Tell Me Straight

Composers: Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
Recording date: October 2022-March 2023          Recording locations: Henson Recording Studios,
Los Angeles, USA; Sanctuary Studios, Albany, Bahamas; & MixStar Studios, Virginia Beach, USA
Producer: Andrew Watt          Chief engineers: Paul Lamalfa & Marco Sonzini
Mixer: Serban Ghenea            Performed onstage: 2024




Probable line-up:

Drums: Steve Jordan
Bass: Keith Richards
Acoustic guitars: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger & Ron Wood
Electric guitars: Keith Richards (incl. solo) & Ron Wood
Lead vocals: Keith Richards
Harmony vocal: Mick Jagger
Background vocals: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards & Ron Wood
Piano: Keith Richards
Percussion: Mick Jagger
 

Do we have something or nothing at all?
Just tell me straight
You got me high and it's quite a long fall
Tell me straight, yeah, tell me straight

How do we finish? How do we start?
Tell me straight
How do we miss? How do we part?
Just tell me straight, just tell me straight

Everyone is asking questions
Answers just won't do - yeah
I need a little time just to clear my mind
Find out if it's true

Ooh you're running too fast
Tell me straight
I need an answer, how long can this last?
Just tell me straight, don't make me wait

Is my future all in the past?
Yeah, tell me straight, tell me straight

Everyone is asking questions - yeah
I've got one or two - yeah
Just need a little time just to clear the mind
And find out if it's true

Is the future all in the past?
Just tell me straight
Play me a song, life's moving too fast
Just tell me straight, tell me straight


 

TrackTalk
 

It came kind of like that. Once it was on the roller, these chords appeared and then the rest of it seemed to fall into place around it. I knew it was getting pretty good because Mick tried to steal it! I had to say, Uh-uh buddy. I'm doin' this one. (laughs)

- Keith Richards, September 2023


(It’s r)elatively new. Last year or so. It was just a chord that got me and then I said I’ve got to write a song around that strange chord.

- Keith Richards, September 2023


It’s a good Keith song. He sings it well, I warble away on the B section and play some acoustic guitar to hold it together, and it is one of those numbers where Keith gets the emotion right. Is the future all in the past? That’s a good line.

- Mick Jagger, c. August 2023



I threw a few lines in there too. Can’t remember if he used them or not.

- Mick Jagger, September 2023


If this is a poignant song, well, I’m a poignant man, and after writing Happy you can only go the other way. I had the skeleton and the idea a few years back and forgot all about it. It is my offering for this outing, shall we say.

- Keith Richards, c. August 2023


Yeah that’s the other side of me that even surprises me, you know what I mean. It’s a plea for some honesty, that’s all (laughs).

- Keith Richards, September 2023


Keith needed to get it off his chest. Typical Keith: when he has something like that, he has to get it out.

- Ron Wood, c. August 2023


People have been telling me I sound stronger after I stopped smoking cigarettes in 2019. When we went out on the road a couple years ago, the sound guys started making comments. They were like, Man, your voice...what's happening? Since then, singing has felt different, and I'm enjoying it more... There's probably an age when you start to go into reverse. And I'm probably in it! (laughs)

- Keith Richards, August-September 2023

I like Keith's guitar on... Tell Me Straight.

- Ron Wood, August-September 2023






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