Under My Thumb

"Under My Thumb" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for The Rolling Stones. Its first appearance was as an album track on 1966's Aftermath, and though it was never released as a single, it is one of the band's more popular songs from the period, appearing frequently on best-of compilations. The song's lyrics, an examination of a sexual power struggle, were very much in tune with the rebellious, vaguely misogynistic attitude that the mid-'60s Stones had cultivated, though the concept of Under My Thumb is arguably more sophisticated--even psychological--than any of the other controversial songs the Stones had released up to that point. Jagger's lyrics celebrate the satisfaction of finally having controlled and gained leverage over a previously pushy, dominating woman. Many listeners also note that the woman who is the subject of the song was previously the dominant figure in the relationship, and that the narrator was originally submissive to her, making the implications of the song more complicated than simple chauvinism. Jagger later reflected on the track in a 1995 interview: "It's a bit of a jokey number, really. It's not really an anti-feminist song any more than any of the others... Yes, it's a caricature, and it's in reply to a girl who was a very pushy woman".

[Verse 1] Under my thumb the girl who once had me down Under my thumb the girl who once pushed me around [Chorus] It's down to me The difference in the clothes she wears Down to me, the change has come She's under my thumb Ain't it the truth, babe? [Verse 2] Under my thumb the squirming dog who's just had her day Under my thumb a girl who has just changed her ways [Chorus] It's down to me, yes it is The way she does just what she's told Down to me, the change has come She's under my thumb Ah, ah, say it's alright [Verse 3] Under my thumb a Siamese cat of a girl Under my thumb she's the sweetest, hmmm, pet in the world [Chorus] It's down to me The way she talks when she's spoken to Down to me, the change has come She's under my thumb [Instrumental Break] Ah, take it easy babe [Chorus] It's down to me, oh yeah The way she talks when she's spoken to Down to me, the change has come She's under my thumb Yeah, it feels alright [Verse 4] Under my thumb her eyes are just kept to herself Under my thumb, well I, I can still look at someone else [Chorus] It's down to me, oh that's what I said The way she talks when she's spoken to Down to me, the change has come She's under my thumb [Outro] Say, it's alright Say it's all... Say it's all... Take it easy babe Take it easy babe It feels alright Take it, take it easy, babe