The whole message here is, like, the devil saying "Nah, you can't just blame all this on me. You were here too."

The song is a history lesson on how evil shaped world events.

I think Jagger is saying to have sympathy for the devil because he gets blamed even when man is fully responsible for most of the world’s atrocities.

Beautiful reaction, beautiful insight. This song came down as Vietnam was raging, Soviet tanks were rolling into Czechoslovakia, Martin Luther King was getting gunned down and mainstream society in the US & Europe was in a panic about the threat from bands like the Rolling Stones.

I liked how right when you're asking if he's singing from the devil's perspective, the lyrics are "what's puzzling you is the nature of my game".

Have to know some world history for this song and hear the lyrics to really get the full affect.

Intelligent reaction for a young boy...proving his point, 'Whats confusing you, is the nature of my game'

A masterpiece. The Stones playing this live in concert is incredible.

There is nothing ‘surprisingly good’ about the Stones son. Their 60’s catalogue in particular is a masterpiece

The point of the song is, if you want to know where evil comes from just look in the mirror

Mick Jaggers intellect is extraordinary, all written when he was barely out of his teens

"I was expecting this to be a lot darker, and not as catchy..." Almost like the Devil would choose to seduce you with comfort and warmth, rather than scare you away with doom and gloom, no?

You discovering the golden age of the Stones. That was when Brian Jones was in the band. He played the sitar, xylophone, harpsichord and many other instruments that gave the band a flavor. Years later they were more guitar driven.

The line that sums up the song is usually missed as it's right at the end: 'I tell you one time, you're to blame'.

The Stones used actual African tribal drums for this song. It totally rocked, right? Love your videos.

Probably the best socially conscious rock song not written by Dylan-and incredibly enough one of the killer jams ever and probably a top 10 guitar solo in history. Masterpiece in nearly every aspect.

Credit to any young person willing to explore music from other generations. I’m 66, and truly enjoy watching your reactions and analysis. The stones have an incredibly diverse catalog of music to explore. To me…it seems the title fits, as Lucifer lost everything , and therefore has to be very unhappy, as everything in our world that goes wrong is blamed on him….the devil.

A bit of a history lesson in this song.

Your analysis was on point, and it's a bop too. Can't help rocking out to it. I also give you a lot of props for speaking on your faith.

My all time favourite Stones song. No matter the subject, it’s the beat, the tempo that’s killer. Bill Wyman killing it on bass.

He’s pretty much saying that stop blaming the devil for every evil deed in the world, sometimes it’s god and sometimes it’s the inherent evil of people.

Yes, this song is sung from the devil's perspective, and its main message, among many others, is that we have allowed the devil to seduce us into doing evil. It is NOT a song praising the devil. The title is ironic. I LOVE this song.

Jagger is an underappreciated lyricist, one of the best of his generation. As far as the song goes, great production, arrangement, and instrumentation. Oh, and let's not forget that bass driving the song. Classic.

Absolutely love this song. First heard it over 30 years ago watching one of the many Vietnam War movies. The point is that this song is saying Man has to take the responsibility of their actions and stop blaming the Devil for all the bad, negative shizzle going down over history and at present.

If you ever wanted to go down the rabbit hole this is definitely a band that's worth it. You may be down there for awhile.

That song, all by itself could furnish hours and hours of debate about humankind and our place, and just what we are really made of. Remember, we can rise above angels, or sink as low as satan. It was God's love and endearment to us, and his plan that made satan jealous.

Hes taking you through a historic journey of tragedy through the years, using Lucifer as the basis for the evil things that have taken place throughout this history.

The most important Rock and or Roll band ever.

The bass is so good , I've never really noticed Bills playing skill before now.

