# Public reaction when the Rolling Stones's "Sympathy for the Devil" first came out **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570 "2006-01-11T22:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/21 "2006-01-12T13:45:34Z")
Started a thread in GQ on this – [linky](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=6988821#post6988821). We can move this hijack over there. ---
**Author:** ![explore\_like\_dora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eada6e/32.png) [@explore\_like\_dora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/explore_like_dora)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/22 "2006-01-12T14:37:02Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally Posted by JKellyMap_ > A big part of the answer to the OP’s question is how much things had changed in American culture (and beyond) between 1966 (the Lennon - Jesus thing) and 1969 (Sympathy). > > As a child born in 1970 who grew up learning a lot about the '60s, I have always been amazed at how quickly the changes came in those two or three years. Compare it to a similar time span later on – say, 1982 to 1985 – and it’s almost depressing that things have generally been so tedious since then. I do understand that the fall of the Soviet Union, and 9/11 and its aftermath, were momentous periods as well, but music and culture (in the English-speaking world, at least) has been pretty much treading water since the late '60s. No, this isn’t true. The 60s were actually pretty shit. The thing is, though, that there was a very big population spike in the Western world that resulted in a rather large amount of teenagers being around at the time. Teenagers are both self-absorbed and primary participants in pop culture, so it only makes sense that the people who were that age at the time will elevate the importance of their pop groups and events. Everyone does this to their teenage years. The only difference with the 60s is that this group of teenagers was very numerous and was hence able to create a mythology surrounding its youth that elevated the importance of that period to absurd proportions. In both a pop-cultural and historical sense, the world has changed just as much, if not more, in the past 10 years as it did during the 60s. However, I, and other people of my generation are nowhere near pig-headed enough to assume that it was somehow a magical golden period. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/23 "2006-01-12T14:47:44Z")
> [@Trillionaire](#): > > slight hijack, but as long as we’re on the subject, can anyone tell me what the line _“I laid traps for troubadors who get killed before they reach Bombay”_ is a reference to? > > I get all the other historical references in the song (Pontius Pilate, Anastasia, the Kennedys etc etc), but I’ve always wondered about significance of the trapped Indian troubadors. Try a search on “Bombay” or something in this forum - this has been asked a few times here. I think the answer that most folks cottoned to was that it was a reference to folks like the Beatles and Donovan heading to India to study with the Maharishi, and the fact that some never went, some went and ended up disillusioned, etc… **Explore Like Dora** - while I think there is some truth to your basic observation, I think a little perspective is also in order. I was just born in the 60’s so didn’t live through it in terms of really experiencing it, but in hindsight it is the era where Rock as a music form flower and spread out dramatically and other cultural changes that affect us to this day took root. Should later decades be dismissed compared to the '60’s? Nah - but it was a big deal and will likely remain one from a historical perspective… ---
**Author:** ![explore\_like\_dora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eada6e/32.png) [@explore\_like\_dora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/explore_like_dora)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/24 "2006-01-12T15:20:29Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally Posted by Wordman_ > **Explore Like Dora** - while I think there is some truth to your basic observation, I think a little perspective is also in order. I was just born in the 60’s so didn’t live through it in terms of really experiencing it, but in hindsight it is the era where Rock as a music form flower and spread out dramatically and other cultural changes that affect us to this day took root. Should later decades be dismissed compared to the '60’s? Nah - but it was a big deal and will likely remain one from a historical perspective… I dispute this. The '60s primary historical importance is that there were many people who thought they were historically important. You may not have been one of them, but you have lived your life hearing the people who were there telling you how important they were. Looking at the 20th century, the '60s are pretty far down the list in terms of importance. There was no society shaping economic depression like in the '30s. There were no World wars like in the '10s or the '40s. The '60s was not bookended by globally important events like the '90s (Fall of the Soviet Union and 9/11). Admittedly there was a war, but this war’s primary significance was the complete lack of sense of almost all parties being involved in it. In terms of culture, you mention rock, yet I fail to see why this should be considered so important. Sure, rock had an OK run, but no more significant than that of hip hop. Perhaps the creative and commercial ascendancy of hip hop during the '90s isn’t afforded the same respect of that of rock during the '60s because the artists were mostly black? Even in terms of rock music, there were so many significant forces acting upon it in periods outside the '60s as to render the common deification of that period meaningless. And this doesn’t even begin to consider other forms of popular music such as Blues, Country, Jazz or Musicals. The conclusion? The '60s had a shared role in shaping one form of popular music, and when the surrounding decades are taken into account, they were not that important in a geopolitical sense either. