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"Dead Flowers" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the rock and roll band The Rolling Stones off their 1971 album Sticky Fingers.

Recording "Dead Flowers" began in April 1970 at the Olympic Sound studio in London. The lyrics to the song are notably dark, and feature the line, "I'll be in my basement room, with a needle and a spoon", a reference to injecting heroin. The song was performed live on the 1970, 1971 and 1972 tours, as well as during the 1976 Knebworth show. It would take until 1989 before the Stones would perform it live again.

This was written during the period when The Stones were stepping into country territory, when Keith Richards' friendship with Gram Parsons was influencing his songwriting. Mick Jagger commented in 2003: "The 'Country' songs we recorded later, like "Dead Flowers" on Sticky Fingers or Far Away Eyes on Some Girls, are slightly different (than our earlier ones). The actual music is played completely straight, but it's me who's not going legit with the whole thing, because I think I'm a blues singer not a country singer - I think it's more suited to Keith's voice than mine." ^[1]

A live cut from their 1995 Foot Tappers and Wheel Shunters Paradiso Amsterdam, The Netherlands club gigs can be found on the 1995 live album Stripped.

Reception

In their review of Sticky Fingers, Rolling Stone rated Dead Flowers poorly, saying "the mere thought of the Stones doing straight country music is simply appalling. And they do it so poorly, especially the lead guitar." ^[2]

Personnel

• Mick Jagger - vocals, acoustic guitar
• Keith Richards - rhythm guitar, harmony vocals
• Mick Taylor - lead guitar
• Charlie Watts - drums
• Bill Wyman - bass guitar
• Ian Stewart - piano

Cover versions

Cover versions of "Dead Flowers" have been recorded and released by the following notable artists:

• Cowboy Junkies, on Sharon (released in 2007)
• Guns N' Roses bootleg unplugged album
• GG Allin, on The Troubled Troubador (released in 1996)
• Gilby Clarke & Axl Rose, on Pawnshop Guitars (released in 1994)
• Steve Earle, on Shut Up and Die Like an Aviator (released in 1991) and Ain't Ever Satisfied: The Steve Earle Collection (released in 1996)
• The Good Brothers, on The Good Brothers Live (released in 1980)
• Henry McCullough, on Cut (released in 2000)
• The Karl Hendricks Trio, on Buick Electra (released in 1992)
• New Riders of the Purple Sage, on Live Austin, TX 06/13/1975
• Nine Pound Hammer, on Mulebite Deluxe (released in 2005)
• Shelby Lynne, at Amoeba Music in Hollywood (May 2005, on YouTube)
• Poison, on Poison'd (released in 2007)
• Michael Stanley, on The Farrago Sessions (released in 2006)
• Townes Van Zandt, on Roadsongs, Abnormal and on soundtrack to the film The Big Lebowski.
• Lars Winnerbäck, on We Love You: A Tribute To The Rolling Stones
• Jimmy Barnes & Richard Clapton on Australian music show, My First Gig
• The Brothers Comatose live at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in 2009

External links

• Complete Official Lyrics

References