You have it backwards. People have blamed the Devil for their own evils for centuries. In this song, the devil is calling us out.

Whoever made the video with the lyrics deserves a pat on the back. So well done.

'Sympathy for the Devil' was released in December of 1968 - only a few months after the assassination of Robert Kennedy in June of that year (also the year Martin Luther King was assassinated). Imagine when this came out and people hearing that line "I shouted out who killed the Kennedys when after all it was you and me." Another great Rolling Stones song that was very much about the times they were living in is "Gimme Shelter".

Mick Jagger and guitarist keith richards wrote the song. This song, to me, shows that bad people don't necessarily see themselves as bad - just as we may not see ourselves as bad because of our perspectives when we do wrong. We can always fool ourselves with proper motivation

He’s speaking of free will with the line “you’re to blame”. WE cause the evil on the earth with our god given free will, yet blame the devil for it all. WE don’t accept responsibility.

Absolutely timeless masterpiece, probably one of the greatest songs ever written, sexy, dark and very scary indeed 😱

It’s awesome seeing them in concert and the whole stadium of people singing the “woo woo” part

I love how the song is so historically accurate. From Jesus Christ to the czars in Russia and Anastasia screaming in pain, to the nazis to Kennedy. It’s beautifully put together.

From the driving beat, the killer guitar solo and those lyrics, this song is pure fire.

I think it's dope how the devil starts out all calm going through what he was involved in throughout history and as the song goes on he keeps getting more and more manic like he just couldn't contain himself any more. Genius.

Not only did guitarist Keith Richards play that blistering guitar solo, but he also played the amazing bass line in this song as well. Incredible!

In the music world, there have been legends, there have been icons… And there are THE STONES ☝️🤩👍. They are LIGHT YEARS ahead of “iconic & legendary” status 🤘😝🤘

People blame all their sins on the 'Devil' when they have no one to blame but themselves. THEY made the choice of what they were going to do, and use the devil as a scapegoat. What a cop out.

It's a timeline story, guys....the Crucifixion, the Russian Revolution, World War Two, the Kennedy assassinations, civil unrest .... how the devil was behind so many of history's dark chapters. Try reading the lyrics isolated from the music, this song is extremely literate and expertly written. ☮️

I think he's correct that we're to blame for evil in this world. He just suggests it but we accept that and actually do it. I get it. He's absolutely evil but we embrace it. I'll give him that. The Stones got that right.

Such a great song, I absolutely love all the historical references "Killed the czar and his ministers, Anastasia screamed in vain" and the way he points out that he, Lucifer, had help in all these acts of evil being committed.

Masterpiece! The irony and truth of the lyrics, the rhythm and the overall ambiance of the song... it truly is a great work of Art!

One of the GREATEST ,iconic songs of all time! Nicky Hopkins killing it on piano! Woo woo!🤣

i can't think of too many rock songs driven by the piano. just another reason this is so unique and timeless. there's a video of them creating this song over the course of a couple of days. these guys were artists and craftmen, going through many versions, chasing that vision. keep on rockin

R.I.P. Charlie..Thanks For All You Gave Us..You Will Always Be Missed & Remembered 🙏 ❤

"Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable."

"so if you meet me, have some courtesy, have some sympathy and some taste" In other words, Lucifer is reminding you that it is YOU (humanity) that did all those historical tragedies in the name of your gods and people in power. Don't blame the devil for your dirty deeds. This is one of the stones semi-early hits from the album Beggers Banquet (1968) Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote it.

This song is muscially and technically complex yet simple. Genius.

"Gimme Shelter" is another masterpiece.

I never liked the Stones until later in life when I could appreciate their songs and music. They are iconic.

I love the interwoven history. I.e. 'made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands and sealed his fate' is such a classic line.

One of my favorite songs ever, that huge choral backup towards the end is so great

This is one of the first songs that i heard from the rolling stones. The other one is paint it black check it out it's a dope song like this one. Great reaction

Sometimes a piece of poetry can transcend all time. This could have been a brand-new release, and would be hailed as incredibly relevant.

