The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses Lyrics Meaning

This song was started by Keith Richards who wrote the first few lines for his son Marlon, about the pain of leaving him as he was about to leave on a tour. It was taken over by Jagger, who wrote it for Marianne Faithful. It was written in 1969, but wasn't realeased until 1971 on Sticky Fingers.

At the time, their relationship was falling apart because of her drug addictions. She tried to kill herself by overdosing, and Mick was at her bedside until she came out of a coma. Upon waking, she said wild horses couldn't drag me away, meaning nothing could drag her away from this life.

So, the first 4 lines were written by Keith Richards. Nothing to do with Marianne. Mick kept them in, and as someone suggested, it was about an innocent, naive girl he first met and fell in love with.

She fell from grace in his eyes, because she became jaded by drug use. But even though she wasn't the girl he first fell in love with, "you know who I am"- meaning, that whatever she has become, she should know he still loves her.

"I know I dreamed you a sin and a lie"- The destruction and what she had become disillusioned him.

Suffered a dull aching pain- now you decided to show me the same- meaning they had hurt each other through destructive behavior towards eachother, she felt the pain first, from drug use and from his destructive pattern, now she has done the same to him by her self-destructive behavior and her destructive behavior towards him. It could be affairs, it could be despair, it could be the self-destructiveness, or all three. We don't know.

no sweeping exits, or offstage line could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind- no matter what hurt they have caused eachother, there is still a great deal of love between them.

I have my freedom but I don't have much time- the relationship as it is is over, and he must stop hurting or he will drown in it.

Faith has been broken tears must be cried- there is no going back because the have destroyed each other and the relationship, and they must mourn the end of the relationship, and of what they did have together, this great love.

Let's do some living after we die- they can't be together in this life, but hopefully will be able to be together in death- sort of like a Romeo and Juliet thing.

Finally, wild horses couldn't drag me away- away from the memory of their love.