Album: Exile on Main St.
Year: 1972
. . .
Maybe it was a coincidence, but I love how the first disc of Exile on Main St. ended with Mick’s greatest love song and the second disc picks right up with Keith’s greatest love song.
And, of course, “Happy” isn’t just Keith’s greatest love song, but Keith’s greatest Keith song, to boot. And on some days, maybe my very favorite Rolling Stones song, a song that is exactly as advertised: an unrepentant burst of ecstasy in song form. “Happy” was written just after Keith found out that Anita Pallenberg was pregnant with their second child, Angela, and he was so anxious to get it out that none of the other Stones even play on it.
And so that’s Keith doing the opening guitar chords, and Keith playing the five-note riff that you can already hear in your head, and Keith playing the bass and Keith singing the self-mythologizing lyrics.
Well, I never kept a dollar past sunset
It always burned a hole in my pants
Never made a school mama happy
Never blew a second chance, oh no
And and so because “Happy” was burning a hole in his brain and only genius producer Jimmy Miller and Bobby Keys were around, Miller played the drums and Keys blew his baritone sax, and together, they recorded the basic track, with overdubs to come later. Like Mick Jagger’s backing vocals.
I need a love to keep me happy
I need a love to keep me happy
Baby, baby, keep me happy
Baby, baby, keep me happy
That’s right: Keith Richards, the infamous outlaw pirate of rock ‘n’ roll, just wants to be in a relationship. No irony here, as he’s basically a serial monogamist at heart. Which, of course is part of the beauty of “Happy.” The other part of the beauty of “Happy” is all of the guitars. Everywhere you look, there’s another guitar poking out of the mix — variations quick little curlicue runs, choppy licks — starting with the second verse, which is maximum Keith.
Always took candy from strangers
Didn’t wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss ev’ry night and day
Also maximum Keith: the vocals. Without explicitly mentioning it, I think I’ve made a case for Keith Richards as being one of the great backing vocalists ever, coming up time after time with wonderfully ragged — and sometimes unexpectedly beautiful — harmonies. And maybe his nasally lead vocals aren’t perfectly in tune and maybe his breath control isn’t as great as Mick’s, but, seriously who gives a fuck? When he sings “always took candy from strangers” it’s as pure and real (and witty) as rock singing gets. And every single time he sings “baby” an angel gets its wings.
After the second chorus, just after Keith nasals “baby, please keep me” there’s a quick little guitar solo, darting in and out of the mix, setting up another chorus where now Bobby Keys and Jim Price start playing the main riff, the horns just adding more thickness to the whole song.
Never got a flash out of cocktails
When I got some flesh off the bone
Never got a lift out of Lear jets
When I can fly way back home
After that final verse, it’s all guitars, chorus and horns in varying degrees — Keith’s final guitar solo is yet another thing of beauty — and on the outro, Mick joins in on the fun, essentially taking over the lead vocals — singing “baby, keep on dancing” as they shout “happy!” over and over and over. And there’s a great bit where Mick’s voice breaks for a second, which of course they left in, and it never fails to surprise and delight me.
“Happy” was released as the second U.S. single from Exile on Main St., and while it only made #22 on the Billboard charts — though I absolutely remember hearing it on KYNO as a recent single — probably because Keith’s rough voice was never gonna make it into the top 10, it’s obviously become one of the Rolling Stones’ most enduring songs, and an irresistible singalong song.
“Happy”
“Happy” Live in Texas, 1972
“Happy” Live in Los Angeles, 1975
“Happy” live with the X-Pensive Winos, 1988
“Happy” Live in Tokyo, 1990
“Happy” Live in Bremen, 1998
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