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The Rolling Stones — Midnight Rambler
Album: Let It Bleed
Avg rating:
7.6

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1040









Released: 1969
Length: 6:52
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Did you hear about the midnight rambler
Everybody got to go
Did you hear about the midnight rambler
The one that shut the kitchen door
He don't give a hoot of warning
Wrapped up in a black cat cloak
He don't go in the light of the morning
He split the time the cock'rel crows
Talkin' about the midnight gambler
The one you never seen before
Talkin' about the midnight gambler
Did you see him jump the garden wall
Sighin' down the wind so sad
Listen and you'll hear him moan
Talkin' about the midnight gambler
Everybody got to go
Did you hear about the midnight rambler
Well, honey, it's no rock 'n' roll show
Well, I'm talkin' about the midnight gambler
Yeah, the one you never seen before
[ad lib]
Well you heard about the Boston...
It's not one of those
Well, talkin' 'bout the midnight...sh...
The one that closed the bedroom door
I'm called the hit-and-run raper in anger
The knife-sharpened tippie-toe...
Or just the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler
You know, the one you never seen before
So if you ever meet the midnight rambler
Coming down your marble hall
Well he's pouncing like proud black panther
Well, you can say I, I told you so
Well, don't you listen for the midnight rambler
Play it easy, as you go
I'm gonna smash down all your plate glass windows
Put a fist, put a fist through your steel-plated door
Did you hear about the midnight rambler
He'll leave his footprints up and down your hall
And did you hear about the midnight gambler
And did you see me make my midnight call
And if you ever catch the midnight rambler
I'll steal your mistress from under your nose
I'll go easy with your cold fanged anger
I'll stick my knife right down your throat, baby
And it hurts!
Comments (103)add comment
 lizardking wrote:

Absolutely, beyond 
creepy; deranged 
even! freaking great!!
LLRP



YEP!  I  Agree. GREAT TUNE!!  I bought this album right after it was released. I was 14yrs old.  WNEW FM 102.7 NYC  used to play them a lot. Brings back fond memories, & I still like it!    Somehow, this was the 1st time that I actually read the lyrics.   ...Creepy, but great.   Thanx RP!  
 RabbitEars wrote:

never read the lyrics before. very creepy. 


Absolutely, beyond 
creepy; deranged 
even! freaking great!!
LLRP
their best period
never read the lyrics before. very creepy. 
Classic Cool
 MrStatenIsle wrote:
Didn't need a 7-minute version of that.
 

I know, ten would be much better!
 Stefen wrote:

And don't forget about Beggar's Banquet.  
 

absolutely. let it bleed and beggars banquet. their best. 
Didn't need a 7-minute version of that.
Absolutely not one of the Stones' better moments. Dull. 
My least favorite Stones song. Really boring. Long, dull. Pass.
 On_The_Beach wrote:

No doubt, and Sticky Fingers and Exile weren't too shabby either!

 
And don't forget about Beggar's Banquet.  
 timqueeney wrote:
Arguably the best rock album of all time.
 
No doubt, and Sticky Fingers and Exile weren't too shabby either!
{#Devil_pimp}zesty !
 kingart wrote:
I had a high school acquaintance who at the time thought this was the greatest rock and roll song of all time. 
?? 

Beats the shit out of me, too.  

Let it bleed?
Let this one go silent.
 

 
I don't know him, but I like this acquaintance.  He has better taste and he and beat the shit out of you, too.
 kingart wrote:
I had a high school acquaintance who at the time thought this was the greatest rock and roll song of all time. 
?? 

Beats the shit out of me, too.  

Let it bleed?
Let this one go silent.
 

 
I don't know him, but I like this acquaintance. 
Also among the best album covers of all time.

Robert Brownjohn. Let It Bleed 1969. Lithograph, 12 3/8 x 12 3/8″ (31.4 x 31.4 cm)

"Brownjohn was hired by his close pal Keith Richards to design the cover, and he in turn hired Delia Smith—the same Delia Smith who would go on to become a well-known British cookbook writer and television celebrity—to bake the cake. As quoted in bassist Bill Wyman’s memoir, Rolling with the Stones, Smith recalled, “I was working then as a jobbing home economist with a food photographer who shot for commercials and magazines. I’d cook anything they needed. One day they said they wanted a cake for a Rolling Stones record cover, it was just another job at the time. They wanted it to be very over-the-top and as gaudy as I could make it.”

