Do you think you can get something philosophical out of a song? If so, what do you get out of this one?

Question

Please allow me to introduce myself
Im a man of wealth and taste
Ive been around for a long, long year
Stole many a mans soul and faith
And I was round when jesus christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that pilate
Washed his hands and sealed his fate
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But whats puzzling you
Is the nature of my game
I stuck around st. petersburg
When I saw it was a time for a change
Killed the czar and his ministers
Anastasia screamed in vain
I rode a tank
Held a generals rank
When the blitzkrieg raged
And the bodies stank
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name, oh yeah
Ah, whats puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah
I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made
I shouted out,
Who killed the kennedys?
When after all
It was you and me
Let me please introduce myself
Im a man of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for troubadours
Who get killed before they reached bombay
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But whats puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, oh yeah, get down, baby
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, oh yeah
But whats confusing you
Is just the nature of my game
Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints
As heads is tails
Just call me lucifer
cause Im in need of some restraint
So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or Ill lay your soul to waste, um yeah
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guessed my name, um yeah
But whats puzzling you
Is the nature of my game, um mean it, get down
Woo, who
Oh yeah, get on down
Oh yeah
Oh yeah!
Tell me baby, whats my name
Tell me honey, can ya guess my name
Tell me baby, whats my name
I tell you one time, youre to blame

Answer 1

Ah, Sympathy for the Devil - The Rolling Stones.

I'd say the theme is encapsuled in these lines:
"I shouted out,
Who killed the kennedys?
When after all
It was you and me"

and

"Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the sinners saints"

In other words, we all have both the impulse/potential for Good (God) and Evil (the Devil) within us.

Answer 2

G'day Danielle,

Thank you for your question.

It is possible for songs as with all works of art to have philosophical meaning. Indeed, this song Sympathy for the Devil does have it in my view in that it argues that mankind often seeks to blame the devil for its own misdeeds.

It was originally performed by the Rolling Stones as the first track on their Beggars Banquet album from 1968.

The song is sung by Mick Jagger as a first-person narrative and commentary from the point of view of a suave and sophisticated Lucifer. It is often claimed that the lyrics were inspired by The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.[1] At the beginning of Bulgakov's novel, an elegant stranger, later revealed to be Satan, is introduced in this way:

"'Please excuse me,' he said, speaking correctly, but with a foreign accent, 'for presuming to speak to you without an introduction.'"

The style of the stanzas also bears resemblance to a passage in The Devil and Daniel Webster.

"Sympathy for the Devil" begins:

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste

Backed by a constantly intensifying rock arrangement, the singer recounts his exploits over the course of human history and warns the listener:

If you meet me, have some courtesy
Have some sympathy, and some taste
Use all your well-learned politesse
Or I'll lay your soul to waste

At the time of the release of Beggars Banquet the Stones had already raised some hackles for sexually forward lyrics such as "Let's Spend the Night Together" and for dabbling in Satanism (their previous album, while containing no direct Satanic references, had been titled Their Satanic Majesties Request), and "Sympathy" brought these concerns to the fore, offering "proof" to fundamentalist Christians that The Rolling Stones (and perhaps all rock musicians) were indeed worshipers of Satan and a corrupting influence on youth. It should be noted, however, that one interpretation of this song is that "The Devil" is in fact mankind. The lyrics are a brief history of some of the most notable atrocities committed by man against man, including wars of religion (I watched with glee while you Kings and Queens fought for ten decades for the Gods they made), the October Revolution (I stuck around St. Petersburg when I saw it was a time for a change, killed the Czar and his ministers), and World War II (I rode a tank, held a gen'ral's rank while the blitzkrieg raged, and the bodies stank). In that light, the song would appear to be a criticism of the immorality in Western Civilization perceived by the songwriter.

In addition to the very idea of a sympathetic view of the Devil, the lyrics include references to the deaths of John and Robert Kennedy (the latter having occurred only months before the album was released). The song may have been spared further controversy when the first single from the album, "Street Fighting Man" became even more controversial in the wake of the race riots occurring in many cities in the U.S.

Keith Richards said in 2002 ""Sympathy is quite an uplifting song. It's just a matter of looking the Devil in the face. He's there all the time. I've had very close contact with Lucifer - I've met him several times. Evil - people tend to bury it and hope it sorts itself out and doesn't rear its ugly head. Sympathy for the Devil is just as appropriate now, with 9/11. There it is again, big time. When that song was written, it was a time of turmoil. It was the first sort of international chaos since World War II. And confusion is not the ally of peace and love. You want to think the world is perfect. Everybody gets sucked into that. And as America has found out to its dismay, you can't hide. You might as well accept the fact that evil is there and deal with it any way you can. Sympathy for the Devil is a song that says, Don't forget him. If you confront him, then he's out of a job."

Additional personnel included Nicky Hopkins - piano, Dave Mason - guitar and mandolin, Rocky Dijon - congas, Marianne Faithfull and Anita Pallenberg - backup vocals.

Sympathy for the Devil wasn't released as a single in 1968 but remixes of it were released in 2003. However, it is one of their best known tracks and a staple of live shows. It has been widely covered with Guns n' Roses and Ozzy Osbourne.

I have attached sources for your reference.

Regards

Answer 3

I see that the previous answer failed to recognize the source... *sigh* I don't even listen to classic rock much and I know THAT one.

I don't know what they were trying to say with this one, unless it was just "The Devil is behind all the bad stuff that happens, and has been around for a long time." Sorry -- not in to muchof a philosophical mood myself today...

Answer 4

a million. 'Jindagi Ke Safar Mein Guzar Jaate Hai Jo Makaam' From Aapki Kasam 2. ' Tere Bina Jindagi se Shikwa, To Nahi, Shikwa nahi-2, Tere bina jindagi bhi Lakin Jindagi nahi' From Aandhi. 3. ' Hum Bewafa, Hurgis na thay, in step with hum Vafa Ker na Sake' From Shalimaar. 4. ' Hum thay Jinke Sahaare, Woh Hue na Humare, Dubi jab Dil ke Nayya, Samne thay Kinaray' 5. 'Tum Besahara ho to, kise ka sahara bano, tumko apnay aap hi Sahara mil jaayega, Kashti koi dubti pahuchaado, kinare pay, tum apnay aap he kinara mil jaayega' from Anurodh. Kishor Kumar Is the perfect, i admire his all maximum all songs.

Answer 5

That mankinds actions towards their fellow man are the true essence of the devil, and that the devil is merely an idea conjured up to explain the horrors of modern existence and the brutality that we see so much of

Answer 6

that man creates his own problems.
i believe that just as god works through man as a positive force, the devil works through man as a negative one. the verses throughout and particularly at the end of the song, constantly asks the question: " guess/what's my name". the "name" is man, or ourselves (collectively and/or individually). "lucifer" is a designation given for the evil, (or the capacity to do/be evil) to ourselves and/or others. to me, the song means to take responsibility for all the "pain" that exist in the world.

Answer 7

Philosophical...
sure- nature of evil,
Proud, self-serving, loves death and destruction- actually- Sounds a lot like homo faber- Weber's and Arednt's... destroying materials (including human beings) in order to "create" new world.

Answer 8

yes you certainly can, from that song i found the revelation upon life, mankind, the world we live in, and the entire cosmos. In everything, there is chaos.

Answer 9

You may want to listen to the singer/songwriter called Jewel.

Answer 10

The writer was smoking something.