Talk:You Can't Always Get What You Want

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Consolidation into one section of (formerly top-level-) sections about referent of "Mr. Jimmy" and "Jimmy" (and John B.?)

Untitled

Hi. But is there any verification of the "John Birkemeier" anecdote?
— Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.95.33.202 (talk) 01:30, 11 October 2006

Deleted Urban Legends Section

As much as I found the stories charming, I have deleted the following section on urban legends regarding the song's origin in light of repeated questions about them and after failed attempts to find any evidence that they were accurate or even widespread. Feel free to re-insert them if you can provide better support than I have found.

Several urban legends persist about the origin of this song, much like with You're So Vain. The most prominent among the stories is that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were in Muncie, Indiana for a concert at Ball State University in April 1968, (coincidentally two days before Robert F. Kennedy's appearance in Wayzata, MN on the day of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination). Mick and Keith stopped by Brown's Pharmacy and Soda Fountain in Muncie before the concert. According to legend, Mick ordered a cherry soda from John Birkemeier, a Ball State student employed at the counter. Birkemeier told Mick that they did not have any cherry available. Mick couldn't believe it and Birkemeier replied "you can't always get what you want" supposedly inspiring the famous song. Lending credibility to this tale is the fact that to this day, whenever The Rolling Stones appear in his area, John Birkemeier receives free tickets and a limo ride to the concert.^{[citation needed]} It has also been said that this exchange occurred between Mick Jagger and a man named Jimmy in Excelsior, Minnesota when the Rolling Stones were performing at the now-defunct Excelsior Amusement Park.

--JohnPomeranz 15:58, 26 January 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It should be said that Jagger and Richards both lived in Chelsea, London, approximately 1/2 a mile from the very famous pub called the Chelsea drugstore on the Kings Road, a centre for 60's fashion. As the Stones were formed at one end of the Kings Road approximately 1 mile from this pub It's more likely that this is the location of this topic. 2A00:23C5:7010:C801:CDB2:89C:E83:139A (talk) 10:23, 6 November 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Jimmy link

Here's an article on the man named 'Jimmy', who was apparently "Mr. Jimmy" Hutmaker who recently died at the age of 75 [1]

--Kiwipat 19:14, 4 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Dead

The story I remember reading is that Jimmy Miller said "dead" to things he didn't like, which makes more sense in the narrative of the song (Mick singing his song to Jimmy, who says "dead", and Mick's reply of "you can't always get what you want." 165.2.186.10 (talk) 20:12, 24 July 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The verse with "[my friend] Jimmy" is indeed the one where J. says "dead".

"Mr. Jimmy"

Many residents of Excelsior, Minnesota, just outside of Minneapolis, have confirmed Jimmy Hutamaker's claim that he's the actual Mr. Jimmy in the song and say that Hutamaker wouldn't lie about stuff. Jagger didn't use Excelsior in the song because it had too many syllables. Chelsea doesn't have a drugstore, it has a pub. The Stones did play in Excelsior, Minnesota in 1964 to a less than enthusiastic reception. Redwood71 (talk) 11:57, 3 June 2013 (UTC) Redwood71[reply]

Re "less than enthusiastic": While the Twin Cities as a whole, and even Excelsior, were more cosmopolitan then, than was the Iron Range, a Minn. boy (who studied in Minneapolis) wrote

Mah' name, it ain' nothin', mah' age it means less.

The country ah' come from is called the Midwest.

Ah' was raised an' brought up there, the laws to abide,

An' t'know that mah' country has God on its side.

--Jerzy•t 11:01, 11 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

We'd sure love to know how many of those residents have been quoted on the subject by authors of reliable sources.
--Jerzy•t 11:01, 11 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

If there isn't a vigorous local folklore relating the lyric to the local guy, someone's gone to a lot of effort faking that appearance. And while i haven't closely read all that i've now glanced thru, it sounds more likely to be at worst about an individual's delusion than about a local conspiracy or community delusion!
--Jerzy•t 11:44, 11 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Relevant lyrics

I've cut&pasted the relevant passage^[1]

(What i would call the third verse):

And I went down to the Chelsea drugstore

To get your prescriptions filled

I was standin' in line with Mr. Jimmy

And man, did he look pretty ill

(What i would call a fourth verse, tho it's not at start or directly preceded by chorus):

We decided to have a soda

"Whatcha favorite flavor?", "Cherry red"

And I sung my song to my friend Jimmy

And he said one word back to me, that was "Dead"

(Chorus begins:)

I said ...