This all makes slightly more sense when you learn that the album’s working title was Automatic Changer,referring to a feature on some turntables that allowed you to stack records on a tall spindle with the mechanics to drop one record at a time to the platter after the previous record finished playing.

Despite the final title change, the Stones liked the imagery so much that they choose to stick with Brownjohn’s design. The Royal Mail agreed, and in 2010 the iconic album cover image was chosen for a set of stamps featuring classic rock album covers."

https://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2013/09/12/let-them-eat-delias-cake-or-robert-brownjohns-let-it-bleed/


WOO-HOO! The party-hearty side of "preening machismo and latent maliciousness" ROCK ON!!! where'd I put those Yaa-Yaas
 timqueeney wrote:
Arguably the best rock album of all time. 

 
A solid candidate for the honour. Zeppelin IV and Pink Floyd's DSOTM will also merit consideration depending on your taste.
Love the Stones! {#Bananajam}{#Bananajam}{#Bananajam}{#Bananajam}{#Bananajam}
Arguably the best rock album of all time. 
"greatest rock and roll song of all time",  Up there man, real rock
And I guess they are trying to pull off a show right about now in Havana, Cuba.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/25/rolling-stones-rock-up-in-havana-for-historic-cuba-gig
The lads were just getting on a roll about now....

DM
I had a high school acquaintance who at the time thought this was the greatest rock and roll song of all time. 
?? 

Beats the shit out of me, too.  

Let it bleed?
Let this one go silent.
 
Immortals. Long live the rolling Stones! 
 nigelr wrote:


What the Brit lads learnt. Ry felt.................
 
If the Brit lads hadn't learnt in the first place, Ry wouldn't have formed the Rising Sons in 1964....
Welcome back!!
I have heard way too much stones.  Please spare me of any futher suffering.  PS Love RP
Not a big Stones fan. Maybe that time will come.
 jagdriver wrote:

I wonder how much is Keith versus hired gun Ry Cooder. And don't forget that Bill Wyman knew his blues so well, he wrote the book. Well, a book, anyway.

 

What the Brit lads learnt. Ry felt.................
OMG - thank you....it's only 7am here in Austin, TX....now I'm JUMPING around the office
I think the live version from Get Your YaYa's out is the best version.    
always loved Mick's "Suthin" vocals
birdland
(Right about....here.)
Posted: May 18, 2009 - 11:40 < Reply >

 jagdriver wrote:
I wonder how much is Keith versus hired gun Ry Cooder. And don't forget that Bill Wyman knew his blues so well, he wrote the book. Well, a book, anyway.

 
According to the liner notes - Ry played mandolin on 'Love in Vain'.

According to Jimi "Mr. EXP" Hendrix, "You cannot believe everything you read and hear now, can you?"

(Now if you'll excuse me, I must be on my way.)
 Misterfixit wrote:

Hey There, I just noticed that after you recommend that I take some time off — back in 2007 — well Sir, I did take some time off!  I figgered what with the rather embarrassing amount of royalties and other largess arriving at my mailbox on an almost daily basis, well, "why work?"  But hey, once a southern boy with bare feet squinched gooshingly into a drippingly fresh cow pie recently discharged by Old EmmaLou (she ain't managed to get her milk down for a couple days now and daddy is considering conversion to hamburgers — guess that talk round her and using that Bag Balm Lotion on her tired old Udders must be making the old gal kinda nervous).  Anyway, I h'aint had much time for barefooting and cow pie squinching ... I done took some time and rode around the farm down here south of Nashville and just did some thinking bout life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — and maybe converting the whole 1,650 acres into a Bible Theme Park and Paint Gun Course.  Yeah, that would be a money maker, well hell, we could have Xtians versus Moslems versus Jews versus Pagans versus Atheists.  Question is, like would the groups all gang up on one or the other?  Now I can see the Messianic Jews and the local Free WIll Xtians making a treaty for exchange of red, blue and yellow paint balls, extra co2, etc.  But what about the Pagans and Wiccans and so forth?  Might be a bit scary out there in the dark with them folks waving their hands and their Ashlar branches around, hooting like owl=s and being nekkid and all ..... well, I got off that track again ...  Yesssir, I remember my days up in the Big Apple, down on Gardner's Island.  Yep.  well, guess I don't know where the thread of this thread of consciousness is going, so I better cut it off now before I inadvertently give up the secret of who really killed the Kennedy Brothers and Marilyn Their mutual menage a'trois party girl who didn't bathe.  Speaking of stench, can you imagine the stink which would come about if Bill read this on the air like he read my notes on Nick Cave's "Hold onto Yourself".  — Stop that Nick!  You are going to go blind doing that!!!!