There was actually a 1968 French film (but filmed in London and in English) called “Sympathy For the Devil” (or “One Plus One”), directed by Jean-Luc Godard, made showing the development of the song in the studio, so you can see it. Much of the movie is avant-garde 1960s political B.S., but there are long scenes of the Stones developing the song in the studio, and it’s pretty amazing how it changes from beginning to end. This song is unique. Unusually, it’s piano, percussion, and bass guitar-based, and the guitar is used for lead and support, not rhythm. This album, ‘Beggars Banquet’, seemed to come from nowhere. They’d started as a blues band, by this time had become a pop band, but were harassed constantly by the authorities, had spent time in jail, and came out a rocking blues band, amazingly changed, and this is the beginning of one of the most creative periods any band has ever had. This album and the next three, ‘Let It Bleed’, ‘Sticky Fingers’, and ‘Exile on Main St.’, were absolute classics and made the band a legend.

No one to blame for the evils in this world but our own selves. I'm not a religious person but I absolutely love this song!

This is a perfect Rolling Stones song! Mick just nails the lyrics, and Keith's guitar is menacing and scary. Needless to say the storytelling is epic! I've always thought that this is the best of The Stones early period, and the album, Beggar's Banquet. Is their best.

...And the Devil whispered in my ear "you're not strong enough to weather the storm" so I said back to him... "At least I didn't lose my golden fiddle to some hillbilly in Georgia"

At the start of the video the 'Thanks Nicky' graffiti is for Nicky Hopkins who played piano on this track. He played piano and keyboards on a lot of other 'Stones (and 'Who) songs.

In the film "Sympathy for the Devil" (1968, Jean-Luc Godard), are scenes from the studio when the Stones were in the process of creating this song. Early versions sounded nothing like the final product. (Apple TV and Amazon) (Including scenes of everyone standing around a single mic singing the woo-woos.)

Great lyrics, great band !!!!!

hahahah Asia knows the important rock rule - never pause a guitar solo!!! I was smiling so hard hahahahah:D

Sympathy for the Devil was written in 1968. There's a DVD by the same title that shows The Rolling Stones in the studio working on the song. Jagger read "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakoff. This gave him the idea for the song.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richard's wrote the song....as they did most of their music. Good reaction....first performed in 1968....

Jagger’s saying WE’RE responsible for the evil in the world. But we need to blame someone else, so we made up the devil. This is the devil’s response to all that. He’s saying he was there, all along. But again, it’s man doing the deed, not him. There’s a book, “The Master and Margarita”, by Bulgakov, that Jagger was reading at the time, that has some of these same ideas. If you want to explore all that a little more. But it’s a great song, and it’s cool to see you both dig on it.

This is one of my favorite Stones' songs. I always think of the movie "Fallen" when I hear it now, cuz it plays at the end.

What the song is basically saying is the he exists within all of us. It's a real masterpiece and an iconic soundtrack to all our lives, even though it was released at the time of Vietnam in the late '60's but it's still highly relevant, even today. Most of us can control his instincts and keep them hidden, but sadly, some just can't.

Sympathy For The Devil was the 1st track on 1968's Beggars Banquet. The whole album is great.

Mick Jagger wrote the lyrics, a brilliant look at history and how man was responsable for it, Keith Richards wrote the music, the 2 of them are the heart of the Rolling stones, but the other members were the back bone

And as far as I know, Bulgakov's book(The Master and Margarita) was not even published in the Soviet Union at the time(it was blacklisted), so Marianne Faithfull smuggled the manuscript out of the country! Read the novel, it is one of the best, and most interesting book ever written!

Mick was inspired by Mikhail Bulgakov's novel 'The Master And The Margarita', as well as The French poet Charles Baudelaire... Les Fleurs du mal (1857; The Flowers of Evil)

The fabulous piano work in the this song was done by the greatest rock star you never heard of - Nicky Hopkins

Hands down better than anything Lennon and McCartney wrote ...and before everyone jumps on me I am a Beatles fan ...but lyrically this is just way ahead of anything else ... that beat on the congas..the guitar solo and the woo woo's are perfection !:)

My favorite line from this song: "Just as every cop is a criminal, And all the sinners saints"! The battle of right and wrong is a daily endeavor, and at any moment, if your not doing right, your more than likely doing wrong, the choice is yours!!!