--Jerzy•t 11:01, 11 December 2015 (UTC)[reply]

References

^ The source is
Rolling Stones Lyrics
You Can't Always Get What You Want Lyrics
which acknowledges the complete lyrics as "Published by Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc." My understanding (and i've been professionally instructed on, and read, the statute) is such use, here on the talk page and not as part of the article, is a case of fair use, as it is on this talk page to facilitate our discussion of why this specific portion of the lyrics is worded the way that it is.

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(Simpsons)

-- In popular culture: in television -- The title of the simpsons episode "You Kent Always Say What You Want"(Season 18;episode 23) is a play on this Rolling Stones song. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.74.248.9 (talk) 18:01, 16 December 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hidden message? Strange noise?

From after the choir syas their last part to the French horn line, approx 00:49-00:54, there is this weird background drumbeat-thing. Possibly backmasking, but i don't have a device to play it backwards. If anyone has insights about this, please write here or on my talk page. Thanks. Billytrousers 16:21, 3 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

It's part of "Midnight Rambler," in the left channel immediately after the choir and before the French Horn. I have no clue why it's there, but my guess is that it may have printed-through onto the tape that Al Kooper's horn was recorded on. Similar weirdness includes the "Ticket to Ride" music at the very end of "Eclipse" from Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon." Jjm905 (talk) 02:39, 26 April 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Genre

I might classify this song as Soul Rock or something like that, but NEVER psychedelic rock. I just don't here it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.110.28.216 (talk) 17:56, 9 July 2008 (UTC)[reply]

The groove and orchestration is a clone of Traffic "Feelin' Alright". That's the genre.

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Recording date??

Is it true that it took 13 months from the recording dates (Nov. 1968) until the release date (Dec. 1969) as per the info in the box? If so, is there an explanation why it took so long? I would appreciate clarification. Thank you. Bri4daz (talk) 23:05, 8 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

changes?

In the version included on the Singles Collection, it doesn't open with a choir and there are several lyrical changes. I can't find this mentioned anywhere. What gives? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.252.61.33 (talk) 00:10, 9 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

weird meta comment written in the first person

It says this on the page, under "Description"

"If 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' was recorded in November 1968, then Mick Jagger's comment from 1969 is not in reference to 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' being a response to 'Hey Jude' because the song was already recorded before the interview. I wish I knew who wrote the above paragraph."

--98.229.4.47 (talk)burgo —Preceding undated comment added 22:02, 25 January 2014 (UTC)[reply]

burgo is not the registered ID of any user. However, the chars "burgo" were part of the above edit, to which the uns-bot added the timestamp via the undated template. (And the editor-provided ip-user-id does reflect the ip that appears in the automated log -- i.e. if the user did not generate the ip-sig using ~~"~~~~"~~ "~~~", they accurately (but inexplicably!) hand-keyed or pasted it!)
--Jerzy•t 06:44 & 11:23, 11 December 2015 (UTC)

Jimi Hendrix

Come on people. This is easy. It was about Jimi. How hard is that? Pretty ill? Of course he was. You didn't have to be an Oracle to see that coming. It is what it is, no matter how sad. Mick called it and yeah - he called it in advance - and not by much. Who didn't? 73.6.96.168 (talk) 04:58, 5 November 2019 (UTC)[reply]

I always just assumed it was about Jimi! But the problem is, as far as I know, neither Jagger nor Richards has ever borne out this claim. They are probably the only two people in the world who could ratify it. Darorcilmir (talk) 05:42, 5 November 2019 (UTC)[reply]

conflicting credit for piano

Martin Elliott's "Complete Recording Sessions" has Nicky Hopkins on piano, Kooper on organ. I'm not certain, but it sounds like Hopkins' other work on most Stones tracks from this period. You can see Hopkins playing it live on Rock and Roll Circus. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Kevintimba (talk • contribs) 04:03, 15 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Use in the Minions film

In the end of the film Minions: The Rise of Gru, all the Minions assemble in stage singing the song in a fake funeral for Wild Knuckles, but shockingly he appears to be alive. 76.108.138.88 (talk) 17:48, 10 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

[1] The source is
Rolling Stones Lyrics
You Can't Always Get What You Want Lyrics
which acknowledges the complete lyrics as "Published by Lyrics © Abkco Music, Inc." My understanding (and i've been professionally instructed on, and read, the statute) is such use, here on the talk page and not as part of the article, is a case of fair use, as it is on this talk page to facilitate our discussion of why this specific portion of the lyrics is worded the way that it is.

[1]