 
Why not go fix Gardiner's Island?  Shortly before Gardiner's death he said:

"We have always married into wealth. We've covered all our bets. We were on both sides of the Revolution, and both sides of the Civil War. The Gardiner family always came out on top."

Ya might as well go squinch some cow pies, laddie!  And puleez do take some more time off - we won't miss your missives!




 Misterfixit wrote:
Rumor has it that The lyrics are the verbatim courtroom testimony made by the Boston Strangler when he was on trial.
 
Since no one was ever officially tried for the "Boston Strangler" murders, it's unlikely there could have been any courtroom testimony, but these lyrics may inspired by parts of Albert DeSalvo's confession.  It's certainly inspired by the crimes.  Great song by the way.


my cousin gave my brother this album when I was like 12....didn't want it for some reason

always remember playing it on a phonograph and staring at all the little details on the album cover
oh yeah!

"Don't do that"
{#Bananajam}   oh yeah...  (this little guy is on beat)

 thewiseking wrote:
dude, you need some time off

 
Hey There, I just noticed that after you recommend that I take some time off — back in 2007 — well Sir, I did take some time off!  I figgered what with the rather embarrassing amount of royalties and other largess arriving at my mailbox on an almost daily basis, well, "why work?"  But hey, once a southern boy with bare feet squinched gooshingly into a drippingly fresh cow pie recently discharged by Old EmmaLou (she ain't managed to get her milk down for a couple days now and daddy is considering conversion to hamburgers — guess that talk round her and using that Bag Balm Lotion on her tired old Udders must be making the old gal kinda nervous).  Anyway, I h'aint had much time for barefooting and cow pie squinching ... I done took some time and rode around the farm down here south of Nashville and just did some thinking bout life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — and maybe converting the whole 1,650 acres into a Bible Theme Park and Paint Gun Course.  Yeah, that would be a money maker, well hell, we could have Xtians versus Moslems versus Jews versus Pagans versus Atheists.  Question is, like would the groups all gang up on one or the other?  Now I can see the Messianic Jews and the local Free WIll Xtians making a treaty for exchange of red, blue and yellow paint balls, extra co2, etc.  But what about the Pagans and Wiccans and so forth?  Might be a bit scary out there in the dark with them folks waving their hands and their Ashlar branches around, hooting like owl=s and being nekkid and all ..... well, I got off that track again ...  Yesssir, I remember my days up in the Big Apple, down on Gardner's Island.  Yep.  well, guess I don't know where the thread of this thread of consciousness is going, so I better cut it off now before I inadvertently give up the secret of who really killed the Kennedy Brothers and Marilyn Their mutual menage a'trois party girl who didn't bathe.  Speaking of stench, can you imagine the stink which would come about if Bill read this on the air like he read my notes on Nick Cave's "Hold onto Yourself".  — Stop that Nick!  You are going to go blind doing that!!!!

 jagdriver wrote:

I wonder how much is Keith versus hired gun Ry Cooder. And don't forget that Bill Wyman knew his blues so well, he wrote the book. Well, a book, anyway.

 
According to the liner notes - Ry played mandolin on 'Love in Vain'.

 WonderLizard wrote:
BTW, this is just opinion, so I'd appreciate return volleys without the ab hominem name calling. Thank you.
 
