revolutionaryetude:

GIMME SHELTER
Rolling Stones

Rape, murder
it’s just a shot away
it’s just a shot away

Has it been Richards’ guitar or Jagger’s voice that made this song unique? More: has it been the song that made the movie immortal, or has it been the movie instead?

One of the most powerful, intense, violent and beautiful songs ever writter was in fact used for one of the most powerful, intense, violent and beautiful movies ever directed. I chosed Apocalypse Now scene instead of a live performance because the union of both is a rough, desperate fist in your stomach. Vietnam war inspired many end-of-the-world songs, let’s just mention The End by The Doors, that was in the movie too.

Mick Jagger himself explained: “That song was written during the Vietnam War and so it’s very much about the awareness that war is always present; it was very present in life at that point. Mary Clayton who did the backing vocals, was a background singer who was known to one of the producers. Suddenly, we wanted someone to sing in the middle of the night. And she was around. She came with her curlers in, straight from bed, and had to sing this really odd lyric. For her it was a little odd - for anyone, in the middle of the night, to sing this one verse I would have been odd. She was great.”