She's A Rainbow by The Rolling Stones

Album: Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)

Charted: 25

License This Song

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

With a trippy, playful sound, this song wasn't typical of The Rolling Stones, but it endured as a fan favorite. It is a rare pure love song by The Stones, whose songs about women tended to be much more libidinous at this time.
The distinctive string section was arranged by John Paul Jones, who was doing session work two years before he joined Led Zeppelin.
This was one of the first songs The Stones produced without manager Andrew Loog Oldham. They wanted to get rid of him, so they angered him away by going against his wishes in many aspects of Their Satanic Majesties Request.
Apple used this in 1999 commercials for their colorful iMac computers. Over the next few years, the company would change the dynamics of the music industry with the introduction of iTunes and the iPod.
Nicky Hopkins played piano on this song. Hopkins, along with Ian Stewart and Billy Preston, played on Stones albums from Between The Buttons in 1967 until Black And Blue in 1976. Preston usually played on the more gospel-sounding songs where an organ was required; Stewart played boogie-woogie on the fast songs, and Hopkins played on the ballads. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France
The song returned to Billboard's Hot Rock Songs chart in 2018 as a result of its appearance in a commercial for the all-new Acura RDX.
"She's A Rainbow" shined bright in 2018 when it was used in various sync placements thanks to a push by its publisher, ABKCO, as part of the 50th anniversary release of the Their Satanic Majesties Request album. Acura used it in a commercial for their RDX, and Dior in a spot starring Jennifer Lawrence. It also featured in an episode of American Horror Story: Coven.

In 2020, the song was revived again when it was used in a commercial for Adobe Photoshop.
This song is a plot point in the 2021 Ted Lasso episode "Rainbow." Early in the episode, it plays as the ringtone when Higgins' wife calls - he explains that it was the song that was playing when they met. Later, the song plays when the soccer club's former star, Roy Kent, returns to join the coaching staff.
She comes in colors everywhere
She combs her hair
She's like a rainbow

Inspiration for "She's A Rainbow" came at least in part from Love's 1966 single "She Comes In Colors."

"The Rolling Stones stole the line 'she comes in colors' for 'She's A Rainbow,'" Love drummer Michael Stuart-Ware told Uncut magazine. "Wasn't Mick Jagger afraid of being sued? I remember we all thought, Wow! How could Mick think it was OK to do that."

