The Rolling Stones: Sympathy for the Devil Meaning

Song Released: 1969

Sympathy for the Devil Lyrics

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a man of wealth and taste
I've been around for a long, long year
Stole many a man's soul and faith

And I was 'round when Jesus Christ
Had his moment of doubt and pain
Made damn sure that...

1. anonymous

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   May 4th 2011 !⃝

   it always reminds me of the first encounter betwean faust and mephistopheles, the dark side of his soul in goethes faust 1.
   when faust asked the man of world for his name and he replied that its a bad question for a wise man, so faust guesed right that he is (a)liar and cheater(meaning of mephistopheles). which amuses m so they continue a conversation were the clue is always that m argues so near to trueth that its hard to tell the difference, always looking for the weak spot called selfbetrayal
   
   woh wooh goes the blak dog as which m disguiesed himself to folow f. to his roome when he found out that magicale sighns hindered him leaving again
2. anonymous

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   Apr 17th 2011 !⃝

   I heard this song is about Cuban drug lords, but I doubt it.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
3. anonymous

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   Apr 9th 2011 !⃝

   I just want to correct the person who posted on march 25th about (and I quote) "money is the root of all evil". I just would ask that if you're going to quote the word of God and try to interpret it...please quote it and interpret it correctly. The actual verse in the Bible says..."for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:10). Now, if you read it correctly I think you will see that it actually takes on a whole other meaning than how you interpreted...and it doesn't take a theologian to figure it out correctly. Take the time to read and study the word of God and get the true meaning of what God is actually saying...thanks.
4. anonymous

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   Apr 7th 2011 !⃝

   To think this song refers to the devil exclusively based on a few lines seems silly. One can find a fair number of lines that indicate a more broad view, such as,
   
   "I watched with glee
   While your kings and queens
   Fought for ten decades
   For the gods they made"
   
   "I stuck around st. petersburg
   When I saw it was a time for a change
   Killed the czar and his ministers
   Anastasia screamed in vain"
   
   The song can be viewed as an expression of the darker parts of human history. No one interpretation is any more accurate than another because the lines are set up in such a way that different interpretations can be drawn from varying lines. That is the beauty of the song, it provides a sort of symmetry.
   
   As a side note, I read on a message board that "the 'Troubadours who got killed before they reached Bombay' refers to the hippies who traveled the 'Hippie Trail' by road. Many on them were killed and ripped off by drug peddlers in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Those shady deals were probably the 'traps.'"
5. anonymous

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   Mar 29th 2011 !⃝

   Alternate view of history from devils perspective
   
   Perhaps one of the best written songs ever
6. anonymous

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   Mar 25th 2011 !⃝

   I am sorry but this song has to do with money, Why? because money is the root of all evil, go ahead and trust all the Papal clap chap created to subjugate mankind. Remember that it was Dante who painted the first picture of hell and all the demons thereof wail in exile for his sins, and the papacy eat it, hook, line and sinker. Also, the song clearly states who the entity is a "Man of Wealth and Taste" in other words a rich man, the lyrics takes us on a historic tour off all the atrocities committed under the banner of Religion, but in truth, it is a cover-up the real reason power and wealth. This song is about the money and the evil it can do, and yes someone got paid to kill the kennedy's as well.
7. anonymous

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   Mar 15th 2011 !⃝

   It really is this simple, the song is about Satan, the Devil, Lucifer, whatever you want to call him, and the pain and suffering he has inflicted on mankind through out history.
   Read the lyrics!
   "I've been around for a long long year stolen many a man's soul and faith,I was around Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain"
   "Just call me Lucifer"
   "Pleased to meet you hope you guess my name"
   "I'll lay your soul to waste, um yeah"
   
   Could it be more clear?
8. anonymous

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   Dec 16th 2010 !⃝

   This song I believe is like many other songs and films based on the theme of the Bible whereby the devil is in control of all the political systems throughout history and has used them to spread anarchy and disrupt the unity of mankind and thus claim control over the human race and Place himself in the place of God (a peaceful human race would belong to God an anarchic mankind belong to the Devil). In short The Devil is Vain and wishes to have the whole world subservient to him and not to God. He is an attention seeker, Hence the title ''Sympathy for the Devil".
9. atm07

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   Jul 28th 2010 !⃝

   This inspiration for this song came from a book entitled, The Master and Margarita. The book describes atrocities that occur during the atheistic reign of the USSR.
   
   The first writer was correct in stating the reference to Russia. He also mentions "riding a tank in a generals rank" when the blitzkrieg did its thing. An obvious reference to WWII and the Nazis. "made damn sure pilot washed his hands and sealed his fate." Refrence to Ponctious Pilots' role in the crucifixation of Christ. Russia was the Bolshevik Revolution. And finally he asks, "Who killed the Kennedys?" Awesome song and the book is worth a read as well.
10. laradioken

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    Jun 25th 2010 !⃝

    I see it as focusing on the atrocities in the history of mankind. The European wars of religion in the line "I watched with glee while your kings and queens fought for ten decades for the Gods they made"
    
    refers to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the 1918 massacre of the Romanov family: "stuck around St. Peters burg when I saw it was a time for a change, killed the Tsar and his ministers; Anastasia screamed in vain"
    
    But that people assume it's only about the Devil is fascinating to me.

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