Your best reaction to date! It took Mick and the boys to bring it out... very deep song... loved your take on it

Bro, guns n roses did a sweet cover of this back in the day - was used for the "interview with a vampire" movie

back in the day, people could sing things in a parody or a metaphorical way and not get canceled... i feel we learned a LOT more from our music back then. :)

One of the greatest songs ever written and I'm not a big Stones fan. But you have to give kudos when it is deserved

This song is sung from the devil's perspective about all the evil that men have done in the history of man because more people have been killed in the name of the Lord and there ever have been and the name of Lucifer

Yep. He's singing from the devil's perspective, causing or witnessing all of these evil deeds throughout time. The murder of Czar Nicholas and his family, JFK, etc..

For years they could not play this song live after they played it at the concert the Hells Angels rioted.

I like their song Wild Horses

I know this song by heart. I memorized it to impress my dad when I was little.

Keith Richards played a mean guitar. He’s also has a fine autobiography called ”Life.” My opinion of him rose. I was already in awe that he lived this long. Lucifer was the dark that defined the light. How do we have good without something to judge it against.

Your perception on this song was a direct hit. Keep it up. Still waiting on 'run to the hills'

They played this at the infamous Altamont concert (1969) where a man in the audience was killed by the Hells Angels. They didn’t play this song for quite a while after that. They said something bad always happened when they played it. The world is not confusing.

We're not naturally bad but we're all sinners. It's all about free will!

We’re wrong by nature, but that’s why we have grace. Another song with different instruments by them is Mother’s Little Helper- about housewives taking prescription drugs to be able to get through life, but it’s a catchy tune at the same time with sitars playing.

The Stones get you every time, don't they? Never what one expects. Even as a familiar song begins, one says, "Oh yea, this one!"

You’re asking some great questions. One thing about music and art in general is that it makes us question things without necessarily giving us the answers and this song definitely does that.

A rolling stone gathers no moss. Old blues saying. The stones have heavy delta blues influence. In this song I feel he is teaching a lesson to not be too complacent because human nature can turn dark quick.

as for your metaphysical question: i believe that Eve realized that without knowledge, Adam and herself would be forever "children", unable to evolve or grow. so she ate the fruit willingly, even though Satan thought he was pulling one over on her. lol. she tricked HIM, in my opinion. of course, she then had to go convince Adam that knowledge was his only option if he did not want tot be left lonely in the garden, so he ate grudgingly. but both did it for the ability for them to have children and for their descendants to be able to improve and grow. imho, of course. ;-)

If every Rolling Stones concert was a Eucharist, Sympathy for the Devil is their Sermon

"Can you hear me Knockin" should be in the mix JoJo, No Cap😉

You're a good person, it's so refreshing to hear what you're saying on this entire topic

Mick Jagger got the idea of the song from a book his girlfriend at the time was reading, 'The Master and Margarita" by Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov. Which is about the Devil visiting Moscow. Mick took some of the ideas and ran with them. Interesting book by the way, if anyone looking for something to read during the lockdown!

I am 70+ years since my first* Day. I am so delighted that this young man has decided to listen to the "Tune" before passing judgement. It is totally Hypnotic* The Stones always did and will continue to do things...NO- other Band could come up with* The meaning behind the song to me...is a total explanation of each of us being granted "Free Will" by our Maker.....what each of us do with "Free Will" is up to us. I'm sure "We" have let Him* down many times...in History of the World. May Peace...be with each of you*

