Album: Some Girls (1978)

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• Yeah, mama and papa told me
  I was crazy to stay
  I was gay in New York
  Just a fag in L.A.
  So I saved my money
  And I took a plane
  Wherever I go they treat me the same
  
  When the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down, yeah
  
  Yeah I'm going down fifty-third street
  And they spit in my face
  I'm learning the ropes
  Yeah I'm learning a trade
  The East River truckers
  Are churning with trash
  I've got so much money
  That I spend so fast
  
  When the whip comes down, yeah
  When the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down
  
  When the shit hits the fan
  I'll be sitting on the can
  When the whip comes down
  
  Yeah, some called me garbage
  When I was sleeping on the street
  I never roll
  Oh I never cheat
  And I'm filling a need, yeah
  I'm plugging a hole
  My mama's so glad
  I ain't on the dole
  
  When the whip comes down, yeah
  When the whip comes down, yeah
  When the shit hits the fan
  I'll be sitting on the can
  When the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down
  
  When the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down
  
  (Yeah, go ahead check it out)
  
  Yeah, baby, when the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down, yeah
  (I'll be running this town, I'll tell you)
  When the shit hits the fan
  I'll be sittin on the can
  When the whip comes down, yeah
  
  Yeah when the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down
  When the whip comes down, yeah Writer/s: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Word Collections Publishing
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 10

• Maryanne Nawojchik from Long IslandI think it is brilliant that the song was written about a gay man who became a garbage collector. Yes, the whip comes down could allude to an S and M prostitution act but it actually also refers to punishment. The protagonist in the song was punished for being gay but is happy now since he has a respectable paying job, love the Stones and their imaginative music.
• Lou from Middletown, NyFloating around the net are two long versions of this - one the basic backing track, with some early vocals, and a full blown finished track from that with full backing vocals and overdubs - both which run over 10 freaking hard bashing minutes. The latter has two extra verses - one about the guys problems with dad and how mom accepts hm, and another about 'Wall St Brokers going home to their wives/while I live out my life! It is definitely worth seeking out, as The Stones have NEVER played harder for such a long time on a studio track.
• Bo from San Francisco, CaWhat does the title mean? Also, the Stones denied this was about male prostitution, though they said it was about a hypothetical gay man. The lyrics certainly make it sound about prostitution.
• Elaine from Oakwood, GaAlways great - always the Stones - have survived with the best of the best - better then the punk of today! I still can listen to them all day long!
• Kevin from Reading , PaOne of those songs that has aged well. Good, rough rock and roll from the late 70s Stones. A no-frills, no BS kind of rock song.
• Susan from Toronto, CanadaMick Jagger was heavily influenced by the Ramones' "53rd and 3rd" when writing this song, which is no surprise since the songs are so much alike lyrically, structurally and sound-wise.
• Craig from Melbourne, AustraliaStones out-punk the punks.
• Rob from Santa Monica, CaA remarkably effective rock song, considering it it just two chords alternated throughout.
• Ace from Kansas City, MoMick joins Keith and Woody on electric guitar on this track.
• Brett from New York, NyThis is an excellent nasty song that perfectly characterizes the tenor of this album. Few albums take shots at the younger generation of bands with as much authority as "Some Girls" does.

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