Probable line-up:

Drums: Charlie Watts
Bass: Bill Wyman
Acoustic guitars: Keith Richards & Mick Taylor
Lead vocal: Mick Jagger
Background vocals: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor and unknown female singers
Harmonica: Mick Jagger
Piano: Ian Stewart
Saxophone: Bobby Keys
Handclaps: ---
 

Wading through the waste, stormy winter
And there's not a friend to help you through
Trying to stop the waves behind your eyeballs
Drop your reds, drop your greens and blues

Thank you for your wine, California
Thank you for your sweet and bitter fruits
Yes, I've got the dessert in my toenail
And I hid the speed inside my shoe

But (Yes, I want you to) come on, come on down, sweet Virginia
(I said I want you to) Come on, honey child (come on down), I beg of you
(I want you to) Come on, come on down (honey child), you've got it in you
You've got to scrape that shit right off your shoes

I want you to come on (...)

One more time
 
 

TrackTalk

I wanted to release Sweet Virginia as kind of an easy listening single.

I can't remember if that was the actual first (Exile track we recorded in Nellcote). That would be beyond even my phenomenal memory. But I recall that Mick had Sweet Virginia prepared and ready to go. I have a feeling that we'd been playing around with that one on the last sessions. Maybe on Sticky Fingers, or whatever. So it was a work in progress.

I know it's rumoured that (Gram Parsons) sang backing vocals on Sweet Virginia but that's me singing, not him.

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