by asad123
Satisfaction
I can’t get no satisfaction,
I can’t get no satisfaction.
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
[The speaker is saying that he can't get any satisfaction. He uses a double-negative here. The double-negative gives the song a slanginess that probably appealed to the youth of the 60's, the era when this song was released. American and British slang both use double-negatives. He says he tries over and over again but to no avail.]
When I’m drivin’ in my car
and that man comes on the radio
and he’s tellin’ me more and more
about some useless information
supposed to fire my imagination.
I can’t get no, oh no no no.
Hey hey hey, that’s what I say.
[He talks about driving. Car culture was critical to the changes that occurred in America in the 50's and 60's. Cars offered mobility and freedom. He's also talking about media. The man on the radio is probably speaking as part of an ad, but I suppose he could be a DJ or a radio personality.]
I can’t get no satisfaction,
I can’t get no satisfaction.
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
When I’m watchin’ my TV
and that man comes on to tell me
how white my shirts can be.
Well he can’t be a man ’cause he doesn’t smoke
the same cigarettes as me.
I can’t get no, oh no no no.
Hey hey hey, that’s what I say.
[Now he's talking about watching TV, probably at home. It seems he's referring to a commercial for either detergent or bleach, singing, "how white my shirts can be." He shows how pervasive advertising is because it follows him wherever he goes, whether in his car or at home. I love the lines where he says, "Well he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke/ the same cigarettes as me." I thought it was ridiculous for a person to look down on someone merely based on the brand of cigarettes he smokes. But as a lifelong non-smoker, I just didn't get it. Recently, I was reading When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris and he compares selecting a brand of cigarettes to choosing a religion. So smokers really do care about what brand they are smoking.]
I can’t get no satisfaction,
I can’t get no girl with action.
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
When I’m ridin’ round the world
and I’m doin’ this and I’m signing that
and I’m tryin’ to make some girl
who tells me baby better come back later next week
’cause you see I’m on losing streak.
I can’t get no, oh no no no.
Hey hey hey, that’s what I say.
[He says he "can't get no satisfaction" and he "can't get no girl with action." Many critics believe this song is all about sex and sexual gratification. Others say it's about rampant commercialism. I think they're both right. This part definitely seems to be about sex. He's complaining about "trying to make some girl," i.e. trying to make her have sex with him. And he says he's on a losing streak, meaning that he keeps striking out with girls.
Wikipedia has some additional info on the song. It explains, ""(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is a hit riff-driven rock song (a vocal song with a repeated instrumental riff like "Back in Black," "Walk This Way," or "Iron Man.") written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for The Rolling Stones and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song as number 2 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,[1] while VH1 placed it at number 1 on its “100 Greatest Songs of Rock & Roll” list.“ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(I_Can%27t_Get_No)_Satisfaction)]
I can’t get no, I can’t get no,
I can’t get no satisfaction,
no satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction
©
Satisfaction
I can’t get no satisfaction,
I can’t get no satisfaction.
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
[The speaker is saying that he can't get any satisfaction. He uses a double-negative here. The double-negative gives the song a slanginess that probably appealed to the youth of the 60's, the era when this song was released. American and British slang both use double-negatives. He says he tries over and over again but to no avail.]
When I’m drivin’ in my car
and that man comes on the radio
and he’s tellin’ me more and more
about some useless information
supposed to fire my imagination.
I can’t get no, oh no no no.
Hey hey hey, that’s what I say.
[He talks about driving. Car culture was critical to the changes that occurred in America in the 50's and 60's. Cars offered mobility and freedom. He's also talking about media. The man on the radio is probably speaking as part of an ad, but I suppose he could be a DJ or a radio personality.]
I can’t get no satisfaction,
I can’t get no satisfaction.
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
When I’m watchin’ my TV
and that man comes on to tell me
how white my shirts can be.
Well he can’t be a man ’cause he doesn’t smoke
the same cigarettes as me.
I can’t get no, oh no no no.
Hey hey hey, that’s what I say.
[Now he's talking about watching TV, probably at home. It seems he's referring to a commercial for either detergent or bleach, singing, "how white my shirts can be." He shows how pervasive advertising is because it follows him wherever he goes, whether in his car or at home. I love the lines where he says, "Well he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke/ the same cigarettes as me." I thought it was ridiculous for a person to look down on someone merely based on the brand of cigarettes he smokes. But as a lifelong non-smoker, I just didn't get it. Recently, I was reading When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris and he compares selecting a brand of cigarettes to choosing a religion. So smokers really do care about what brand they are smoking.]
I can’t get no satisfaction,
I can’t get no girl with action.
‘Cause I try and I try and I try and I try.
I can’t get no, I can’t get no.
When I’m ridin’ round the world
and I’m doin’ this and I’m signing that
and I’m tryin’ to make some girl
who tells me baby better come back later next week
’cause you see I’m on losing streak.
I can’t get no, oh no no no.
Hey hey hey, that’s what I say.
[He says he "can't get no satisfaction" and he "can't get no girl with action." Many critics believe this song is all about sex and sexual gratification. Others say it's about rampant commercialism. I think they're both right. This part definitely seems to be about sex. He's complaining about "trying to make some girl," i.e. trying to make her have sex with him. And he says he's on a losing streak, meaning that he keeps striking out with girls.
Wikipedia has some additional info on the song. It explains, ""(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is a hit riff-driven rock song (a vocal song with a repeated instrumental riff like "Back in Black," "Walk This Way," or "Iron Man.") written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for The Rolling Stones and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song as number 2 on its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,[1] while VH1 placed it at number 1 on its “100 Greatest Songs of Rock & Roll” list.“ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(I_Can%27t_Get_No)_Satisfaction)]
I can’t get no, I can’t get no,
I can’t get no satisfaction,
no satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction
©