He may not be as cerebral as Bob Dylan or as lyrical as Leonard Cohen, but Keith Richards wrote some of the most famous rock and roll songs of the 20th century. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger wrote some of the most iconic rock & roll riffs. But Richards never seemed to overthink his compositions, rather creating them on the fly. Great songwriters have always had their own composing techniques and secrets. Some artists isolate themselves for months, concentrating only on their craft, whereas others find inspiration in everyday events. Keith Richards, the prototypical rocker, has had enough unique adventures and interactions to compose many amazing songs.
In their early years, The Rolling Stones drew from the blues heritage of musical storytelling, while other groups used short, snappy, frequently incoherent rock and pop lyrics. Jagger and Richards took over The Stones from blues fan Brian Jones, but they never abandoned narrative. The group’s songwriting approach changed as they became more steeped in rock and roll. Richards said, “Things like ‘Hand of Fate’ particularly, we got into Story. Other connections are nearly stream-of-consciousness. One line is unrelated to the others.” Regarding composition, Richards said, “People say they write songs, but in a way, you’re more the medium. I think all the tunes are floating about; it’s simply an issue of antenna reception. So many strange things have happened,” he said. “A full song arises from nowhere in five minutes, the entire framework, and you haven’t worked at all.”
Richards stated, “You’re playing, and you’re bored stiff, and nothing’s happening, and you go out and have a joint or something and euhuh!” It is. Similar to listening to the radio. You got it. Not always, but many people associate excellent work with difficulty. Simplest thing. It passes so quickly that they tell you practically. Not even you saw it”. Of course, few musicians can create famous rock songs like The Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” ““Satisfaction’ was our biggest hit ever,” he said, “and it just came boing bang crash, and it was on tape before I felt it.” Not bad for a number-one hit that defined The Stones’ sound.