One of my fave songs from back in the day. 😎

Classic! Mick Jagger wrote the lyrics. He was pushing back against those who called him the devil back when. Keith Richards worked out the music more or less. The 1968 documentary film "Sympathy for the Devil" directed by Jean-Luc Godard shows The Rolling Stones working out the song in the recording studio, right down to the "Woo hoos" and that killer guitar solo. The film switches back and forth between the Stones in the studio and several Black Panthers spouting revolutionary rhetoric in a junk yard in the UK. It's quite a hoot. Check that film out if you want to be the fly on the wall when they wrote this song. And when you're ready for more classics from the Stones, check out "Gimme Shelter", "Brown Sugar", "Angie", "Can't You Hear Me Knocking", "Beast of Burden", and "Miss You" along with many many others. For a few less famous bangers, check out "Let it Bleed", "Dance Little Sister", "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" and "Monkey Man" for an underrated masterpiece.

There may or may not be a devil, but there are certainly evil people. Rather than "the Devil" making us do things, we need to stand in our shoes and take the responsibility for all our actions, even those done under the influence...of booze, or bamboozlers. I never ever knew what the lyrics were saying, and only just now, because of you, I finally do. Eternally grateful. This is one badass song, through and through. The video, the graffiti lyrics...brilliant. I will hear it more fully from now on. Peace y'all.

If you both loved this, you both will love Paint It Black by them too.

One of the greatest songs of all time by one of the greatest bands of all time

2 Must Hear Classic Hits From Opposite Ends Of Their Career,, The Rolling Stones "Get Off My Cloud" (Official Lyric Video) & "Fool To Cry" (Official Promo Video A Must)..Such A Beautiful Song..Truth!!..R.I.P. Charlie 🙏 ❤

Naw man this is an older song of theirs, 60's I believe. And their saying that the devil whispers in our ears and helps along our evil ways but all in all we are the ones who commit the evils of the world and without us and our actions the devil has no power. He works through us and if we refuse to be evil and do wrong then he doesn't exist.

One of the most insidious ''tricks'', as you phrased it, is convincing those who do evil or find themselves in unfortunate situations, that they are victims, which inevitably leads them to believe whatever they do is not their fault and therefore allows them to act without consideration of others or remorse.

This is one of the Greatest songs ever Made.....

Guys you still have a great opportunity to go see the Stones live in concert, you live in US so don't miss out on it. It will change your life for real! 🤗 Don't wait on it unfortunately time is aginst them already Charlie Whats died so incredibly they are stil rocking out at 80 years old.

In the song it´s all about "free will"..= that´s why at the end of the song - as final conclusion - there is the line where the devil says "you´re to blame" Here in the song the devil is introducing himself as "man with wealth and taste" as allegory for all the goals people like to achieve... because people for the most part do such nasty and often horrible stuff either in order to reach the status of "wealth and taste"/ "in order to achieve their goals" or to obtain their already reached status of "wealth and taste"/"to obtain their achieved goals"...in other words = they want to be "him = the man with wealth and taste"/ they chose to be like "him"/ they chose "his pathway to become like him"....The devil said in the song explicit "he was around" basically "he was a witness" and he didn´t say "he did" all those bad things in history which are mentioned in the song. ...and therefore at one point in the song he is calling for "having some courtesy and some symphaty for him" instead of blaming him, because you chose him as "role-model" and by doing so then that "blame the devil -act" is just pure hypocrisy when then people tend to blame the devil for all the bad stuff they have done as if they couldn´t help themselves and as if they had no choice. I hate when people say things like "The devil made me/him/her do it"...No he didn´t, it was always solely your/his/her choice to chose the "devil´s pathway"...and´that´s what the song is about. I love the allegory of "the devil is offering a contract in order to get the soul as payment for a certain goal people want to achieve in return" because here it is clearly shown "going the devil´s pathway" is always a choice

The Devil is not evil. He just shows you the available options. We make the ultimate choice. Great reaction.

The key line to explain the song is at the end when he says I will tell you one time your to blame

Don't forget the piano player, the great Nicky Hopkins!!

The Rolling Stones have always felt to me like the working man's version of the Beatles. It's not high art and you know exactly what they're trying to say.

When my baby girl was like 10. She's in college now. This song came on in the car. We did all the back ground (who, who's) through the entire song. It was so fun.

A local cinema plays footage of the Stones recording this before the movie. It used to be the recording studio where it was made, Olympic in Barnes.