Attraction to pleasure and attachment is the cause of all pain and suffering

He wins you over a little at a time being clever and snarky, but then he brings the hammer down by pointing the accusing finger - "After all, it was YOU and ME". Evil isn't something that swoops in from outside, it lives within humankind and erupts out of us no matter how much we might want to deny it. "Every cop is a criminal and all the sinners saints". We are both good AND bad, light AND dark. This song comes out of the philosophical idea that the "devil" can be seen different ways, both as a force of evil and as the Light-Bringer (which is what the name Lucifer means) - the one who casts the light on who we really are. "Don't you dare blame me, because you are just as guilty, just as complicit in evil." Thus the warning that if you meet him, you'd better be polite, you'd better show some respect, because if you don't, he'll "lay your soul to waste" with his blast of light, illuminating the rot underneath all our pretensions of civilization. "Satan" isn't actually a name. It's a title, the Greek version of the Hebrew word _sheitan,_ which means "adversary." But not an adversary in the sense of war, rather in the sense of the other side of a debate, the person who argues the opposite side of an issue. The King James Bible (the first bible in English) said that "Satan" "tempted" Jesus, but the translation would more accurately have been "the adversary argued with Jesus", debating whether earthly or heavenly power was more important. He brought up examples and Jesus argued successfully against each of them, eventually winning the debate. Notice that that's exactly what it was - "Satan" didn't attack Jesus. There was no struggle like the one between Jacob and the angel. It was purely an argument, and once Jesus won, the _sheitan_ left him alone. That's the sense in which the "devil" in this song is presenting himself, and laying forth the issue of evil, what it is, where it comes from, and who is really the embodiment of it - _you_ and _me_ in every instance. Inner and outer, nature and circumstance, crisis and opportunity. Light and dark always in opposition, without which the universe would not be possible.

When you asked “whose perspective it was” when he said “what’s puzzling you is the nature of my game” Couldn’t have been timed better, because it’s both. “When after all, it was you and me”

8:50 I think we’re naturally everything, the point being to realize we can play any/all roles so that we can choose not to harm❤️

If you liked this song, you need to see them in concert! In my opinion, there is no better concert than seeing The Stones live.

Young man, your reflection starting around the 7minute mark is EVERYTHING. You brought in your faith, the Scriptures, philosophy, your youth and your culture to shed light on the meaning of the song. You reflected. Mr LFR Jojo I am a fan. I hope you eventually branch out and play an instrument and construct songs and raps based on your experience listening to all this diverse music. Sympathy for the Devil, talk about a song for the rappers. The reference to the troubadors is prescient.

The song is sung from the perspective of the devil, yes. My take on the lyrics is that the devil is saying I was there when all of these historical events occurred not because I wanted to be but because it was my lot to be there. The Devil represents the darker side of human nature and as such, the personification of the devil, with its myriad names, can't help but be where war, famine, and tragedy occur. He's not asking for forgiveness, but for understanding of his lot. The piano that holds the opening stanzas together is played by Rolling Stones stalwart Nicky Hopkins. He played on Stones albums from 1967 through 1981. He also played with The Kinks and The Who during his career. Also featured is Marianne Faithful on backing vocals.

I used to run marathons with this song playing in my headset. Back in the cassette days!

Fabulous reaction. Thank you, and the Stones are so versatile and you should check out more of them.

You should definitely check out run DMC with Aerosmith. Walk this way!! That was the best ever when I was in high school.

This song was a game changer in rock. The message as well as the rhythms in this song were cutting edge.. It did, and continues to make a significant impact on music, and the people who appreciate it. It is a classic.

Ha - "I don't know what to think anymore." Powerful art and music makes you think indeed

Your insight to this song was impressive. You're a very intelligent kid.

This song is a history lesson

That was some pretty good insightful commentary at the 8-minute pause. The concept of the devil's perspective was a stroke of genius here.

Heard this song many times but you gave a new light on it, appreciated.

Again. Good kid. Keep up good work kid

Another Vietnam war era anthem. Amazing how this music can unite us, everything comes around full circle. Did you know the lead singer, Mick Jagger's primary influences were black blues singers Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf? And that wailing guitar solo mid-song that seemed to surprise you could easily have been played by Jimi Hendrix (who the Stones mentioned in their lyrics). Enjoy. See this timeless music as a gift to you from my generation!

If you listen carefully to the lyrics at the end of the song, it explains the true meaning of the song. Jagger screams the line…”I’ll tell you one time, you’re to blame” Basically, Lucifer is saying, “why do I always get the blame”. Mankind is responsible for many horrors and atrocities. But chooses to blame the devil, instead of himself. The devil is merely saying…hey, don’t blame me man, have some sympathy. God gave us the gift of “free will”. Unfortunately, we have used it for evil purposes, and choose to blame the devil for all of our misgivings. We need to treat each other with love and respect.

