Please allow me to introduce one of the greatest singles ever recorded, despite the controversy surrounding the Rolling Stones’ 1968 anthem. “Sympathy for the Devil” is a dark melody by the Rolling Stones that thousands of Coral Springs real estate owners appreciate. The British Invaders’ sophisticated sound appears as the opening chant on the 1968 LP Beggars Banquet. Keith Richards’ savage clash of guitar licks is topped with a piano, Latin maracas, and congas. In 2004, Rolling Stone put it at #32 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The top two tracks are Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” and the Stones’ timeless “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
“Sympathy” is well known throughout popular culture almost 40 years later. After all, it is quoted everywhere from Stephen King’s The Stand and Hunter S. Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas to “The Simpsons” and “The Sopranos.” The tune was even part of Jane’s Addiction’s set-list back in the 1980s. The Stones were already frowned upon for supposed Satanism topped with the sexually forward “Let’s Spend the Night Together.” While the Beatles had the “good boy” image, the media portrayed the Stones as devil-worshippers who were corrupting the youth. “Sympathy” was never a celebration of the Devil. It’s merely devilish poetry pointing out mankind’s murderous instincts.
Written by singer Mick and Keith, the Stones mighty masterpiece captures both a gospel and a folk sound. Its words were inspired by Mikhail Bulgakov’s anti-Soviet novel The Master and Margarita. The book’s opening words, “Please excuse me,” are thought of when hearing “Sympathy’s” “Please allow me to introduce myself.”
Men and women in homes for sale in Coral Springs hear Mick deliver a first-person narrative from Lucifer’s point of view. “Sympathy” touches on wars of religion, as in The Hundred Years’ War. “I watched with glee while your Kings and Queens fought for ten decades for the Gods they made,” he sings. Then there’s the Russian Revolution of 1917 when Mick “stuck around St. Petersburg” and “killed the Czar and his ministers.” “I rode a tank, held a general’s rank” is describing the depths of WWII. And “Anastasia screamed in vain” is a reference to Keith’s former girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg. Apparently, his woman walked through the studio creating ape noises to inspire the “Sympathy’s” creators.
The murders of John and Robert Kennedy are brought up in “Sympathy.” Originally, Mick asked, “Who killed John Kennedy?” But the second politician was slaughtered while the Stones were recording Beggars Banquet. It soon became “Who killed the Kennedys?”
To this day, the irresistible “Sympathy” has been performed in front of thousands of Coral Springs luxury homeowners regularly in the Stones’ live shows, complimented by the front man’s famous swagger. The historic number has also been captured and released on the three different live albums and two Stones compilations.
Listen to “Sympathy” repeatedly, but do not take its speculated messages to heart, even if every cop is a criminal and all His sinners are saints. I know, it’s only the Stones’ controversial rock ‘n roll. But that’s the nature of their game.
Check out this live presentation of “Sympathy” for 1969:
About Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty:
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty serves 19 counties throughout Florida with over 40 locations and approximately 1,800 Sales Professionals. The full-service brokerage company, founded in 1999, is a subsidiary of Lennar Corporation, a Fortune 500 company and is a franchise member of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ network, one of the few organizations entrusted to use the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway name. The company offers residential and commercial services as well as seasonal rentals, property management, REO & Foreclosures, corporate relocations, referral services, title, home service plans, and personal concierge services. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty ranks in the Top 10 in the network among 42,000 Sales Professionals, 1,200 offices throughout 47 states. The company is the overall No. 1 fundraiser for The Sunshine Kids Foundation, having generated more than $3.37 million since 2001. Visit www.BHHSFloridaRealty.com.
