“It’s Just a Shot Away”: Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones

Every aspect of life can always be divided into two factions. Republicans and Democrats. Yankees and Red Sox fans. Whiskey and Scotch drinkers. In music it always comes down to Beatles and Rolling Stones loyalists.

Ask any music fan, “Who was better?” and he/she will not hesitate in giving their answer. There is no deliberating in this debate.

I’ve always belonged to the Rolling Stones camp. While the Beatles were cashing in on their innocent boy band of the ‘60s image, the Stones were earning their keep. Early in the game, the Beatles wrote about holding hands (“I Wanna Hold Your Hand”) and teenaged puppy love (“She Loves You”). In the same era, the Stones mocked conformity and advertising (“Satisfaction”), told tales of suburban pill popping (“Mother’s Little Helper”) and described the rage and devastation of a man whose lover has died (“Paint it Black”).

As the cynicism of the 60s progressed, the Beatles took LSD a couple of times and became hippies. The Stones already had contemptuous street cred and was ready to match the mood of a country that was still mourning JFK and mired in the Vietnam War.

The Stones upped the ante and put together their war protest song, “Gimme Shelter” from the classic album Let It Bleed. The lyrics are a dramatic and powerful way of saying “make love, not war.”

War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
I tell you love, sister, it's just a kiss away
It's just a kiss away 

The guitar intro mixed with Merry Clayton’s vocals create a feeling of dread and despair in anticipation of something horrible. Clayton’s voice is at such a fever pitch, her voice cracks three times.

No other song conveys the horrors of war more than “Gimme Shelter”. Its dark image of what was going on in Southeast Asia is filled with anger and optimism for the alternative.


Beat that, Ringo!

The song is now miscast and associated with the mob, thanks to Martin Scorsese. It has appeared in three of his films, Goodfellas, Casino and The Departed (oddly enough, the song isn’t a part of Scorsese’s documentary about the Stones, Shine a Light). Sure, the Stones were high a lot during this era, but it’s not a drug song. 

  

In the late ‘80s, the American Red Cross used the instrumentation of this song as the backdrop of one of their PSAs. Sad to say, this was my introduction to the song. However, every time I hear the intro of the song, I flash to this memory. 


AUTHOR'S NOTE
I got an e-mail a couple hours before post time, and I wanted to share it with you. Think of it as a shameless plug for some old friends of mine.


Cheers,
Ian


The much-anticipated Exile On Main Street deluxe re-issue hits stores today, and we're going in-depth with Mick, Keith and Charlie for insight into one of the most significant albums in rock history.  Tune in for theRolling Stones Exile On Main Street Radio Special from 7pm-8pm tonight (5/18) on 92-3 WTTS. 
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