charts - becoming by far their biggest hit in the States up to that point - that it was issued in the U.K. It was only when the song instantly rocketed up the U.S. The group initially released it only in America, planning to put it on a British EP. Keith Richards, who had devised the fuzz riff that the song was built upon, was afraid the riff was too similar to the one used on Martha and the Vandellas' 'Dancing in the Street' (a strange notion, as the two riffs don't sound too similar). The Rolling Stones, perhaps, did not realize just how potent the track was at first. Note how for all the prominence given the fuzz riff, much of the track's texture is set by strumming acoustic guitars also dig how on the fade-out, Jagger suddenly dips into a lower register for a few lines before shouting at the top of his range, increasing the tension yet further. The reference in the verse to not getting a girl in action was fairly controversial in its day, interpreted by some listeners (and radio programmers) as a symbol for a girl willing to have sex. Jagger's semi-rants during the chorus address the pressures of life in a more contemporary fashion than those in the blues-based songs the Stones had covered up to that point, ragging on the media man who tells him how white his shirts should be (a figure that hasn't exactly gone away in the 21st century, incidentally) and a girl who keeps putting him off. It returns again to the basic shout-hook before all instruments drop out, save a crunching drumbeat: a most effective use of the maxim 'less is more' within a pop song. The chorus then turns into a stream-of-consciousness catalog of complaints about the irritations of modern life, touring, the media, and (of course) getting laid.

The group approaches the verse with a series of increasingly urgent, tense harmonizations on the words 'and I try' before exploding into the chorus: a cathartic release of all the frustration that has been building throughout the song, the opening fuzz riff reappearing in full force as Jagger half-screams the title (or most of it, at any rate) in a manner that compels the listener to sing-shout along. Set against a beat suitable for foot-stomping and hand-clapping, Mick Jagger delivers the verses in a hushed, ambiguous tone that hovers between commentary and sarcastic nastiness. As with many Rolling Stones songs, the key hook is the guitar riff: a fuzz-toned, insistent series of ascending and descending notes that rates among the most captivating and memorable riffs in rock history. It was also one of the defining records of the its era, reaching number one around the globe and establishing the Rolling Stones as the second-biggest band in the world, behind only the Beatles. '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' is the Ur-Rolling Stones song: a pounding rocker with sneering vocals and lyrics, with a blues and soul base that nonetheless is used for a guitar-based song that is definitely rock, not blues or R&B.

The rolling stones satisfaction