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| Highwire Rob |
I chose the username cause I can't get enough of this song from the Flashpoint album. The album is live except for "Highwire" and "Sex Drive" which are clearly two studio tracks to end it.
I'm calling upon the experts to tell me more about this "Highwire" song--one of Micks more politically satirical greats combined of course with Keith's grinding riffage. Oh, and Charlie gets to exert a blast of an opening.
Is the track an outtake from another album? Has anyone ever heard this performed in concert? I should think there'd be no better time than this tour to unleash it again, what with all the terrorism, hypocrisy, and current political sabre-rattling. And it goes (with the help of Keno.org):
Highwire (Jagger/Richards)
We sell 'em missiles, We sell 'em tanks
We give 'em credit, You can call the bank
It's just a business, You can pay us in
crude
You love these toys, just go play out your
feuds
Got no pride, don't know whose boots to lick
We act so greedy, makes me sick sick sick
So get up, stand up, out of my way
I want to talk to the boss right away
Get up, stand up, whose gonna pay
I want to talk to the man right away
We walk the highwire
Sending the men up to the front line
Hoping they don't catch the hell fire
With hot guns and cold, cold nights
We walk the highwire
Sending the men up to the front line
And tell 'em to hotbed the sunshine
With hot guns and cold, cold nights
Our lives are threatened, our jobs at risk
Sometimes dictators need a slap on the wrist
Another Munich we just can't afford
We're gonna send in the eighty-second airborne
Get up, stand up, who's gonna pay
I wanna talk to the boss right away
Get up, stand up, outta my way
I wanna talk to the man right away
We walk the highwire
Putting the world out on a deadline
And hoping they don't catch the shellfire
With hot guns and cold, cold nights
We walk the highwire
Putting the world out on a deadline
Catching the bite on primetime
With hot guns and cold, cold nights
Get up! Stand up!
Dealer! Stealer!
Hey!
We walk the highwire
We send all our men into the front lines
We're hoping that we backed the right side
With hot guns and cold, cold nights
We walk the highwire
We send all the men up to the front lines
And hoping they don't catch the hellfire
With hot guns and cold cold, cold, cold,
cold nights
We walk the highwire
We walk the highwire
With hot guns and cold, cold, cold nights
With hot guns and cold, cold nights |
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| tumblingdice |
To my knowledge it has never been performed live. Not an outtake, it was written recorded to put on the album and the lyrics itself is dictated by what was going on then in the world with the Gulf War heating up. |
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| stonesmik |
"Highwire" was recorded in London, between 7 and 26 January 1991. A videoclip for it was filmed on 1 March 1991. When the single was released on 4 March 1991 in the USA, the 2nd Gulf War (17 January - 28 February 1991) had already ended. |
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| lucasd4 |
This song is all Jagger....even the riff....he wrote it and he plays the main riff on the recording
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| stonedinaustralia |
are they cold cold nights or cold cold knives?
the last would seem to fit better (imo) |
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| stonesmik |
I think Mick is referring to the cold nights in the desert (they are horribly cold, like LA nights can be), maybe also to the cold night when lying in a tent together with some comrades but no woman.
If anybody has improvements to Mick's lyrics, just write to: Mick Jagger c/o Virgin Records. I'm sure he will consider your suggestions. |
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| Nasty Habits |
I had always thought it was "knives", too, and was visibly crushed when I found out it was "nights". But I fuckin' ALWAYS improve on Jagger's lyrics when I can't understand him, so maybe I ought to apply for a job like Stonesmik suggestions.
Top 5 all time Nasty Habits Mick Jagger lyrical improvements due to Nasty Habits' ignorance and poor Jagbonics skills:
1. Let It Loose:
Actual lyric: "In the bar you're getting drunk".
Nasty lyric: "I ate up all your pretty drugs."
2. Love Is Strong:
Actual lyric: "I need some time."
Nasty lyric: "My lips are tied."
3. Crazy Mama
Actual lyric: "Don't think I ain't thought about it surely makes my shackles rise."
Nasty lyric: "Don't think I ain't gone down it/show me how the sack'll rise."
4. Factory Girl
Actual lyric: "Waiting for a girl who wears scarves instead of hats."
Nasty lyric: "Waiting for a girl who hides scars inside her hat."
5. Prodigal Son
Actual lyric: "Well poor boy spent all he had, famine come in the land."
Nasty lyric: "Well the poor boy spilled all he had, spilled it all in the land."
