This song was recorded in 1966 but not released until the summer of 1967. The psychedelic sound fit in perfectly with the summer of love. The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Later on Keith named his first daughter Dandelion but she decided later to use her middle name “Angela” instead…Her mom was the late Anita Pallenberg.
The Stones had some nice psychedelic pop songs in the mid-sixties that you don’t hear as much now. Personally I wished this period would have gone on a little longer. This song made #49 in Rolling Stone magazine rating the top 100 Rolling Stones songs.
Because of their drug bust at Keith’s home Redlands the Stones were not as involved in the summer of love as other bands. The song peaked at #9 in Canada and #14 in the Billboard 100 in 1967.
Keith Richards: “We didn’t have a chance to go through too much flower power because of the bust. We’re outlaws.”
Dandelion
Prince or pauper, beggar man or thing
Play the game with ev’ry flower you bring
Dandelion don’t tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion
One o’clock, two o’clock, three o’clock, four o’clock chimes
Dandelions don’t care about the time
Dandelion don’t tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion, blow away dandelion
Tho’ you’re older now its just the same
You can play this dandelion game
When you’re finished with your childlike prayers
Well, you know you should wear it
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailors lives
Rich man, poor man, beautiful, daughters wives
Dandelion don’t tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion, blow away dandelion
Little girls, and boys come out to play
Bring your dandelions to blow away
Dandelion don’t tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion, blow away dandelion
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Nice tune and agree the Stones had some nice psychedelic songs.
Messrs. McCartney and Lennon sang backing vocals on this one, just as they did on “We Love You,” the A-side of that single.
I saw that in songfacts but they said it could never be proven BUT…they probably did since it was probably around the same time as We Love You.
Fair point!
I remember hearing this one when I was young, but then forgot about it until hearing it in recent years. I think it is one of their good songs.
I wish they would have stayed in this era a little longer. They made some great sounding pop records.
I like it. To me, it sounds too much like the psychedelic period from the Beatles, which I love…from The Beatles. I like the more muscular, R&B Stones, but that just me.
They made some great psychedelic and regular pop songs during a two year run like Ruby Tuesday and others. I do wish this era would have lasted a little longer but it was ending when The Band appeared.
I think that Flower Power was a uniquely West Coast / San Francisco thing, although it did spread to Woodstock, it never made it to England unless you consider Yellow Submarine to be Flower Power.
Sgt Pepper was adopted by flower power hippies…and All You Need Is Love…that was the biggest one of the Beatles.
I do like this song though…they had some good pop songs.
wow – a top 10 by the Rolling Stones I don’t think I’ve heard OF let alone heard before. Surprising! And a fairly good tune… like you say, they were quite OK as a psychedelic outfit.
A great song by the Rolling Stones, it just had the bad luck to appear in the original as the single B-side of the ingenious “We Love You”.
Personally I love their pop period in the mid-sixties.
When it comes to pop music, one should put aside such boring ideas like intellectual property. But at the time when the Stones stole from the Beatles, they were best.
Love the song and love love love the graphics in the video. Interesting about Angela’s first name.
Probably a lot of names like that during those years.
Never heard this tune until today Max. lol Classic Keef quote as well.
Great tune. Do t know too much early Stones so this was awesome.
Glad you liked it…they had a good pop period.
Heh. I remember this one.
It’s a good song!