  1. I like the ending of it better than the beginning (am listening to it in the Reader while I type my comment in your blog, saves duplicating the tab, haha!). Can’t say I’d really been aware of it, but I don’t have Goat’s Head Soup. And as you say, it’s not like the world can’t do without another version of Satisfaction (that make me laugh!)

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    1. I would love to see a Stones – Album Cuts tour…that would be a dream. Playing those songs like “We Love You” that we haven’t heard in a long time.

      Yea I shouldn’t be so sarcastic but yea…I don’t think there would be many people sad or disappointed if they didn’t play that one.

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    1. Nicky Hopkins had his hand in a lot of the great songs back then… by the major bands. When you can say you worked with The Beatles, Stones, Who, and Kinks… you have done something pretty special.

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      4. I grew up too late. I came of age in the 80s…I sure wished that would have been the 60s or 70s…I was only 6 when this song came out

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  4. I haven’t listened to Goats Head Soup in entirety for years. I listen to Angie and Heartbreaker as singles and that’s about it from the album. I like Dancing with Mr. D, too. I enjoyed listening to this again, but mostly the last two minutes of it.

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    1. It is a great re-release. So far on these rereleases…this one and The White Album are two of my favorites. The remix didn’t mess with the songs…they complimented them.

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  7. Damn. That’s good. I’ve never heard it, before. What a fusion blend of psychedelic wah-wah 60s & some early form of disco. That’s cool.

    One thing you can say about The Stones…they are eclectic

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    1. I love the singing part…it’s a little country in there. Glad you liked it…I was wondering how the heck did this not get played?

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      2. No never released. No I don’t think it was panned. It wasn’t as good as their previous ones but it had some great songs like Angie and Doo doo doo doo Heartbreaker.

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    1. I always thought it was good but it never gets played. This shows a different side of them….you can’t hear it if radio won’t play it…unless you get the album…it is a good album cut

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  10. I don’t know when or if I’ve ever really listened to this. It’s like two songs run together. I really like it. Not sure I would have cared for it back in 1973, though. This should definitely replace Satisfaction at least once.

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    1. I agree it’s a step down and they went down another step with the next album.
      I’ve always liked this song. A little different for the Stones.

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      2. There are some good songs between Goats Head Soup and Some Girls…not great albums but good songs…like Memory Motel and It’s Only Rock and Roll.

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    1. You are so right about that. He was the best all around guitarist they ever had…no offense against Brian or Ron but Taylor gave them something that they never had again.

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      1. Think Ronnie would be the first to agree with you there Max. Mick Taylor had technique, musicality and feel in spades. Perhaps not quite the right social /performance fit but otherwise he was the complete guitarist

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      2. I love Keith…as you do but with some of those songs you know which one Taylor helped write…a little more sophisticated melodies.

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      3. I do love Keith’s playing absolutely but to be honest, he’s never been much of a lead guitarist. In his prime he could patch together some cool solos but certainly not now…but his rhythm playing is absolutely the best….(though again perhaps not so much now lol)

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      4. Yea his strength is in choppy super rhythm lead…his solos are in bursts…not a long ones. His best to me is Sympathy for the Devil…I think he did that all himself…that one was in short bursts.

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