I love The Rolling Stones’ song “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
It’s hard not to love it. It starts off with that iconic guitar rift that came to Keith Richards in a dream and never stops.
Rolling Stone Magazine ranked “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” the second greatest song of all time. And their first choice was Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” which seems a little suspicious since the song is also their namesake.
That doesn’t mean “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” is perfect.
Far from it.
The lyrics, written by Mick Jagger, were inspired by Richard’s nocturnal inspiration and the title of the song, which was also Richard’s idea. Jagger wrote the words — a litany of disgust with “America, its advertising syndrome, the constant barrage” — in 10 minutes by the motel pool the day after Richards’ dream.
Perhaps this explains this lyric, which has never been my favorite:
When I’m watchin’ my TV and a man comes on and tells me
How white my shirts can be
But he can’t be a man ’cause he doesn’t smoke
The same cigarettes as me
The man on the television can’t be a man because he has opted for a different brand of cigarettes that Jagger?
What the hell is this supposed to mean?
Does Jagger want me to believe that your choice of tobacco says something about your manliness?
This strikes me as stupid. Nonsensical at best. A foolish idea that doesn’t ring at all true.
I hate this lyric. And considering the song consists of just two four line verses, this one stands out.
But my even bigger issue with the song with the eleventh word in the song:
‘Cause (a stand-in for “because”)
This word is really stupid.
Jagger sings:
I can’t get no satisfaction, I can’t get no satisfaction
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can’t get no, I can’t get no
The implication is that Jagger “can’t get no satisfaction” because he tries to get satisfaction. The absence of satisfaction is the result of his pursuit of satisfaction.
I can’t get no satisfaction because I try.
How does this make any sense?
In other words, it’s Jagger’s own damn fault that he is dissatisfied. His attempts at satisfaction are the reason for his dissatisfaction.
But that’s not what the song is about. It’s not about a person’s failing to succeed because he tries to succeed. It’s a song about Jagger’s disgust with the constant barrage of advertising and commercialism in this world.
In his words, it’s a song about “my view of the world, my frustration with everything.”
This is not a song about a man’s interior struggle but instead his struggle with the world. His lack of satisfaction has nothing to do with his pursuit of satisfaction. One is not dependent upon another. This is a song about a man’s inability to find satisfaction because of the world around him.
As a result, Jagger should not be singing:
I can’t get no satisfaction
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
He should be singing:
I can’t get no satisfaction
But I try and I try and I try and I try
“But” makes sense. “But” implies constant struggle. “But” speaks to a desire for something not yet attained. “But” is the word that Jagger should be singing.
In fact, I bet that many people unconsciously exchange “but” for “cause” when singing along with Jagger.
“Cause” makes no sense. “But” makes perfect sense.
“I can’t get no satisfaction” is also a double negative, but I don’t have no problem with that. The meaning of the line is clear despite being grammatically incorrect, and the use of the double negative infuses the line with youth, energy, and a rejection of the proper, commercial world that Jagger is railing against.
“I can’t get no satisfaction” is a damn near perfect lyric.
I can’t say the same for the rest of the song.