Wouldn't it be nice if there was never ANY name-calling on any of these posts. People get so mean-spirited all the way to downright nasty.

 Misterfixit wrote:
This is the Quintessential Mick Jagger ... the first time I saw him do this I just stood there and stared like he was a space alien.
 
Ackshoelee, I do believe he IS ..

That harp does a helluva good Canada Goose impression ;-)
 Nabla wrote:
If one asked me: "Beatles" or "Stones", the answer would be a clear and loud "S t o n e s, of course"!!
 
Can't agree more  {#Angel}
 WonderLizard wrote:
With no offense to the legions of Allman, Page, Clapton, Bloomfield, etc. fans out there, I don't think anyone ever got how to translate the blues into rock'n'roll quite like Keith Richards. Beggars Banquet was a stunner, but his work on Let It Bleed and "Honky Tonk Woman" took it to a whole new level.

BTW, this is just opinion, so I'd appreciate return volleys without the ab hominem name calling. Thank you.
 

I'd say the Doors could do it as well and just as well. Songs like Roadhous Blues and many others are classic blues influenced songs which follow the "blues rulebook" closely.
Not the best the Stones put out, but it's undeniable that it's THEM (not ants).
 Arianrhod wrote:
Mick Jagger + work = nothing gets done
 
RP + work = nothing gets done.

 WonderLizard wrote:
With no offense to the legions of Allman, Page, Clapton, Bloomfield, etc. fans out there, I don't think anyone ever got how to translate the blues into rock'n'roll quite like Keith Richards. Beggars Banquet was a stunner, but his work on Let It Bleed and "Honky Tonk Woman" took it to a whole new level.

BTW, this is just opinion, so I'd appreciate return volleys without the ab hominem name calling. Thank you.
 
I wonder how much is Keith versus hired gun Ry Cooder. And don't forget that Bill Wyman knew his blues so well, he wrote the book. Well, a book, anyway.

 WonderLizard wrote:
With no offense to the legions of Allman, Page, Clapton, Bloomfield, etc. fans out there, I don't think anyone ever got how to translate the blues into rock'n'roll quite like Keith Richards. Beggars Banquet was a stunner, but his work on Let It Bleed and "Honky Tonk Woman" took it to a whole new level.

BTW, this is just opinion, so I'd appreciate return volleys without the ab hominem name calling. Thank you.
 
You got my vote!

With no offense to the legions of Allman, Page, Clapton, Bloomfield, etc. fans out there, I don't think anyone ever got how to translate the blues into rock'n'roll quite like Keith Richards. Beggars Banquet was a stunner, but his work on Let It Bleed and "Honky Tonk Woman" took it to a whole new level.

