A classic song by veteran rock band The Rolling Stones “has no resonance” in the modern world, according to Mick Jagger.
The legendary frontman believes the song doesn’t have much relevance now and has gone as far as to say he does not think the band should play it live. Inspired by the riots in France during the 1960s, Street Fighting Man became one of the biggest hits of The Rolling Stones’ earliest years. Despite this, Jagger believes it is no use to the band or listener as it has lost its relevance. In a conversation with Rolling Stone Magazine founder Jann Wenner, Jagger confirmed he was still on the fence about whether the band should still be playing the Beggars Banquet hit.
He said: “I don’t know if it does [have resonance]. I don’t know whether we should really play it. I was persuaded to put it in this tour because it seemed to fit in, but I’m not sure if it really has any resonance for the present day. I don’t really like it that much.
“I thought it was a very good thing at the time. There was all this violence going on. I mean, they almost toppled the government in France; DeGaulle went into this complete funk, as he had in the past, and he went and sort of locked himself in his house in the country. And so the government was almost inactive. And the French riot police were amazing.”
Despite Jagger’s dislike of the song, it remained in the setlist for a tour in the mid-1990s. It’s a song which has been slowly dropped from modern-day sets by the band, featuring just twice across their 2024 tour. The song featured the most amount of times on any tour in the year 1995, the same year Jagger was interviewed by Wenner.
It’s the song Jagger believes has the last “totally involved” moment from late band member Brian Jones. Jagger added: “That was the last time I remember Brian really being totally involved in something that was really worth doing.
“He was there with everyone else. It’s funny how you remember – but that was the last moment I remember him doing that, because he had just lost interest in everything.” Though Jagger thinks the song has lost its edge, Street Fighting Man was banned from radio play in Chicago shortly after its release.
Jagger said at the time: “I’m rather pleased to hear they have banned (the song). The last time they banned one of our records in America, it sold a million.” He would go on to say the song was meant to be “subversive” of the Vietnam War and that it was “stupid” to think the song could kindle a revolution.
He added: “Of course it’s subversive! It’s stupid to think you can start a revolution with a record. I wish you could.”
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