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Topic: Sympathy for the Devil Lyrics Return to archive
12th April 2006 11:42 PM
straycatblues two questions for ya'll

does anyone know or have any ideas what this line in the song means... " and I laid traps for Troubadours who got killed before they reached Bombay" ?

and also, unrelated to the previous question, what is a good line from a stones song that characterizes or describes "Swinging London"?

I ask because im doing a presentation for a school project on Western Europe in the 1960's. I plan on having a poster board applying to each aspect of life, with stones and beatles lyrics corresponding to each section. ie for Heroin... "ill be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon". or for protests "street fighting man". etc etc

any help would be appreciated
12th April 2006 11:48 PM
stonedinaustralia
quote:
straycatblues wrote:
, what is a good line from a stones song that characterizes or describes "Swinging London"?



YCAGWYW is good for that

the lines about the "demonstration" or the "Chelsea drug store" have '60s London all over them
12th April 2006 11:58 PM
Riffhard For Swinging London circa early sixties another couple of good choices would be Play With Fire,and 19th Nervous Breakdown. There are some references to the scene in both those two.

Remember that SFM while certainly is a protest song of sorts,the singer's roll in this revolution/protest is ambivalent at best. I mean afterall the chorus includes the line,"but what can a poor boy do 'cept to sing in a rock and roll band."

Funny that you do a paper with this song as part of it. I did a paper on the same exact thing many moons ago. I got an A!


Good luck.


Riffy
13th April 2006 12:21 AM
straycatblues ambivalent yes... but i was going to make the argument that he was somewhat prophetic with the line, that the sixties were a unique time, and that the "street fighting man" only truly existed in the 1960's, and although he had short-term success, was ultimately a failure because of the 70's and especially 80's conservatism and other complications.

or i might just take it out of context lol
13th April 2006 12:35 AM
Riffhard
quote:
straycatblues wrote:
ambivalent yes... but i was going to make the argument that he was somewhat prophetic with the line, that the sixties were a unique time, and that the "street fighting man" only truly existed in the 1960's, and although he had short-term success, was ultimately a failure because of the 70's and especially 80's conservatism and other complications.

or i might just take it out of context lol




LOL! I think maybe I should just leave that one alone! Good luck on your paper man. Let us know how you do.


Riffy
13th April 2006 12:39 AM
Bruno Doesn´t Get Off Of My Cloud has some line(s) that can be related to Swinging London?
13th April 2006 01:23 AM
pdog Stones lyrics shouldn't be taken to seriously, Jagger has moments and Keith can get to the "heart" of matters. They're just rock and roll songs sung by a bunch of cool dudes who like to get high and have sex with beautiful women.
They have their moments...
13th April 2006 01:25 AM
straycatblues LOL!! that kind of assessment pretty much fucks my whole paper over
13th April 2006 01:27 AM
pdog
quote:
straycatblues wrote:
LOL!! that kind of assessment pretty much fucks my whole paper over



That should be your paper... After you write it, use the paper to roll a few joints!
13th April 2006 07:25 AM
SweetVirginia
quote:
straycatblues wrote:

does anyone know or have any ideas what this line in the song means... " and I laid traps for Troubadours who got killed before they reached Bombay" ?




I've read two different theories on that. One is that the
troubadours are the Beatles on their sojourns to India
looking for truth (and LSD). They began to unravel as a cohesive band shortly after that.

I've also read that it's a reference to the Troubadours of
Islam, the story-tellers who kept the history of Islam and
the Prophet alive whem many people were not literate. They
lived like travelling entertainers.

Hopefully Gazza will chime in with some definitive
information for you.

Good luck on you paper!

SV

13th April 2006 08:13 AM
Gazza
quote:
SweetVirginia wrote:
Hopefully Gazza will chime in with some definitive
information for you.



LOL..oh thats right, pass the buck! I'm an expert on Islamic history now? (mock outrage..)

I dont think theres a 'definitive' answer as I cant recall Mick ever having specifically explained it. I have read 'explanation' similar to the two alternatives youve mentioned, though. I would imagine the second one is more plausible, although the first one sounds more intriguing
[Edited by Gazza]
13th April 2006 08:49 AM
SweetVirginia There's a travelling religious sect
in India called the Bauls who are
also often called troubadours.

Mick is so well-travelled and also
so intellectually and culturally curious
that it could be any of the above.

And if Professor Gazza can't give us the
singular truth on this, it just does not exist!

SV

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