She's a Rainbow
"She's a Rainbow" | ||||
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Single by the Rolling Stones | ||||
from the album Their Satanic Majesties Request | ||||
B-side | "2000 Light Years from Home" | |||
Released |
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Format | 7-inch single | |||
Recorded | 16 May 1967 | |||
Studio | Olympic, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Jagger/Richards | |||
Producer(s) | The Rolling Stones | |||
The Rolling Stones US singles chronology | ||||
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Their Satanic Majesties Request track listing | ||||
10 tracks Side one
Side two
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"She's a Rainbow" is a song by the Rolling Stones and was featured on their 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request.[5] It has been called "the prettiest and most uncharacteristic song" that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote for the Stones,[6] although somewhat ambiguous in intention.[6]
Composition and recording
The song includes rich lyricism, vibrant piano by Nicky Hopkins and Brian Jones' use of the Mellotron. The second verse includes:
Have you seen her all in gold,
Like a queen in days of old?
She shoots colours all around
like a sunset going down.
Have you seen a lady fairer?[5]
John Paul Jones, later of Led Zeppelin, arranged the strings of this song during his session days.[7] Backing vocals were provided by the entire band except for Charlie Watts. The lyrics in the chorus share the phrase "she comes in colours" with the song of that title by Love,[8] released in December 1966.
The song begins with the piano playing an ascending scale, which returns throughout the song as a recurring motif. This motif is developed by the celesta and strings in the middle 8. Humorous and ambiguous devices are used, such as when the strings play out-of-tune and off-key towards the end of the song, and when the other Stones sing their "La La's" like little children.[5]
Release and appearances
"She's a Rainbow" was released as a single in December 1967 and went to No. 25 in the United States. It has regularly featured on Stones' hits compilations, including Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) (1969), More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies) (1972), 30 Greatest Hits (1977), Singles Collection: The London Years (1989), Forty Licks (2002), and GRRR! (2012).[6] It was performed occasionally on the 1997–98 Bridges to Babylon Tour. The Stones also played the song by public request in Santiago, Chile and São Paulo, Brazil during their América Latina Olé Tour 2016 in February 2016.
Was used in the 1999 Apple iMac ad "Colors"
In the 2011/12 season finale of Saturday Night Live, host Mick Jagger was in a "graduation" skit where the band Arcade Fire and the SNL cast performed "She's a Rainbow" as a tribute to departing cast member Kristen Wiig. In the sketch, Wiig is a student who was held back and is finally graduating after seven years to leave SNL to become a nun. Although Jagger does not sing "She's a Rainbow", he returns at the end of the skit, along with a number of SNL alumni, to join in the song "Ruby Tuesday".
In the first episode of Legion the song is used during a sequence.
The song is used at the end of the third episode of the eighth season of American Horror Story, where it displays Madison Montgomery, Myrtle Snow, and Cordelia Goode from American Horror Story: Coven entering Outpost 3 to find the missing sisters of their coven.
The song is used in a 2018 commercial by Dior.[9]
The song is used in a 2018 commercial for the 2019 Acura RDX.[10]
Personnel
- Mick Jagger – vocals, percussion
- Keith Richards – acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Brian Jones – Mellotron, percussion, backing vocals
- Bill Wyman – bass, backing vocals
- Charlie Watts – drums, percussion[11]
- Additional personnel
- Nicky Hopkins – piano, celesta
- String arrangement by John Paul Jones
Charts
Chart (1967–68) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12] | 8 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] | 13 |
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] | 9 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] | 2 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] | 3 |
US Billboard Hot 100[17] | 25 |
Chart (2007) | Peak position |
Denmark (Tracklisten)[18] | 25 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] | 91 |
Notes
- ↑ Eder, Bruce (1989). Singles Collection: The London Years (Boxed set booklet). The Rolling Stones. New York City: ABKCO Records. p. 72. 1218-2.
- ↑ Philippe Margotin; Jean-Michel Guesdon (25 October 2016). Rolling Stones All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Hachette Books. p. 433. ISBN 978-0-316-31773-3.
- ↑ Nigel Williamson (2008). The Rough Guide to the Best Music You've Never Heard. Rough Guides. p. 181. ISBN 978-1-84836-003-7.
- ↑ DeRogatis, Jim (2003). "The Stones' Ten Best Psychedelic Rock Songs". Turn On Your Mind: Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 54. ISBN 0-634-05548-8.
- 1 2 3 John Gilliland (narrator). "Show 46: Sergeant Pepper at the Summit - The very best of a very good year (part 2, segment 5)". Pop Chronicles. Pasadena, CA. KRLA. via the Digital Library of the University of North Texas. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
- 1 2 3 Eder, Bruce. The Rolling Stones "She's A Rainbow". AllMusic. 2007 (accessed 31 October 2008).
- ↑ The Database "She's a Rainbow". Time Is On Our Side. 2007 (accessed 31 October 2008).
- ↑ Pierce, Tony (4 August 2006). "R.I.P. Arthur Lee - thanks for all the Love". LAist. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
'Da Capo' also includes Love's biggest hit '7&7 Is' which some regard as the first punk tune, as well as 'She Comes in Colors' which was clearly an inspiration for the Rolling Stones hit 'She's A Rainbow'.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=joy+dior+commercial
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Acura+–+2019+RDX+–+Rainbow
- ↑ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (25 October 2016). Rolling Stones All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Hachette Books. pp. 203–237. ISBN 978-0-316-31773-3.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The Rolling Stones – She's a Rainbow" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Rolling Stones – She's a Rainbow" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 100169." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Rolling Stones – We Love You" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- 1 2 "Swisscharts.com – The Rolling Stones – She's a Rainbow". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ↑ "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ↑ "Danishcharts.com – The Rolling Stones – She's a Rainbow". Tracklisten. Retrieved 17 June 2016.