Start Me Up
(early version)

  Composers: Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
  Recording date: October-December 1977 & May-June 2021

Recording locations: Pathé Marconi Studios, Paris, France & RAK Studios, London, England

Producers: The Glimmer Twins          Chief engineer: Chris Kimsey
Never performed onstage

Probable line-up:

Drums: Charlie Watts
Bass: Bill Wyman
Electric guitars: Keith Richards & Ron Wood (incl. solo)
Vocals: Mick Jagger
Handclaps: Mick Jagger

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, you start me up

Yeah, if you start me up, I'll never stop
If you start me up
If you start me up, I'll never stop - yeah

You've got me running hot
You been leaking, I will blow my top - blow my top

If you start me up
If you start me up, I'll never stop, never stop, never, never, never stop

You'd make a grown man cry
You'd make a grown man cry
You'd make a grown man cry

Spread out the oil, the gasoline
I walk smooth, ride in a mean, mean machine, yeah
Start me up

If you start me up
Kick on the starter, give it all you got, all you got, all you got
I can't compete
With the riders in the other heats

If you want to rough it up
If you like it, you will slide it up, slide it up

Don't make a grown man cry

Don't make a grown man cry

Don't make a grown man cry

My eyes dilate, my lips go green
My hands are greasy, she's a mean, mean machine, yeah

Start me up

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Don't make a grown man cry

Don't make a grown man cry

Don't make a grown man cry


Ride like the wind at double speed
I'll take you places that you've never, never seen

Mm-mm start me up

Love me up
Mm mm mm mm
Love me up
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah


You start me up
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah - yeah


I said you, you, you'd make a grown man cry

I said you, you
, you'd make a grown man cry
I said you, you, you'd make a dead man come

I said you, you, you'd make a dead man come

(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah) 

Stuck it up, stuck it up  (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Suck it up, start me up
  (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Start me up, start me up
- yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Start me, start me, start me, start me
  (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Start me up, yeah, start me up 
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Start me up, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah  (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

Oh, oh, oh, start me up  (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

Oh, oh, oh, oh  (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)


  

TrackTalk

Start Me Up was a reggae track to begin with, totally different. It was one of those things we cut a lot of times; one of those cuts that you can play forever and ever in the studio. Twenty minutes go by and you're still locked into those two chords... (laughs)... 

- Keith Richards, 1983



(I)mmediately after Miss You was recorded, Start Me Up got straightened out. They'd been throwing it around as a reggae song, but they rearranged it and, within 24 hours of Miss You', Start Me Up was recorded. After they cut it, I said, That's bloody great! Come and listen. However, when I played it back, Keith said, Nah, it sounds like something I've heard on the radio.Wipe it. Of course, I didn't, but he really didn't like it, and I'm not sure whether he likes it to this day. I don't think it's one of his favourite songs, although it's obviously everyone's favourite guitar riff; his guitar riff. Maybe because Keith loves reggae so much, he wanted it to be a reggae song.

- Chris Kimsey, 2004




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