Comments: 38

Mad Peck from New YorkThis album was a tongue-in-cheek Christmas present to Stones fans. Not meant to be taken too seriously it still evokes my first love and can take me right back to the exhilaration of those days. Play the last track at 45 rpm for their hidden gift.
Mr Man from SydneyI think Maryanne Faithful did the backing vocals
Chewbacca from TampaI don't believe that any of the Rolling Stones sang those back up vocals. If they did, they were simply ripping off the Beatles again. It's still an amazing track, and Nicky Hopkins kills it with that sweet piano arrangement. The only way that those guys could've pulled off those back up vocals would have been by manipulating the tape speed (A trick that the Beatles made famous ).
Dark Vader from New JerseyI remember my daughter being born. I couldn't get this song out of my mind. Yep it remind me over her so much. Being so beautiful it's unbelievable unless you see her. God has truly blessed me.
Oscar from Mexico, CityThe whole piece is rere for the Stones, anyway it's one of the best love songs ever made...
Susan from Atlanta, GaI fell in love with this song the first time I heard it and have never changed my feelings. Still love it.
Bertrand from Paris, FranceA rare piano intro for The Stones.
Bryan from Calgary, AbOne of my favorite Stones songs. Too bad it had to be on an album using the word "satanic" in it. Where and why did they come up with that stupidity? And too bad they couldn't have come up with a more original looking album cover. That was pretty dumb also. Never bought it. Good thing the song is on "Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol.2". Bought that one.
Charles Hollingswort from Leeds, AlThis is a beautiful song but as a songwriter I am bothered about the mixture of metaphor and simile in here! The title states that "She IS a Rainbow and in the body of the lyric it's written as "She's LIKE a rainbow"! It would have been better to have made it remain "She's a Rainbow" throughout the song so that the rainbow would have been personnified and she would become the rainbow!
Alainna Earl from Chester, PaPaul, John, George and Ringo........ Rolling Stones? No competition. Beatles Love Forever
Noblsavaj from San Antonio, TxThere are two songs that define my ideal woman - "She's a Rainbow" and "Up on Cripple Creek."
Ken from Booneville,ms, MsThe backing vocals are Mick,Kieth,Bill & Brian, not the Beatles on this track. JOHN & PAUL ARE ON WE LOVE YOU and SING THIS ALL TOGETHER and possibly DANDELION.
Chet from New York, NyThis song was written by Dudley Moore for the Beatles and was stolen by the Stones! But Ringo did play the prominent piano part.
Dizzy from Santa Cruz, CaI'm starting to realize this website is the perpetuator of misinformation; seemingly for every page. Reader beware!
Peter Griffin from Quahog, RiJohn from Melbourne, John and Paul also did backing vocals for the first song on Majesties, "Sing This All Together".
John from Melbourne, AustraliaJohn & Paul did backing vocals on "We Love You" which was recorded around the same time but is not on Satanic Majesties. I don't think they are heard anywhere on the album. "2,000 Man" and "2,000 Light Years From Home" also still sound great.
Ali from Melbourne, AustraliaMick & Marianne became a committed couple from Dec.1966 to 1970, when she left him. The song was written & released in 1967 (I have the L.P. & the sheetmusic). Mick met Bianca for the first time after a gig in 1971 & married her. Why is the obvious explanation too SIMPLE for so many people? They were passionately in love & foresaw spending their lives together. They bought the Cheyne Walk house & a country manor. They began family life with Mick becoming stepfather to her 9 month old son Nicholas & looked forward to the birth of their daughter, Corinna, who tragically miscarried. And when you love someone you write love songs to & about them, especially someone as spectacularly beautiful as Marianne.

Always sounds awful when Marianne is called his "girlfriend", but they couldn't marry as she & her husband were Catholics, which made divorce difficult.

I still think that Satanic Majesties is one of the best Stones records ever & in no way tries to copy Pepper. It was the spirit of the age - my age, as I was born 1952, was 15 in the Summer of Love & an obsessive collector of any printed material re Stones or Faithfull. Which I still have. Beatles were on the "sing it all together" track.

Backup vocals were by the other Stones & Brian played outstanding mellotron.
Mark from Worcester, MiWhile the band was debating the string section contributed by John Paul Jones, Paul McCartney happened by and offered something along the lines of "that sounds great." That ended the argument and the strings were added.
Peter Griffin from Quahog, RiThere ARE Beatles, however, in the first song ON this album.
Craig from Melbourne, AustraliaThere is so much wrong crap here! There are no Beatles. It is not about Bianca. Mick hadnt even met her yet. Mick was married to Bianca in 71, so he didnt "meet" Bianca in 72.

