Rocks Off

Composers: Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
Recording date: July & October-November 1971 & January-March 1972
Recording locations: Rolling Stones Mobile Unit, Keith Richards' home, Villefranche-sur-mer, France & Sunset Sound Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Producer: Jimmy Miller      Chief engineers: Glyn Johns, Andy Johns & Joe Zagarino
Performed onstage: 1972-73, 1975, 1994-95, 2002-03, 2005-07, 2013-15, 2017, 2019, 2021-22, 2024

Probable line-up:

Drums: Charlie Watts
Bass: Bill Wyman
Electric guitars: Keith Richards & Mick Taylor
Lead vocal: Mick Jagger
Harmony vocal: Keith Richards
Background vocals: Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
Piano: Nicky Hopkins
Saxophone: Bobby Keys
Trumpet: Jim Price
Tambourine: Mick Jagger

 

Oh yeah

I hear you talking when I'm on the street
Your mouth don't move but I can hear you speak

What's the matter with the boy?
He don't come around no more
Is he checking out for sure?
Is he going to close the door on me?

And I'm always hearing voices on the street
I want to shout but I can hardly speak

I was making love last night
To a dancer friend of mine
I can't seem to stay in step
Cause she come every time that she pirouettes over me

And I only get my rocks off while I'm dreaming  (only get them off, get them off)
I only get my rocks off while I'm sleeping

I'm zipping through the days at lightning speed
Plug in, flush out and find the fucking feed

Heading for the overload
Splattered on the dirty road
Kick me like you've kicked before
I can't even feel the pain no more

And I only get my rocks off while I'm dreaming  (only get them off, get them off)
I only get my rocks off while I'm dreaming

Feel so hypnotized
Can't describe the scene

Feel so mesmerized
All that inside...


The sunshine bores the daylights out of me

Chasing shadows, moonlight mystery

Heading for the overload
Splattered on the dirty road
Kick me like you've kicked before
I can't even feel the pain no more

And I only get my rocks off while I'm dreaming  (only get them off, get them off)
I only get my rocks off while I'm sleeping
And I only get my rocks off while I'm dreaming
I only get my rocks off while I'm sleeping

And I only get, ooh,  socks off while I'm sleeping - get them off
Only get them off, get them off
Only get them off

 
 

TrackTalk

(Keith phoned me when I got home). Where the fuck are you? Well, you were asleep. I thought I'd go home seeing as it was five in the morning. (Keith said): Oh, man, I've got to do this guitar part. Come back! So I get back, he plugs in his Telecaster, and he does the second rhythm guitar part, and the whole thing just came to light, and really started grooving.

- Andy Johns


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