(this last being some sort of Biblical code for chronic masturbation, I used to assume, meaning the "poor boy" was a total narcissist)
I consider this fair play considering how many times Mick misinterprets the original lyrics to songs like "Down Home Girl" and "Route 66" because he couldn't figure out what those crazy guys were singing about.
Actual lyrics at Keno's and open to debate.
Nasty lyrics actual unmanufactured delusions.
Highwire is a fucking great song and considering recent events they should be blasting it at every single concert as a public service.
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| gotdablouse |
I agree it's a great song and probably their best produced song of the 90s...The 3 new Mick songs from 40 Licks are actually pretty closely related to Highwire production wise.
I've always wondered who played the solos on there, doesn't sound much like Keith or Ronnie, maybe Mick...
I think this song is also the first time you can hear Mick do his "uhchuh" sound that was reprised for "Already Over Me" and "Keys to Your Love", anyone noticed that?
Actually the riff is Mick's and it is a left over from previous sessions, probably Steel Wheels. Jagger said so much in a brief interview he gave to Rolling Stone when it came out in the Spring of 1991. If someone's interested I can dig out the exat quote.
Over the years both Mick and Keith have said that Mick could easily write "Keith Riffs", after all he wrote the "Brown Sugar" riff and that's one of the essential "Keith Riffs"...check out "Put Me In The Trash" from WS too and "Honest Man".
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| stonedinaustralia |
quote:
stonesmilk wrote:
If anybody has improvements to Mick's lyrics, just write to: Mick Jagger c/o Virgin Records. I'm sure he will consider your suggestions.
can't help yourself can you???
what i said wasn't put forward as an improvement - i merely suggested that it might be that - jagger's enunciation often being hard to decipher -
like many of your posts
i told you, boy, - nobody likes a smart arse - but you just don't seem to get it, do you?
[Edited by stonedinaustralia] |
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| stonesmik |
I'll probably get it when you stop picking your asshole while talking to me. |
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| stonedinaustralia |
quote:
stonesmilk wrote:
I'll probably get it when you stop picking your asshole while talking to me.
touche!! - i wither before your rapier wit!!
what is your problem, pal? - is it just me you 've taken a dislike to or are you simply hell bent on alientaing as many people here as possible as quickly as possible? -
i notice you've now added SS to the list of people you 've managed to piss off - keep up the good work |
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| Nasty Habits |
Hey SIA - Is SS Sir Stones or is he Soul Survivor? I guess maybe Sir Stones is SSAL. I seem to remember a thread here one time about accepted abbreviations for Rolling Stones albums, maybe we should come up w/a key for proper shortnins for the regulars here.
By the way, I thought your post about U2 was reasonable, rational, and in no way shape or form endorsed the unfortunate sounds those individuals choose to create.
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| stonedinaustralia |
hey nasty - i was just about to start composing an e-mail to you in reposnse to your last - sorry i've taken so long
i was referring to SSAL (good suggestion - that should avoid any confusion in the future)
and i had no doubt you would understand what i was on about re that u2 stuff - in fact - i expect most here did - some,however, do seem to have a problem with the rational approach
cheers man
[Edited by stonedinaustralia] |
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| stonesmik |
You're just asking for it. But now stop stalking me with your never ending whining epistles. Go join that Bono dick whose band you've suggested to become the successor of the almighty Rolling Stones that are still alive and kicking. You're an unsensible sinner. You deserve no mercy. |
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| TheSavageYoungXyzzy |
Blah blah blah blah blah.
"I hate you!"
*whack*
And that's the story so far...
Sir Stonesalot has always been SS, Soul Survivor is known 'round heah as Soulie.
-tSYX --- We walk the Highwire... |
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| stonedinaustralia |
quote:
stonesmilk wrote:
You're just asking for it. But now stop stalking me with your never ending whining epistles. Go join that Bono dick whose band you've suggested to become the successor of the almighty Rolling Stones that are still alive and kicking. You're an unsensible sinner. You deserve no mercy.
asking for what? come on milkboy, do your worst
as for stalking you, that's rich... you're the one whose been getting on my case - as most would know this kind of thing isn't really my style - mostly because it's absolutely pointless...i'd prefer to think that you didn't exist, which is the attitude I may well take from now on
and you're still banging on that u2 drum - to paraphrase the bard "Me thinks you do protest too much"
i may deserve no mercy but you will surely get none
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| swapwoodfortaylor |
Well, Highwire is certainly one of my 'modern' favourite's. It was pumped out as a single and then bunged on the back of Flashpoint. Would love to hear it live...but if I could only have 1 choice then it would be 'Poison Ivy' at Atlanta! (Dream On!) |
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