And, its a great song. The Stones out Beatle the Beatles!
Kevin from Atwater, MnTo Jim, St Louis MO; You can't be serious. There are NO Beatles singing la-la-la! In which song(s) of the Beatles have you heard those voices? Come on.
Jagger, Richards are singing la-la-la. Yes Jim, they record those in different tracks and place them in the master.
Kim from Sugar Hill, GaThis is my all time favorite song!
Sarah from Sacramento, CaThis is about Marianne Faithfull. Mick Jagger's girlfriend. Keith Moon sung with the Beatles in "All You Need Is Love"? LOL
Niall from Dublin, Irelandjonsey of zeppelin has talent, great strings on this tune
George from Oc, MdTo Kevin, Yes this was the least understood album recorded by the Stones, but in the context of the time, it was very forward thinking. It is not my favorite Album by the Stones, but there are some interesting things about it. One the strings were all arranged by Brian Jones. The album was one the first to use a Moog in the recording. It was, in a sense, a rip off of Sgt. Pepper, but it was a darker vision of the music explored by Pepper. Any album that has Citadel in it would get 3 Stars automatically. And compared to the rot gut they have putting out the last 20 years, this song and album were a refreshing experiment.
Ivan from Cd Juarez, MexicoI think that this song can't be about Bianca, because Mick met Bianca in 1972, and this song is was published in 1967... so it's more likely to be about Pamela Des Barres
Bram from Zoetermeer, NetherlandsCan anybody tell me if this is kind more a Mick or Keith song? I read that this may be about a wife Mick's had, but that doesn't tell everything. I think this is a very good song actually. Inspired, as more stuff is, by the Beatles I think.
Kevin Murphy from Ridgewood, NjI'm a big Stones fan, but this song and its album have to be one of my least favorite in their catalogue. It's a rip-off of Pepper, plain and simple. I can't help but cringe in embarassment when I see the guys dressed up all psychadelic in their photos from this period. They should of let the Beatles be the trippy ones, and themselves remain the grudgy, raunchy STONES that they were and are. I often like to listen to the brilliant Pepper and Majesty back to back and match them together like two transparencies depicting the same image. She's a Rainbow is the Rolling Stone version of Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds. And I know that I'm going to get comments saying "No Kevin, they sound nothing alike" or "They're not even about the same thing", but when you copy someone else's idea so closely, this is what happens, you get compared and discredited for your work.
Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScNow that I have read that fact, I think I can hear John, Paul, Goerge,and Ringo singing the background parts. Some of them anyway.
Ian from Lethbridge, CanadaIf I was to pick my top 5 favourite Stones songs, this would without doubt be one of them! It makes me feel so happy whenever I listen to it, and it's one of the most uplifting songs I've ever heard! It's better than Gimme Shelter! The part near the end where the instruments get all screwed up is hilarious!
Rashad from Detroit, MiGreat Song....It took what I thought was unexplainable, and described it in the most perfect way.
Barry from New York, NyI actually see a lot of colors in my mind when I listen to this song. The Stones' psychedelic era is actually an underrated and misunderstood period of transition in their career.
Charles from Bronxville, NyI think this song is about Pamela Des Barres. Read "I'm with the Band". Woah.
Devin from Brooklyn, Nythis song is based heavily on Love's She Comes in Colors which was relased about two years beforehand
Hugh from San Paolo, Italythis song is wanderfull. now i'm in love again for this music
Ben from Essex, EnglandIt says in Keith Richard's autobiography this is most likely about Mick's wife Bianca. This is such an unconventional Stones song, but it's awesome because of it!
Robert from Chicago, IlThe Beatles helped a lot on the Stones albums. They even gave them a hit single in '64 ("I Wanna Be Your Man"). Jagger in turn helped Lennon out during the Revolver sessions in '66 and is featured with Who drummer Keith Moon and others on the satellite TV appearance, singing "All You Need Is Love" with the Beatles in '67.
Simon from Brno, Czech RepublicExcellent piano a la Mozart was played by Nicky Hopkins (1944-1994), the London studios' corker.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

My GenerationThe Who

Pete Townshend wrote the lyrics for "My Generation" by The Who during a train ride from London to Southampton on his 20th birthday when he was thinking about "trying to find a place in society."

Whip ItDevo

"Whip It" by Devo is about the rah-rah affirmations delivered by politicians and motivational speakers who often have ulterior motives.

Right Here, Right NowJesus Jones

The Jesus Jones song "Right Here, Right Now" was conceived as an optimistic version of Prince's "Sign O' The Times."

Islands In The StreamKenny Rogers and Dolly Parton

"Islands in the Stream" was originally written by The Bee Gees as an R&B song. It was originally written by the brothers for Marvin Gaye, however it was recorded instead as a duet by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton with the Gibb Brothers also contributing vocals.