Album: Exile on Main St.
Year: 1972
. . .
“Shine a Light” is another older song that ended up finding its final form on Exile on Main St. Other than that, all of my various sources are wildly at odds about it. It’s usually seen as a love song from Mick to his guitarist, but whether that guitarist is Brian Jones (that’s how old it is) or Keith Richards is in dispute.
It also seems like it might have been one of the songs that actually skipped Keith’s basement: an early version — called “Get a Line on You” — was recorded (but not released) in 1969 for a Leon Russell album and featured Mick singing backed by Russell, and Ringo Starr on the drums, and was basically a Mick solo track, though it wasn’t officially released until 1994.
And the same could go for the version on Exile: depending on which source you believe, only the two Micks played on it, with genius producer Jimmy Miller on the drums, and Billy Preston on both the piano and organ. That would make me suspect that the basic track was recorded as part of the Sticky Fingers sessions, and Mick resurrected it in Los Angeles to add the backing singers. No matter the provenance, “Shine a Light” is an affecting and gorgeous song, which fades with a weird guitar echo effect leading Mick singing over Preston’s mournful piano chords.
Saw you stretched out in Room Ten Oh Nine
With a smile on your face and a tear right in your eye
Oh, couldn’t see to get a line on you, my sweet honey love
As Jimmy Miller starts tapping his hi-hat and Billy Preston starts adding commentary with his organ, Mick continues with his concern trolling.
Berber jewelry jangling down the street
Making bloodshot eyes at every woman that you meet
Could not seem to get a high on you, my sweet honey love
And so, as Miller switches to a straight beat, Billy Preston leads Mick into the first chorus, as Mick Taylor starts playing ghostly licks in the background.
May the good Lord shine a light on you
Make every song your favorite tune
May the good Lord shine a light on you
Warm like the evening sun
God, what a lovely sentiment, especially as sung to someone who is continually letting him down, being fucked up beyond belief. So maybe it’s about both Brian and Keith. Brian when it was originally written, but Keith when it was released, as per Anita Pallenberg’s observation that Keith processed his guilt over Brian’s sacking and death by becoming Brian. For the second verse, the song crashes again, Miller kinda playing a shuffle beat.
When you’re drunk in the alley, baby, with your clothes all torn
And your late night friends leave you in the cold gray dawn
Just seemed too many flies on you, I just can’t brush them off
At this point, the background vocalists — Venetta Fields, Clydie King, Joe Green and Jesse Kirkland — come in, humming and ooohing and aaaahing in the background, which makes sense, as Mick switches the subject matter from the gutter to the heavens. Or heaven, as the case may be.
Angels beating all their wings in time
With smiles on their faces and a gleam right in their eyes
Whoa, thought I heard one sigh for you
Come on up, come on up now, come on up now
And of course, this time they all join in for the chorus, but just for the title phrase, which is incredibly cool and powerful.
May the good Lord SHINE A LIGHT ON YOU
Make every song you sing your favorite tune
May the good Lord SHINE A LIGHT ON YOU
Warm like the evening sun
I also like the update of “make every song your favorite tune” to “make every song you sing your favorite tune,” After the second chorus, there’s a rolling and tumbling solo from Mick Taylor, weaving in and out of Preston’s keyboards that eventually breaks down for a few measures while the organ warbles and trembles until Mick exhorts “come on up now, come on up now, come on up now” and they all explode into one last chorus, followed by a second wonderful Taylor guitar solo.
We are now deep deep deep — song #17! — into Exile on Main St., and somehow, the Rolling Stones are still tossing an absolutely major and inventive song at us, the third gospel-influenced song on the back half of the album, and the third time they utterly killed it.
For whatever reasons, while the Stones flirted with gospel throughout their classic period, “Shine a Light” was basically the final one — or at least the final great one — depending on what you think of “Saint of Me,” which is a quarter-century later.
“Shine a Light”
“Shine a Light” live in Amsterdam, 1995
“Get a Line on You”
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