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/25 "2006-01-12T15:30:23Z")
**Explore Like Dora** - this is a hijack and may be worth another thread - your call. I choose to disagree for the reasons I described in my post…YMMV… ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/26 "2006-01-12T15:41:08Z")
> [@explore like dora](#): > > \ In both a pop-cultural and historical sense, the world has changed just as much, if not more, in the past 10 years as it did during the 60s. However, I, and other people of my generation are nowhere near pig-headed enough to assume that it was somehow a magical golden period. I turned 18 in 1960. Anyone who describes the '60’s to you as a magical, golden period didn’t live through the '60’s. It was a time of extremes; fear, hatred, violence. I’ve heard it said that there’s an ancient Chinese curse; “May you live in interesting times”. The '60’s were by far the most interesting time period that I’ve experienced. You may not consider the beginning of the civil rights movement, women’s equality or political assassinations historically significant. Others differ with your opinion on this. Also, this subject, in one form or another, has been beat to death on the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![explore\_like\_dora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eada6e/32.png) [@explore\_like\_dora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/explore_like_dora)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/27 "2006-01-12T16:01:19Z")
**WordMan** - I agree this is a hijack, so I will cease discussion of it. Should you start a new thread on the subject I will happily contribute, however, if **John Carter of Mars** is correct in saying that the topic has been already extensively considered on this board, perhaps it is not worth pursuing. Either way, I’ll hold any further discussion for a new thread. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/28 "2006-01-12T16:41:15Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Case in point: By the mid-'70’s, when a member of the Rutles claimed that they were bigger than God, no one even noticed. I thought they said they were “bigger then Rod(Stewart)”. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/29 "2006-01-12T17:01:33Z")
Just to confirm some points made previously (by one who lived through the '60s): No uproar at the time. The Stones were Satanic…that was a given. That’s why the 4th verse of _American Pie_ is all about the Stones. (It helped that _Sympathy_ didn’t get any AM radio/Top 40 airplay…it wasn’t the single from the album). China Guy has it right: the Silent Majority was the supposed large group of right-wingers who supported the war in Vietnam, but didn’t take to the streets to express their opinion in the way the Vocal Minority (ie, left-wing commie pinko hippies) did. And the Golden Age of Stones albums was the 4-album span of _Let It Bleed, Beggar’s Banquet, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street_. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/30 "2006-01-12T17:11:28Z")
I do remember seeing an interview with Keith Richards where he mentions, in reference to Sympathy For The Devil…and I’m very loosely paraphrasing… He says that the band had caught some crap and gotten branded with the satanic label over some imagery in their video (or whatever it was) for Jumpin Jack Flash. Now, just a couple years later they came out with Sympathy For The Devil, and he was laughing about how they were just asking even more headaches. This was from the 25x5 documentary that came out around 1990 so. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/31 "2006-01-12T17:21:43Z")
Certainly this Christian Crybaby movement is less than 15 years old. I don’t remember any uproar in 1988 when Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians came out with What I Am that contained the provocative lyric: _Philosphy is a walk on a slippery rock Religion is a smile on a dog._ But in 1995 when Joan Osbourne released One of Us there was a huge outcry because the song dared posit that God may be a more humble figure than what was generally accepted. P.S. What I Am came out 17 years ago? Dang! ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/32 "2006-01-12T17:55:07Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > And **Diceman** – I don’t recall it being used in the abortion debate by either side. I’ve heard it used by abortion-rights advocates a few times. According to groups like NOW, the silent majority is going to wake up one day to find out that the eeeeeevil Right-to-Lifers have overturned _Roe v. Wade_. Or something like that. I haven’t heard it used recently, however. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/33 "2006-01-12T21:41:51Z")
> [@Gary T](#): > > That doesn’t fit my recollection. You may well be right. I’m getting old. I just remember that a lot of DJs were supposedly in a twist about it, and assumed it was a pandemic. But I never personally ran into anybody (in my little corner of NE Ohio) who gave a rat’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/58956e/32.png) [@Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoodoo_Ulove)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/34 "2006-01-12T21:55:44Z")
> [@explore like dora (my bolding)](#): > > The 60s were actually pretty shit. . . However, I, and other people of **my generation** are nowhere near pig-headed enough to assume that it was somehow a magical golden period. Do you hope you die before you get old? Would I be right in guessing that the sixties generation included your parents? ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/35 "2006-01-12T23:22:40Z")
Well, hang it all, I was freakin’ THERE! In 1966 I was 16, by 1975, I was 25 or 26. I have a GREAT deal of insight into that period! …(sigh) if only I could remember any of it… ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2006, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570/36 "2006-01-12T23:34:07Z")
> [@Ass For A Hat](#): > > He says that the band had caught some crap and gotten branded with the satanic label over some imagery in their video (or whatever it was) for Jumpin Jack Flash. Now, just a couple years later they came out with Sympathy For The Devil Actually only a few months later. And it would have been closer had _Beggars Banquet_ not been delayed by the impasse with Decca over the original album cover. (The cover of the CD is the originally intended cover, which the Stones’ label considered too distasteful to release at the time. The LP came out instead with an almost plain white cover resembling an engraved invitation, and also coincidentally resembling the Beatles’ White Album which appeared at almost exactly the same time.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-reaction-when-the-rolling-stoness-sympathy-for-the-devil-first-came-out/339570.md?page=1)