Gimme Shelter

A 1969 song by the Rolling Stones, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, whose lyrics evoke violence and social upheaval.

Mick Jagger: English singer and songwriter who became the Rolling Stones’ lead vocalist. He wrote the song’s lyrics with Keith Richards and sings its lead vocal.
Open G tuning: A guitar tuning in which the open strings sound a G major chord. Richards’s open-tuned guitar gives the song its repeating, ringing figure.
Altamont Free Concert: A 1969 free concert in California where a concertgoer was killed during the Rolling Stones’ performance. The song’s performance at Altamont later helped bind it to the event’s violence.
Goodfellas: A 1990 crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and based on the life of mob associate Henry Hill. Scorsese uses the song in a montage tracing the characters’ violent decline.
Keith Richards: English guitarist and songwriter, best known as a founding member of the Rolling Stones. He composed the song’s music and co-wrote its lyrics with Jagger.
Nicky Hopkins: English pianist who performed on recordings by the Rolling Stones and many other rock artists. His piano adds a measured, tense layer to the recording.
Vietnam War: A mid-twentieth-century conflict involving North and South Vietnam and their international allies. The song’s release coincided with public anxiety about war and escalating violence.
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus: A 1968 concert film featuring the Rolling Stones and other performers, released in 1996. Its filmed performance shows the song in the Stones’ live presentation.
Let It Bleed: The Rolling Stones’ 1969 studio album, featuring songs about desire, danger, and social instability. The song opens this album, released in December 1969.
Charlie Watts: English drummer and long-time member of the Rolling Stones. His restrained drumming sustains the song’s steady, unsettled pulse.

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