Line-up:

Drums: Charlie Watts
Bass: Bill Wyman
Electric guitars: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards (incl. 1st solo) & Ron Wood (2nd solo)
Vocals: Mick Jagger
 

Well now we're respected in society
We don't worry about the things that we used to be
We're talking heroin with the President
Yes there's a problem, sir, but it can't be bent

Ah yes

Well now you're a pillar of society
You don't worry about the things that you used to be
You're a rag trade girl, you're the queen of porn
You're the easiest lay on the White House lawn

Get out of my life, don't come back

She's so respectable
She's so delectable
She's so respectable

Get out of my life
Don't take my wife, don't come back

All right boys
 
 

TrackTalk

(W)ith Respectable it was all there before we went in (the studio), because I like to write the songs that I write as complete as possible. I don't like leaving anything too open.

Well, I just thought it was funny. Respectable really started off as a song in my head about how respectable we as a band were supposed to have become We're so respectable. As I went along with the singing, I just made things up and fit things in. Now we're respected in society... I really meant US. My wife's a very honest person, and the songs's not about her... (I)t's very rock & roll. It's not like (Dylan's) Sara. Respectable is very lighthearted when you hear it. That's why I don't like divorcing the lyrics from the music. 'Cause when you actually hear it sung, it's not what it is, it's the way we do it... (I)t's not that serious: Get out of my life, go take my wife - don't come back... it's not supposed to be taken seriously. If it were a ballad, if I sang it like: PLEEESE, taaake my wiiiiife - you know what I mean? - well, it's not that, it's just a shit-kicking, rock & roll number.

It's important to be somewhat influenced by what's going on around you and on the Some Girls album, I think we definitely became more aggressive because of the punk thing. On this track, I was banging out three chords incredibly loud on the electric guitar, wich isn't always a wonderful idea but was great fun here. This is a punk meets Chuck Berry number. The lyric carries no fantastically deep message, but I think it might have had something to do with Bianca.

Yeah, this is the kind of edgy punk ethos. Yeah, the groove of it - and on all those songs, the whole thing was to play it all fast, fast, fast. I had a lot of problems with Keith about it, but that was the deal at the time.

Not true at all. Completely the reverse.

It probably WAS the other way around, because Mick can't even COUNT IN in time! Mick speeds up all the time. Luckily you can't get any more solid than Charlie Watts and Keith Richards playing as a rhythm section.

Mick had this one already to go. This was one of the first times we allowed him to join in on guitar. He's a really good rhythm player, man; but then, he's had a good teacher.

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