All Down the Line

Composers: Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
Recording date: July 1970, July 1971 & October 1971-March 1972
Recording locations: Olympic Sound Studios, London, England; Rolling Stones Mobile Unit, Keith Richards' home, Villefranche-sur-mer, France
& Sunset Sound Studios, Los Angeles, USA
Producer: Jimmy Miller      Chief engineers: Glyn Johns, Andy Johns & Joe Zagarino
       Performed onstage: 1972-73, 1975, 1977-78, 1981, 1994-95, 1998-99, 2002-03, 2005-07, 2012-16, 2021-22

Probable line-up:

Drums: Charlie Watts
Bass: Bill Wyman
Rhythm electric guitars: Keith Richards
Slide electric guitar: Mick Taylor
Lead vocal: Mick Jagger
Background vocals: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards & Kathi McDonald
Piano: Nicky Hopkins
Saxophone: Bobby Keys
Trumpet: Jim Price
Maracas: Jimmy Miller
 

Yeah, heard the diesel drumming
All down the line
Oh heard the wires a-humming
All down the line

Yeah, hear the women sighing
All down the line
Oh hear the children crying
All down the line

(All down the line)  We'll be watching out for trouble, yeah
(All down the line)  And we'll keep the motor running, yeah

(All down the line) You can't say yes and you can't say no
Just be right there when the whistle blows
I need a sanctified girl with a sanctified mind to help me now

Yeah, all the people singing
All down the line
Mmm, watch the men all working, working, yeah
All down the line

(All down the line)  And we'll open up the throttle, yeah
(All down the line)  And we'll bust another bottle, yeah

I need a shot of salvation, baby
Once in a while
Hear the whistle blowing
Hear it for a thousand miles

(All down the line)  And we'll open up the throttle, yeah, yeah
(All down the line)  And we'll bust, bust, bust another bottle, yeah

Well you can't say yes and you can't say no
Just be right there when the whistle blows
I need a sanctified mind to help me out right now

Won't you be my little baby for a while?
Won't you be my little baby for a while?
Won't you be my little baby for a while? - yeah
Won't you be my little baby for a while?

Ah (...)
Walking all down the highway side
That's why I need you
(...)
 
 

TrackTalk

I thought Mick Taylor was a really good slide player. I liked him on things like All Down the Line and Love In Vain, you know.

- Ron Wood, 1994


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