Let It Bleed

Let It Bleed
Track 5
"Let It Bleed" – 5:34



I've been carrying around this theory for a while, that there are some words that are impossible to sing without sounding silly: "politician", "dingleberry", and, as "Let It Bleed" proves, "breasts" – Mick gives it about 4 syllables and a couple of extra s'es, and generally makes it sound like he's never encountered the word in his life.

You all recognise the "Honky Tonk Woman" drum pickup at the start of the track. Ian Stewart, "the sixth Stone", fills in on piano. (I'll let you in on a secret: I have never liked his piano playing. This is exactly the kind of song Nicky Hopkins could've taken over, but instead we get Stewart's rudimentary honky tonk piano playing.) But who is playing that wicked slide guitar? Various sources tend to be unanimous: it's Keith, blowing me away, once again, with the breadth of his talent.