The Rolling Stones – Beast of Burden (Live)

The Rolling Stones performing Beast of Burden, on July 18, 1978, in Forth Worth, Texas.

“Beast of Burden” – Single by the Rolling Stones from the album Some Girls
B-side “When the Whip Comes Down”
Released 28 August 1978 (US)
Recorded 10 October–21 December 1977
Label Rolling Stones
Songwriters Jagger–Richards
Producer The Glimmer Twins
Charted No.8 in US

A “beast of burden” is an animal, usually domesticated, that labours for the benefit of man, such as an ox or horse. The music and some lyrics were primarily written by Keith Richards. In the liner notes to the 1993 compilation disc Jump Back, Richards said “Beast of Burden” “was another one where Mick (Jagger) just filled in the verses. With the Stones, you take a long song, play it and see if there are any takers. Sometimes, they ignore it; sometimes, they grab it and record it. After all the faster numbers of Some Girls, everybody settled down and enjoyed the slow one.”

In those same notes, Jagger says, “Lyrically, this wasn’t particularly heartfelt in a personal way. It’s a soul-begging song, an attitude song. It was one of those where you get one melodic lick, break it down and work it up; there are two parts here which are basically the same.” The song can be seen as allegorical, with Richards saying in 2003, “When I returned to the fold after closing down the laboratory [referring to his drug problems throughout the 1970s], I came back into the studio with Mick … to say, ‘Thanks, man, for shouldering the burden’ – that’s why I wrote ‘Beast of Burden’ for him, I realize in retrospect.”

Keith Richards wrote this song with Mick Jagger, who improvised a lot of the lyrics in the studio. While the band played, Jagger came in with different lines to fit the music. As a result, some of the lyrics are less than meaningful and a little repetitious.

Musicians:
Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals
Keith Richards – electric rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Ronnie Wood – electric lead guitar, acoustic guitar
Bill Wyman – bass guitar
Charlie Watts – drums
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Ian Stewart – piano
Ian McLagan – organ, electric and acoustic pianos, backing vocals