“Tumbling Dice” (originally called “Good Time Women”) is a single written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for the Rolling Stones’ 1972 double album Exile on Main St., and was the album’s lead single. The song, recorded in the basement of the chateau Villa Nellcôte in France, peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 5 in the UK Singles chart. The lyrics tell the story of a gambler who cannot remain faithful to any woman. The music has a blues boogie-woogie rhythm and has been noted for its irregular lyrical structure and “groove”. “Tumbling Dice” has been performed in many of the band’s concerts since its premiere on 3 June 1972 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia. (More from Wikipedia)
When Linda Ronstadt released her version of the Rolling Stones song “Tumbling Dice” (she and Mick Jagger dated for a while), I was reminded again of how masterful the Jagger/Richards team was at crafting song lyrics. The song is included on her 1977 album Simple Dreams; Linda had to noticeably slow the tempo in order to get all of those words out of her mouth but still turns in a fine performance. The Ronstadt concert that forms the focal point of the 1978 film FM also features “Tumbling Dice”. But there was no need to look up the words that time; Linda Ronstadt included the lyrics on most of her albums, so they were right there on the album sleeve. These are the original lyrics for “Tumbling Dice” as the Stones sang them – I will just give all of them this time; they are that great:
Women think I’m tasty, but they’re always tryin’ to waste me
And make me burn the candle right down,
But baby, baby, I don’t need no jewels in my crown.
’Cause all you women is low down gamblers,
Cheatin’ like I don’t know how,
But baby, baby, there’s fever in the funk house now.
This low down bitchin’ got my poor feet a itchin’,
You know you know the deuce is still wild.
Baby, I can’t stay, you got to roll me
And call me the tumblin’ dice.
Always in a hurry, I never stop to worry,
Don’t you see the time flashin’ by.
Honey, got no money,
I’m all sixes and sevens and nines.
Say now, baby, I’m the rank outsider,
You can be my partner in crime.
But baby, I can’t stay,
You got to roll me and call me the tumblin’,
Roll me and call me the tumblin’ dice.
Oh, my, my, my, I’m the lone crap shooter,
Playin’ the field ev’ry night.
Baby, can’t stay,
You got to roll me and call me the tumblin’ (dice),
Roll me and call me the tumblin’ (Got to roll me.) dice.
Got to roll me. Got to roll me.
(May 2015)
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Items: Tumbling Dice