"God forgives, I don't". That's a lyric from the great song by Sister Din, "Fight Song".

Perfect, perfect analysis. The lyrics are inspired and the guitar solo from the bowels of hell. The devil saying, "Hey, this is on you, I'm just along for the ride. Give me a break!" He has no power but what we give him. He can't make us do anything, but he's right there to whisper in our ear when our faith is wavering.

This was written and released in 1969. Off the album Beggars Banquet

Keith Richards plays lead guitar and bass on this one 🖤

Love you guys checking out these classic rock songs and appreciating with an open mind. Just as me as a white dude has always loved soul, R&,B Motown, etc.snd was raised ion it. But, totally appreciate all genres for sure.

Greatest Stones song by far..matches anything my fav Beatles ever did.

A Must Hear Classic,, The Rolling Stones "She's A Rainbow" (Official Lyric Video)..Great Song & The Video Is Perfect For The Time Period (The Psychedelic Era)

Just woke up,had my coffee and toast and this is my first song of the day. Can't get better than that.

This was written in the 60s and band from the radio at the time👍👍🤟

An all time classic and, for me, the Stones best song.

Naww man memories this song is wicked LIVE in concert , thanks guys for the great reaction….

This was also the theme song for movie "Interview with a Vampire, with Tom Cruise.

sucha great song😩😩😩 enjoy watching yu guys !

Nicky was brilliant on the Piano

I remember playing cod black ops on ps3 and this song came on during the down river scene in nam. One of the most iconic gaming moments for me.

Can you hear me knocking .. listen to that .. great song

What I love about your show ,its like rediscovering these tracks again. Love it !!!

It's credited to MIck Jagger and Keith Richards, but my understanding is that it was mostly Jagger, who wrote this, This song was on the album "Beggars Banquet" released in 1968,

Nobody has laid down more filthy, funky grooves than the Rolling Stones have. Nobody.

The rhythm section makes me love this song…that & the movie “Fallen”

Another great song by the Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter" .

My favorite Stones song. I love the historical aspects dispersed thru out the song.

Written after Jagger read, “The Master and the Margarita.” Great history lesson, and a lesson on the essence of the human nature. Christ calls us to lift ourselves above that base level. From Austin, Tejas, Love y’all, Asia and BJ! Love Asia’s singing!

From the album Beggars Banquet, 1969 maybe. This is the first track and unlike all the rest of the tunes on the record. The lyrics are built around a samba beat. Very literate piece. The stones were on another level lyrically.

One of my absolute favorite RS songs...

A well written song with exceptional arrangement and instrumentation...a funky rockin roll song sprung somewhere from deep inside a volcano.

I had suggested this song when I first found you guys. Great song thanks for your critique

This song came out in 1968, my beautiful brother & sister

Mick and Keith were born in 1943 and this was released in 1968 on Album 'Beggars Banquet'. 25 year olds at the height of their creativity (along with the next 4 albums) Not from the more recent era.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richard were the main songwriters in the Rolling Stones. Jagger mostly did lyrics and Richards came up with many of the classic riffs but I'm sure Richards added lyrics too."Sympathy for The Devil "was based on a Russian novel that was circulating in mid 1960s bohemian circles called "The Master and Margarita" by Bulgakov."The story concerns a visit by the devil to the officially atheistic Soviet Union. The Master and Margarita combines supernatural elements with satirical dark comedy and Christian philosophy, defying categorisation within a single genre. Many critics consider it to be one of the best novels of the 20th century, as well as the foremost of Soviet satires." The story goes that Jagger got it from his girlfriend Marianne Faithfull and this inspired the theme of the song ......

Subscribed. Y'all are special in a way we all need. How you have made a channel in finding the beauty in things outside of our culture's normal trajectory in life, embracing it, and sharing the love with them. This is repairing that broken connection all sides are suffering from in the most beautiful gift from God. Music! Much love from South Florida! Look forward to many more.

Long black veil from mick jagger and the chieftains. Great song to check out. A very haunting song..

The Rolling Stones are just pure blues and i love it

Sympathy For The Devil is a political song ( all the events mentioned deaths of Jesus, czar, Kennedys). The song is from their most political album Begger's Banquet from 1968 ( Street Fighting Man, Salt Of The Earth).