Mick Jagger wrote all the lyrics except the line “can’t get no satisfaction.” The lyrics deal with what Jagger saw as the two sides of America: the real and phony. The song is about a man looking for authenticity but not being able to find it through the haze of marketing. Jagger experienced the vast commercialism of America in a big way on their tours and later learned to exploit it, as The Rolling Stones made truckloads of money through sponsorships and merchandising in the US.
Did You Know
The famous guitar riff on this song was written by Keith Richards in his sleep after a show in Clearwater, Florida, on the 6th of May 1965.
Mick Jagger’s words about this track: “‘Satisfaction’ was ‘my view of the world’, my frustration with everything… (disgust with) America, its advertising syndrome, the constant barrage.”
When The Rolling Stones performed this song on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1966, the line “Trying to make some girl” was bleeped out by censors.
Mick Jagger said in 1968, “It sounded like a folk song when we first started working on it, and Keith didn’t like it much. He didn’t want it to be a single, he didn’t think it would do very well. I think Keith thought it was a bit basic. I don’t think he really listened to it properly. He was too close to it and just felt it was a silly kind of riff.”
Video
Lyric
I can’t get no satisfaction
I can’t get no satisfaction
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can’t get no, I can’t get noWhen I’m drivin’ in my car
And the man comes on the radio
He’s tellin’ me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to fire my imaginationI can’t get no
Oh no no no
Hey hey hey
That’s what I sayI can’t get no satisfaction
I can’t get no satisfaction
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can’t get no, I can’t get noWhen I’m watchin’ my TV
And a man comes on and tells me
How white my shirts can be
But he can’t be a man ’cause he doesn’t smoke
The same cigarettes as meI can’t get no
Oh no no no
Hey hey hey
That’s what I sayI can’t get no satisfaction
I can’t get no girl reaction
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can’t get no, I can’t get noWhen I’m ridin’ round the world
And I’m doin’ this and I’m signin’ that
And I’m tryin’ to make some girl
Who tells me baby better come back maybe next week
Can’t you see I’m on a losing streakI can’t get no
Oh no no no
Hey hey hey
That’s what I sayI can’t get no, I can’t get no
I can’t get no satisfaction
No satisfaction, no satisfaction
No satisfaction, I can’t get no