Rolling Stones – I’m Free

This song has been underappreciated throughout the band’s history. It’s a good song that sometimes comes off better live than the studio version they recorded. The song sounds like an anthem, and it deserves to be heard. The song was played a lot in 2008 because it was released on the DVD Shine A Light. Shine a Light was a 2008 concert film directed by Martin Scorsese documenting The Rolling Stones’ 2006 Beacon Theatre performances during their A Bigger Bang Tour. 

I saw them on the Bigger Bang Tour at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. Although Churchill Downs is well known for its horse racing it was not built for concerts. Alice Cooper opened and he sounded great but they never could get the Stones sound right. On top of it all…it rained all through their performance. The next day I went home and actually downloaded a bootleg of the show so I have it for always which is cool. My dream tour of the Stones would be them just playing the Brian Jones era. They are the Stones…they could get by with it. 

The song was released on their Out Of Our Heads album in the UK and later on December’s Children (And Everybody’s) album in America in 1965. They seemed to be listening to their competition because the line Hold me, love me, hold me, love me was in the Beatles Eight Days A Week. It’s a great B side to Get Off Of My Cloud.  Rolling Stone Magazine rated it 78th best Rolling Stone song. The magazine had this to say about it:  “A tambourine-spangled folk rocker with chime-y, Byrds-like guitar, this offhandedly libertarian tune wasn’t a big hit, but it’s one of the Sixties’ most pliant anthems.”

I think the song stands up with their hit songs at the time. They must think the same because it ended up on a lot of live albums. I’ve always liked B sides because sometimes you hit gold. Give me a choice between Get Off Of My Cloud and I’m Free…I’ll take I’m Free. The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. You could see the growth in their songwriting after Lennon and McCartney gave them I Wanna Be Your Man. 

John Lennon: We were taken down to meet them at the club where they were playing in Richmond by Brian Epstein and some other guy. They wanted a song and we went to see what kind of stuff they did. Mick and Keith heard we had an unfinished song – Paul just had this bit and we needed another verse or something. We sort of played it roughly to them and they said, “Yeah, OK, that’s our style.” But it was only really a lick, so Paul and I went off in the corner of the room and finished the song off while they were all still sitting there talking. We came back, and that’s how Mick and Keith got inspired to write … because, “Jesus, look at that. They just went in the corner and wrote it and came back!” You know, right in front of their eyes we did it. So we gave it to them.

I’m Free

I’m free to do what I want any old time
I’m free to do what I want any old time
So love me, hold me, love me, hold me
Cause I’m free any old time to get what I want

I’m free to sing my song though it gets out of time
I’m free to sing my song though it gets out of time
So love me, hold me, love me, hold me
Cause I’m free any old time to get what I want

Yeah

Love me, hold me, love me, hold me
Cause I’m free any old time to get what I want

I’m free to choose whom I please any old time
I’m free to please whom I choose any old time
So hold me, love me, love me, hold me
Cause I’m free any old time to get what I want, yes I am

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.

16 thoughts on “Rolling Stones – I’m Free”

    1. Oh I think they never sounded better live than the Mick Taylor period but man…those songs have been so worn out.
      What I like about Brian’s era is the variety….the colors he used

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    1. Yea but playing them live they wouldn’t have to right? If they released a live album then yes…. When I saw them they did around 5 of that period.

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      2. That is cool that you knew it. They have included it on live albums but you still don’t hear much of it. I was behind the times growing up. I was a teen in the 80s but liked 60s and 70s music at the time…well still do obviously.

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  5. I remember the Soup Dragons song but had no idea it was a Stones cover. I think I like the original better . That’s quite cool you got a recording of the concert you saw – even if it wasn’t great. The only time that’s happened with me is I was at a foo Fighters concert they recorded for a DVD in toronto… I had that at one time (if I remember correctly they mixed footage from two different shows but I joked it you look carefully you could see the back of my head in a few videos)

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    1. It was cool having that. I had a great time so I guess that is what matters.
      Now a DVD of the show would have been really cool! It probably was you lol.

      A lot of Brian era Stones songs get looked over with the exception of Satisfaction, Paint It Black, Jumping Jack Flash, and a few others.

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    1. You know it was the first time I heard it! It is a good version of it. I heard the Stones live version first before I heard the studio cut.

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