Torn And Frayed

Album: Exile on Main St. (1972)
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  • Hey let him follow you down
    Way underground wind and he's bound
    Bound to follow you down
    Just a dead beat right off the street
    Bound to follow you down

    Well the ballrooms and smelly bordellos
    And dressing rooms filled with parasites
    On stage the band has got problems
    They're a bag of nerves on first nights
    He ain't tied down to no home town
    Yeah, and he thought he was wreckless
    You think he's bad, he thinks you're mad
    Yeah, and the guitar player gets restless

    And his coat is torn and frayed
    It's seen much better days
    Just as long as the guitar plays
    Let it steal your heart away
    Let it steal your heart away

    And his coat is torn and frayed
    It's seen much better days
    Just as long as the guitar plays
    Let it steal your heart away

    Joe's got a cough, sounds kind a rough
    Yeah, and the codeine to fix it
    Doctor prescribes, drug store supplies
    Who's gonna help him to kick it

    And his coat is torn and frayed
    It's seen much better days
    Just as long as the guitar plays
    Let it steal your heart away
    Let it steal your heart away

    And his coat is torn and frayed
    It's seen much better days
    Just as long as the guitar plays
    Just as long as the guitar plays
    Just as long as the guitar plays
    Just as long as the guitar plays Writer/s: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 9

  • Dano from Missouri I always thought it was “wined”… and he’s bound. As opposed to wined and dined, maybe?
  • Kit from Calgary, AbIn relation to the 'wind and he's bound' lyric: I was trying to figure it out too, doesn't make sense to me, but then I looked at the 2002 live version and there is a hard consonant on the first word, it sounds like they sing 'tired and he's bound' which makes more sense. Whatever that lyric, great song.
  • Bernard from Paris, Francefantastic pedal steel on that track and i agree, totally underrated track, one of the best stones song ever and maybe the best on exile.
  • Karen from Kennett Square, PaThis is my "new" favorite of the Stones. I wonder why it's so overlooked? Couldn't be better,
  • Cooter from Kansas City, Mosecond line: way underground, wind and bound - or wind and he's bound; don't get the wind part. wind, like down wind? wind like wound up too tight? the latter seems to fit, but it doesn't sound right listening to the song and why not say wound. before the net, i always thought it was "way underground, what good is down?". yep. i'm a nerd on blow.
  • Peter Griffin from Quahog, RiI LOVE THIS SONG! My favorite line is "Well the ballrooms and smelly bordellos, and dressing rooms filled with parasites."
  • Craig from Melbourne, AustraliaThe song was written by Jagger and is about Keith.
  • Robert from Queens, NyEventually Gram Parsons was kicked out of the Stones "Inner Circle" so to speak, he was told to leave the Villa Keith Richards rented in France because of pressure the French Police were putting them under because of the thousands of dollars worth of heroin we being smuggled in.

    Parsons overdosed on morphine and alcohol and is remember in Richards' song "Before They Make Me Run"
  • Grayson from Cleveland, Ohvery underated song. may be my favorite on Exile...
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