You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Rolling Stones

The sounding chords are C(add9), F, and D.

For the “Hot Rocks 1964-1971” version,

Keith uses open E tuning (EBEG#Be)

(Thanks to Larry Kaye for this info.)

Open E tuning (capo 8)

E B E G#B e

(C) E: [+]0 [+]0 [+]2 [+]0 [+]0 [+]0

(F) A: 0 2 0 1 2 0 (occasionally hammering the 5th string)

(D) F#: 2 2 2 2 2 2

In the Steel Wheels tour he uses his trusty

5-string-open-G-tuned Telecaster. (Obviously

Keith’s a closet banjo player. Gee…wouldn’t

an electric banjo version of “Honkey Tonk

Women” be interesting. But I digress…)

(Note: Keith doesn’t have the 6th (bass) string)

Open G tuning (capo 5)

(C) G: [++++++]000000 (000200 for add9)

(F) C: 002010 or sometimes 002012

(occasionally hammering the 4th string)

(sometimes he’ll quickly slide up to

and back or just down from 004030)

(D) A: 222222

In the 1968 video “Rock and Roll Circus” Keith plays

the entire set (including “Jumping Jack Flash” which

he now plays in open G, and “You Can’t Always Get

What You Want”) in standard tuning without a capo.

I’m not really sure how he’s playing it in the video,

but it looks/sounds like he’s barring 8-10-12-9-8-8

for the Cadd9.

Though Keith doesn’t play it this way, if you don’t

want to bother going to open tuning, the following

is easy to play and very close to the same sound:

Standard tuning (capo 5)

EADGBe

(C) G: [++++++]320003 (300203 for add9)

(F) C: 032013 (occasionally hammering the 4th string)

(D) A: 002220

After all that, the song itself is just pounding out

the chords:

C F C F…

I saw her today at the reception

A glass of wine in her hand

I knew she was gonna meet her connection

At her feet was a footloose man

Chorus:

You can’t always get what you want

You can’t always get what you want

You can’t always get what you want

But if you try sometimes,

You might find

You get what you need… ahhhhhhh, yeah…..

I went down to the demonstration,

To get my fair share of abuse.

Singing “we’re gonna vent our frustration,

And if we don’t we’re gonna blow a 50-amp fuse.”

You can’t always get what you want,

You can’t always get what you want,

You can’t always get what you want,

But if you try sometimes well you might find

You’ll get what you need.

I went down to the Chelsea drugstore

To get your prescription filled.

I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy,

And man, did he look pretty ill.

We decided that we would have a soda,

My favorite flavor, cherry red.

I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy,

And he said one word to me, and that was “dead,”

I said to him:

You can’t always get what you want,

You can’t always get what you want,

You can’t always get what you want,

But if you try sometimes you just might find

You’ll get what you need, …oh yes

(instrumental)

You’ll get what you need–yeah, oh baby.

I saw her today at the reception,

In her glass was a bleeding man.

She was practiced at the art of deception,

Well I could tell by her bloodstained hands.

You can’t always get what you want,

You can’t always get what you want,

You can’t always get what you want,

But if you try sometimes you just might find

You just might find

You’ll get what you need.

You can’t always get what you want,

You can’t always get what you want,

You can’t always get what you want,

But if you try sometimes you just might find

You just might find

You’ll get what you need.

From [email protected] Sun May 4 09:54:51 1997

Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 01:21:12 EDT

From: “Larry J. Kaye”

To: [email protected]

Cc: [email protected]

Subject: TAB: Rolling Stones, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”

(upgrade–much more complete fuller version than what’s on OLGA now)

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

(Jagger-Richards)

Original studio recording:

Rolling Stones, “Let It Bleed” album (London Records, 1969)

(also on a single, edited–minus 2nd verse, 3rd verse cut in half)

Main rhythm guitar: acoustic in OPEN E TUNING, CAPO 8!

(Once you figure that out the rest isn’t too hard)

tempo: medium ballad–about 104 b.p.m.

E tuning, low to high: E, B, E, G#, B, E

: () = chord with capo

E add 9 0 0 2 0 0 0 (C add 9) (or call it “add 2”?)

A 0 2 0 1 2 0 (F)

E 0 0 0 0 0 0 [(D)](C)

B7sus x 2 1 0 0 0 [(Dsus)](G7sus)

(Note: unwilling to tune up to open E? Tuning to open D instead? You’ll

find this hard to play (capo 10) unless you’ve got a cut-away.

I suggest tuning to open E-flat instead (1/2 step/one fret down from E,

1 up from D) it doesn’t put undue strain on the neck and you won’t break

the G string–it stays G. The you can capo 9 and get to open C, or if that’s

still hard to finger, capo to 8 and play it in B)

_________________________

This song is built around the following 2 bar lick:

opening

flourish E add 9 (=C add 9) A (=F)

—————–0—0——-0–0-0-0-0———-0–0–0————-

[–]  

-2–0——-0—-0—0—0—0–0-0-0-0- –0–0–2–2–2————-

[–]  

-2–0—- –0—-0—0—0—0–0-0-0-0- –1–1–1–1–1——-1—–

[–]  

-2–0—- –2————2——2—2— –0–0–0–0–0——-0—–

__

——— –0————0————– –2————–0–2——-
——— –0————0————– –0———————-0–

pull-off hammer-on

this pattern repeats throughout the song

with slight (mostly rhythmic) variations–listen to recording for rhythm

______________________

Full structure: lyrics, chords–in capoed tone, measures ( )

(Opening: choir sings 1st verse, chorus)

C add9 F x 4, with French horn intro.

Verse:

I saw her today at the reception,

a glass of wine in her hand

I knew she was gonna meet her connection,

at her feet was a footloose man

Chorus:

You can't always get what you wa-ant x 3

D (see fill #1 below) F C F

but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need

Verse 2:

I went down to the demonstration, to get my fair share of abuse

Singing, “we’re gonna vent our frustration,

if we don’t we’re gonna blow a 50 amp fuse”

Chorus

Verse 3 (add 4 extra C add 9, F’s–twice as long):

I went down to the Chelsea Drug Store, to get your prescription filled

I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy, and man did he look pretty ill

We decided we would have a soda, my favorite flavor–cherry red

I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy,

and he said one word to me and that was “dead”

I said to him…

Chorus

Interlude, with brief electric solo and choir:

Dsus C F Dsus G7sus then an instrumental chorus with last line sung

(If you don’t have a choir handy–I seem to have misplaced mine right at the

moment–or a lead guitarist, try changing the rhythm to rapid strumming)

Verse 4: (back to standard pattern/rhythm)

I saw her today at the reception, in her glass was a bleeding man

She was practiced at the art of deception,

I could tell by her bloodstained hands

Chorus 3 times, then repeat and fade on C add 9, F with choir

___________________

Fill #1, last line of chorus, first time only:

———————————————————–
———————————————————–
–2——————————1——————–1—-
–2———————-2——-0—————-0——–

[–] [–]  

–2—————-0–2———-2————0–2———
–2————–2—————0————————-

h.o. h.o.

Electric for lead is in standard tuning, using C7 scale

play 8th fret C, F barre chords during chorus

_______________________

Notes: Chelsea Drug is (was) a real drug store in south London–rock

musician, fan and junkie hang-out in 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, maybe still.

Mr. Jimmy is clearly Jimi Hendrix

Enjoy!

Corrections, additions, comments, criticisms welcome:

Larry Kaye [email protected]