Marianne Faithfull is notorious for a lot of things, not least a heroic heroin habit, outside of her musical achievements. For worse or better she’ll always be better known for her short, glamorous turn as Mick Jagger’s girlfriend and muse in the sixties. That legacy can’t be shaken, and even for loving fans who hope to never again see her described by ignorant writers as ’Jagger’s ex’ or ‘former Stones groupie’, there’s lewd fun to be had in trying to guess which, if any, of her subsequent songs are about Mick. The most obvious, the baleful jealous woman anthem Why’d Ya Do It is a red herring – it was written by a man, Heathcote Williams, who intended to sell it to Tina Turner. More recently, Sliding Through Life On Charm seems very autobiographical and contains very thinly veiled references to the Stones era. That song, however, was ghostwritten by Jarvis Cocker. One song she did write with Jagger specifically in mind was Flaming September, after an awkward incident involving real estate:
“Filled with lines like “Don’t bother to tell me. Don’t bother to call me.” In my imperious fantasy I’m telling Mick not to call me – when he never intended to. Trying to strike a deal with the dealer. I gave you everything, now I want this one thing. That’s me, still trying to get a happy ending.”
Evidently Faithfull’s mother had died and Jagger sold the cottage he’d bought for her to live in, due to some misunderstanding. Not exactly a spicy story, but bitter enough to inspire a bitter, rueful song – “What can you give me that is true?”
Oct 07, 2011 @ 01:56:39
Lady Madeline still seems the most directly autobiographical (in dealing with that period* anyway) and directly name checks figures such as Spanish Tony etc. Nice to see something of a more rounded career account than most bloggers seem to bother with. Nicely done.