BTW, this is just opinion, so I'd appreciate return volleys without the ab hominem name calling. Thank you.
My all-time favorite Rolling Stones record - still have the original vinyl, too! Nice set, too, with Charlie Musselwhite in the mix . . .
imho, this is a 10. but the version on "get yer ya-yas out" is an 11.
fredriley wrote:
I've never really liked the Stones as a rock ('n roll) band, but they sure can play some serious shitkickin' blues. If there were an album of their purely blues numbers I'd snap it up. Highly-underrated as a blues band, IMO. 7 from the Nottingham jury.
Go out and get Exile on Main Street.
The Killer, or my version. Hope you like it.
p-funk wrote:
What a killer song.....
Literally.
Oh yeah. It's a great, fire up the band party song though. Not the First but not the Worst. Thanks for spinning this one. Oh don do dat.
I've never really liked the Stones as a rock ('n roll) band, but they sure can play some serious shitkickin' blues. If there were an album of their purely blues numbers I'd snap it up. Highly-underrated as a blues band, IMO. 7 from the Nottingham jury.
I love the the live cut of this track from the Hot Rocks compilation! What a great tune, got me rockin' now!
I stick my knife right down your throat , baby, and that hurts!
not my favorite Stones song but not bad at all
One of their best...not as good as Muddy etc but the Stones worshiped and copied those guys sound...which is fine.
I love the Stones, but to me this is a bit of a pale imitation of the authentic sound of BB, Muddy, Lightnin' et al. The last verse saves it, just.
Majorly harpooned, an' its only 11:30pm where I live. Don't do that! ;-)
If one asked me: "Beatles" or "Stones", the answer would be a clear and loud "S t o n e s, of course"!!
fretman wrote:
Sounds like Mysogeny going on here. I'll give it a 2, just to be safe.
Mysogeny? The Stones? Nawwwwwww.
Nothing against this song or it's writers or it's performers personally, but man, I hate it.
Misterfixit wrote:
Yeah, I know ... it's difficult being a knucklehead, I played that damned album backwards a zillion times back in the day when you were a wet spot on the tip of your daddies' dicks and NEVER once got to see the Devil, didn't feel like cutting myself, doing some erotic asphyxiation or even reading some lines of Sylvia Plath. Just a knucklehead, yep, that's moi oci.
dude, you need some time off
thewiseking wrote:
silly. this knucklehead probably believed the Paul is Dead rumors back in the day.
Yeah, I know ... it's difficult being a knucklehead, I played that damned album backwards a zillion times back in the day when you were a wet spot on the tip of your daddies' dicks and NEVER once got to see the Devil, didn't feel like cutting myself, doing some erotic asphyxiation or even reading some lines of Sylvia Plath. Just a knucklehead, yep, that's moi oci.
oufason wrote:
one of the top three cuts off their best LP.
I think Sticky Finger was their best, but it's all relative, so many of their's are great.
MUCH BETTER CHOICE - I ALMOST DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS THEM! Then mick sang
Misterfixit wrote:
Rumor has it that The lyrics are the verbatim courtroom testimony made by the Boston Strangler when he was on trial.
silly. this knucklehead probably believed the Paul is Dead rumors back in the day.
one of the top three cuts off their best LP.
capandjudy wrote:
My thoughts exactly although Beggar's Banquet is neck and neck in my book.
Yep...and Exile! (Not to mention Sticky Fingers...but LIB is really the Stones' desert island LP candidate.)
TURN IT UP!!!!!!!!!
Theres no point in doing anything now - the days wrecked..
Mick Jagger + work = nothing gets done
Rumor has it that The lyrics are the verbatim courtroom testimony made by the Boston Strangler when he was on trial.
On_The_Beach wrote:
Another great song from the Stones greatest album, IMO.
My thoughts exactly although Beggar's Banquet is neck and neck in my book.
Can you see the kids dancing to this one at the disco? Back then we did!
This is the Quintessential Mick Jagger ... the first time I saw him do this I just stood there and stared like he was a space alien.
peter_haslehurst wrote:
They do go on....and on....and on......
Only a problem when you can't get in to it, or just don't like it, I suppose, otherwise you can say the same thing about most classical music pieces! Al_Koholic wrote:
I stick my knife right down your throat,baby, and it hurts. Excellent!
I assume you don't react on behalf of "baby"?
maxmox wrote:
Is that Mick on harp? Anyone?
Absolutely.
Is that Mick on harp? Anyone?
STONES RULES! Back in Hamburg / Germany 08.15.07.... we'll enjoy it.... yeahhhh!!!!
This is good...no, great...but the version on "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out" is THE version. Boy-Howdy how they do COOK on this, live!
stones always break it up, god choice to change the room mood.6.0 fretman wrote:
Sounds like misogyny going on here. I'll give it a 2, just to be safe.
Sounds like Mysogeny going on here. I'll give it a 2, just to be safe.
Milfweed wrote:
Pretty sure the neighbors are pissed after blasting this one.
Pretty sure the neighbors are pissed after blasting this one.
yes
This is just irritating.
Another great song from the Stones greatest album, IMO.
This is the definition of rock! "I heard about the boston...well honey it not one of those" Man, all the parents were stunned when this surfaced.
I stick my knife right down your throat,baby, and it hurts. Excellent!
YOWWWZAAAA ! Ialways say YOWWWZAAA whenever I hear this. Also when I hear I'M A MONKEEEEEEEE MAN !
What a killer song..... I really like the live version of this song as well. One of the best blues/rock songs of all time! :propeller.gif:
they were once Kings... :D