Street Fighting Man
Street Fighting Man was released at a time when Rock 'n Roll bands like the Rolling Stones idealistically thought that music could change the world...and maybe it did. There was a cultural and political revolution taking place in the sixties that was largely fueled in the States by the controversial war in Vietnam. Youth began to question the authority of those who could risk their lives over the political causes of the government. There were also issues surrounding the expression and demonstration of beliefs, and even the basic questioning of ones appearance or cloths with respect to "the establishment". The song, which deals with revolution of a British variety was perfectly in tune with the geopolitical sentiments of young people at the time. There was concern that the words, and even the banned ultra-rare single cover, which is a shot of police and a riot scene, could incite the "wrong" kind of feelings. Live versions of the song capture an even greater sense of frenzy and abandon than the riveting studio version.
A. Structure:
Verse #1:
Line 1: Every-where I hear, the sound of, marching-charging feet boy
Line 2: 'Cause summer's here and the time is right for figh-ting in the street boy
Chorus #1
Line 3: Well what can a poor boy do 'cept to sing for a rock-roll band
Line 4: 'Cause a sleepy London town is, just no place for, Street Fighting Maaaan..."No"(Marker #1)
Verse #2:
Line 5: Hey...say the time is right for violence-revolution
(I don't hear "palace" in this line. Goes for the studio version too.)
Line 6: 'Cause where I live, the game to play is, compromise-solution
Chorus #2:
Line 7: Well what can a poor do 'cept to sing for a rock-roll band
Line 8: 'Cause a sleepy London town, there's, just no place for, Street Fighting Maaaan..."No"
Instrumental Break #1: Taylor scales it up in the left channel. He plays it very fast at the end. No "tapping" or "flutter" picking like we hear from the current crop of guitar players, just consistent, incredible skill.
Jagger: "Aw yeah"(Marker #2)
Verse #3:
Line 9: Hey, say my name is called dis-tur-bance
Line 10: I shout and scream, I...kill the king, I...rail at all his, ser-vants
Chorus #3:
Line 11: Well what can a poor boy do 'cept to sing for a rock-roll band
Line 12: 'Cause a sleepy London town there's, just no place for, Street Fighting Maaaan..."Nooo", "No", "Get down boy"(Marker #3)
Instrumental Break #2: Taylor's patented vibrato in the left channel. Emotion and technique all in one. A rare balance.
Outro: Three rings of feedback in the left channel, and then three more rings in the right. Followed by drum rolls and a guitar strum with a volume fade out.(Marker #4)
B. Reference Recordings, Markers and Conclusions:
1. Compared to MSG November 27, 1969 audience source
Line 2: Is: "'Cause where I live and the time is right for fighting in the street boy".
Line 4: No Marker #1. Ends with "Yeah..get down with it" instead of "No", and there is feedback.
Line 7: There is feedback in the middle section of this line
Line 8: Ends with "Yeah...yeah" instead of "No"
Instrumental Break #1: "Yeah...something unintelligible" during the instrumental. Does not end with Marker #2.
Line 11: Begins with "And" instead of "What"
Line 12: Does not match Marker #3. Ends with "No"... "My my..don't it"
Outro: No Marker #4
2. Compared to MSG November 28, 1969 2nd audience source
Line 4: No Marker #1. Is "Ahhh..oh no"
Line 8: Is: "...is just no place for" instead of "...there's just no place for"
Instrumental Break #1: Does not end with Marker #2.
Line 12: Ending ad lib not match Marker #3
Instrumental Break #2: Words spoken during the instrumental:
"Well all right...we gotta go...we gotta go...we gotta go...we gotta go"
There is a great syncopated rhythm going on here. This version Rocks!
Outro: There is feedback at the end of Charlie's drum roll, but it does not match GYYYO, so no Marker #4 is present.
3. Compared to "A Shot of Salvation" on Scorpio Records:
Line 4: No Marker #1. Ends with "Yeah" instead of "No"
Line 6: Does not start with "'Cause"
Line 8: Does not end with "No"
Line 12: Missing the "there's" after "sleepy London town". No marker #3. Spoken words are "No...no".
Outro: Marker #4 is present
There is no Keith Richards backing vocal.
Conclusion:
The "A Shot of Salvation" CD contains the original take of the song, which provides the evidence that the vocal on "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!" is overdubbed. Keith's back-up vocal is added to the "Ya-Ya's" version, and it was probably decided that it was easier, or would provide more of an authentic sound if the entire vocal was redone rather than have Keith try to synchronize with Jagger's existing vocal. There isn't a problem with Jagger's original vocal on this one in my opinion. No lyrical errors and no feedback, so it seems that they have gone to some length to add a Richards back-up vocal to the song! The music wasn't taken from 11/27/69 or 11/28/69 2nd, so it is either MSG 11/28/69 1st or as a lessor possibility Baltimore 11/26/69. Baltimore is a factor in this case because the audience source does not include the song, and therefore, it can't be completely eliminated as a possibility. Boston, Palm Beach, and Altamont performances were also checked.