# Sympathy for the Devil (the song) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 24, 2003, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069 "2003-02-24T02:47:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069/21 "2003-02-25T18:17:20Z")
See, in the old days of Napster (may it ever rest in peace), by now I would have had both the original Stones and BS&T versions of this song on my computer, and be listening to them so that I could intelligently (or, at least, informedly) respond to **RTFirefly**. Damn you RIAA! Damn you straight to hell!! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069/22 "2003-02-25T18:44:20Z")
Surely Jagger wins out on the “man of wealth and taste” criteria, particularly the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069/23 "2003-02-25T21:56:43Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m going to say something heretical, though: I prefer Blood Sweat & Tears’ cover of “Sympathy” to the Stones’ original. I wholeheartedly agree with **RTFirefly**. No comparison whatsoever. BS&T’s version is FAR better. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069/24 "2003-02-25T22:26:14Z")
Heretic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Maci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Maci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maci)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069/25 "2003-02-25T22:50:12Z")
I saw David Byrne perform “Sympathy” in Budapest. That version was the best I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069/26 "2003-02-25T23:19:38Z")
Have some courtesy, and respect! ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069/27 "2003-02-25T23:23:40Z")
… or you’ll lay my soul to waste? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069/28 "2003-02-25T23:37:41Z")
Naw, Mick or Nick or whatever his name is… ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069/29 "2003-02-25T23:41:04Z")
**carnivorousplant** , my kids’ high school just put on the musical play _Little Shop of Horrors_, and now I can’t see your name without hearing in my head: “Feed me, Seymour!!”. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069/30 "2003-02-26T02:22:37Z")
I want to know why “Sympathy” only has three lines in the second verse instead of four. I used to perform a heavy version of this song in a metal band back in the early nineties and it drove me crazy that the second verse had an uneven number of measures. Couldn’t they think of a word to rhyme with tank? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2003, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069/31 "2003-02-26T02:25:57Z")
I meant “stank” not “tank.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sympathy-for-the-devil-the-song/157069.md?page=1)