Trust your life experiences more than what media wants you to think, you'll be fine, your smart and intuitive, I appreciate your being open minded.

Have you listened to “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones? You will love it!

Also The Beatles “Yesterday “ “ “My Life “, “Something” “Revolution “and “Let it be”

It is a complicated and simple at the same time. Thank you for sharing it!

It's sarcasm. The devil asking you to feel sorry for him. Absolutely spot on review!!

Since you liked Iron Maiden and were conflicted with this title... ...Iron Maiden - Number of The Beast 🤘

Check out "Bitch" by the Rolling Stones. It rocks, it makes u want to move & dance! & the name's intriguing!😉☮️!

You are a philosopher at heart. I really like your comments about the gist of the song. Very well done.

The song is from 1967/68. This is the song of my life. I’m 63 . Greetz from Amsterdam and thank you.

For a nice groove from The Rolling Stones- I HIGHLY suggest their song “Emotional Rescue.” Has a 🔥 BASS LINE- You seemed to like “I was made for Lovin you” by KISS- so please, again..Rolling Stones “emotional rescue.” I think you’ll like the groovy beat- for sure- challenge! 🤞🏼✌️

Of course it’s catchy, it’s THE STONES!!

The Rolling Stones are Living Legends. Yes, I've seen them live!

I think LFR Jojo has a big heart full of love. I do too and hope we all. What the world needs now, is love sweet love.

Yay finally!

I don't think that the devil in this song is like "oh was that me, I don't know? 🤷‍♂️" I think that he is clearly confessing that he did everything and that he was behind of everything , putting ideas and emotions in people at every event that is said in the lyrics but then he tells as humans that we aren't good ourselves because we agreed and participated in everything (of course not all of us) and we share the blame. He says how it's the nature of his game and how we all know it but still choose to work with him. He presents himself well and also would like us to address to him respectfully as the lyrics say when talking about all the things he has done which goes with the point of this song that is to have some sympathy for the devil since that's his job and he is being blatantly honest about it unlike us humans who aren't being honest and self aware about the contribution that we have. I am not trying to defend the devil or anything more do I support him but it's a good viewpoint and food for thought that this song gives us and there are things that we can take as humans from it such as responsibility

The genius that was Nicky Hopkins on piano absolutely makes this song. I take is as meaning the devil is a necessity in order for us to appreciate the opposite.

You NAILED this one with your insights. Great stuff.

You should listen to “Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones!

the Stones are merely re-interpreting all of their mississippi delta blues heroes - a solid lineage - and they brought it forward

That snappy little guitar break and the background "Hoo Hoo" makes the song stand out.

JoJo, you're so young, but so insightful. The fact that you used The Word as a reference point is amazing and refreshing. Love your family. Blessings to you all!!

I love young bucks like yourself checking out old music. Your reactions are great. Please give Ted Nugent a listen Stranglehold it’s a great listen with great guitar riffs

Eighth time asking LFR JoJo to react to Anastasia by Slash, Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators

.. It is from the album Beggars Banquet and another one from that is my favourite over this is STREET FIGHTING MAN and JIGSAW PUZZLE.. ...Fingerprint File song from the 70s era is an underground gem of the Rolling Stones ..

You should really dig deeper in to the Stones, they have a multitude of great songs like “Brown sugar”, “Honkey tonk women”, “Gimme shelter”, “You can’t always get what you want” and “Ruby Tuesday” just to mention a few of the best.

Please react to Metallica's "Master of Puppets". You'll thank me later!

Love the waffle analogies

Your confusion is exactly what the song is about. :)

A surprisingly good and insightful analysis. This is the music I grew up on (yeah, I’m way old), it makes me glad to see younger people rediscovering the old stuff. Thanks.