Words of Wonder

Composers: Keith Richards, Waddy Wachtel & Steve Jordan
Recording date: March-September 1992
Recording locations: The Site, San Rafael, California; Studio 900, Master Sound Astoria,
New York Giant Recording Studios & The Hit Factory, New York City, USA
Producers: Keith Richards, Steve Jordan & Waddy Wachtel              Chief engineer: Don Smith



Line-up:

Drums: Charley Drayton
Bass: Keith Richards
Electric guitars: Keith Richards, Waddy Wachtel & Steve Jordan
Lead vocal: Keith Richards
Background vocals: Waddy Wachtel, Steve Jordan, Bernard Fowler & Babi Floyd
Piano: Ivan Neville
Organ: Ivan Neville
Clavinet: Ivan Neville
Percussion: Steve Jordan
Lip bone: Babi Floyd
 

Now listen to me, baby
Why keep it on so low?
And I whisper to you, sister
Now we're all alone

Take no notice of me, baby
Like a dream
Going to keep it quiet
So I can hear you scream

Words of wonder
They are the words I want to hear
Words, those words of wonder
They are the words I want to hear

Yes I'm sticking to you, baby
Until I arrive
Well I'm half dead
A quarter alive

A little bit is missing
Wonder where it's gone
And you pay me no attention
I babble on and on

Words, those words of wonder   (wonder)
They are the words I want to hear
Yeah those words... words of wonder   (words, those words of wonder)
They are the words I want to hear

Dripping from your lips

Yeah that's the way it goes
That's the way it comes - you know what I mean?
Now that you're talking to me, baby, now you
You say that I'm obscene

Words... wonder   (wonder)
You got the words I want to hear, oh
Those words, those words of wonder   (wonder)
They are the words I want to hear, ooh

Roll it over, baby

Now I've got to jam it up
Beg, weep and moan
Go around the back, baby
And make yourself known

Those words, these are words of wonder   (wonder)
These are the words you better learn
These are words, these words of wonder   (words, those words of wonder) (wonder)
These are words you ought to know

You been talking to me, sweetie

You know I babble on and on
Ooh I run away my tongue
Giving thanks and praises
Low friends in high places

Yeah, yeah - baby yeah
(...)  (words of wonder)

(Words of wonder)
(Words of wonder) I'm going to whisper these
(Words of wonder) Words... of wonder
(These words of wonder) Oh-oh, oh-oh   (oh oh oh)
(Words of wonder) (...)   (yeah)
(Words of wonder) Ha
(Words of wonder) Ooh...
(Words of wonder)

Struck it like mon
Right here or not
Lead on - target

(Words, those words of wonder)

 

TrackTalk

It was Waddy Wachtel that came up with the song... I just thought it was a lovely song that Waddy had written and me I've been living in Jamaica for years, I said I'll take the bass on this! (laughs) Reggae is made-for-bass music.

- Keith Richards, 2022


Jamaican horn players don't play that stuff anymore: now they play in tune. That beautiful loose African dissonance... just slightly off... is gone. Babi laid down one line, and then went out and doubled it exactly. He knocked us out.

- Keith Richards, 1992, on the horn sound
imitated vocally by Babi Floyd

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