1966  The Rolling Stones UK and US Charts  19th Nervous Breakdown

'19th Nervous Breakdown' was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards during their 1965 US tour. The track was recorded during the 'Aftermath' sessions between 3 and 8 December 1965 at RCA Recording Studios in Hollywood, California, at the conclusion of their fourth North American tour.

The song talks of a difficult, spoiled girl who cannot appreciate life. Mick Jagger says he came up with the title first, and then wrote the lyrics around the title. It was released as a single on 4 February 1966 and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and in the UK Record Retailer chart. However, it hit #1 in the NME chart and the BBC's Pick of the Pops chart, both of which were more widely recognised in Britain at the time.

The hypnotic riff Brian Jones is playing during the verses pays a tribute to Bo Diddley's song 'Diddley Daddy', Diddley being a major influence on the Rolling Stones' style. The song is also well-known for Bill Wyman's so-called "dive-bombing" bass line at the end of the song.

Like many early Rolling Stones recordings, the track has been officially released only in mono sound. A stereo mix of the song exists with a radically different vocal from Jagger, who alternates between mellow on the verses and rawer on the chorus.



Picture sleeves from around the world big gallery mode

Both '19th Nervous Breakdown' and its UK B-side were often to be found on EPs in Europe. The Italian version of 'As Tears Go By' was originally released as a single in Italy [and reissued as a promo-only single in Japan in 1983].
Note that the US B-side 'Sad Day' would be released as a single in the UK in... 1973!


The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, France [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Spain [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Portugal [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Israël [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Iran [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Belgium [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Uruguay [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Honk Kong [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Thailand [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Thailand [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Japan [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Argentina [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Germany [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Germany [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Germany [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Germany [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Italy [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Italy [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, France [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Holland [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, South Africa [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Denmark [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Turkey [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Italy [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Belgium [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Belgium [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Belgium [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Sweden [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Japan [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Mexico [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, USA [1966] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Australia [1969] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Spain [1971] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, France [1972] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Japan [1973] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, France [1975] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, New Zealand [1978] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Germany [1980] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Brazil [1982] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Germany [1987] ,7" The Rolling Stones: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Germany [1989] ,7"

195 editions worldwide include '19th Nervous Breakdown' on the 7" format.



Covers
'19th Nervous Breakdown' was covered by the following artists:

  • 5.6.7.8's, The: 7" Norton 9651, USA 2004 - c/w The Church Keys
  • Alias Ron Kavana: 1995 CD: Galway To Graceland
  • Blue Cats, The: 7" EP Tempo 4235 (Germany)
  • Cathedral City Project (Note: Belgium. Instrumental.) 1994 CD: Performs The Rolling Stones Favourites
  • Curb, Mike & The Waterfall: intrumental - LP: The Rolling Stones Songbook
  • Flaming Groovies: 1979 Album: Jumping In The Night, LP. Jagger / Richards Songbook, '91 UK CD
  • Hot Ice: 7" c/w Honky Tonk Woman (Radio Records - 417)
  • Jason & The Scorchers: 1986 7", 12", Album: Still Standing Nash The Slash
  • London Symphony Orchestra: 1990 CD: The L.S.O. Plays The Music Of The Rolling Stones, '94
  • MC5: 1987 LP: Do It - recorded in 1971
  • Munich Philharmonic Orchestra: 1992 CD: The MPO Plays Rolling Stones Classic
  • Nash The Slash: 1980 7", LP: Children Of The Night
  • NDR Philharmonic Orchestra: 1992 CD: Plays Rolling Stones Classic
  • New Renaissance Society: 1966 LP: Baroque And Stones
  • Pass, Joe: 1967 LP: The Stones Jazz, World Pacific WPS-21854
  • Pupils, The: 1960's LP: A Tribute To The Rolling Stones
  • Raisins, The: 1983 Album: The Raisins
  • Rasputin & The Monks: LP single-sided Resurrection Records CX1227AO (UK)
  • Salvajes, Los: EP Regal/EMI SEDL 19.507, Spanish punks 1966 (Spanish title 'La Neurastenia')
  • Schleicher, Peter: (Austrian title = "Der Erste Herzinfarkt") 1979 LP: Hart Auf Hart
  • Shockabilly: 1983 7" Rough Trade RT 127, Album: Earth vs Shockabilly
  • Skrewdrivers, The: 1977 7" on Chiswick Records NS 18 (US)
  • Slade, Keith, The: 1972 LP 'Satisfaction - Rolling Stones Hits', Salves 588.004 (France)
  • Standells, The: 1966 LP 'Dirty Water' in mono, Tower T 5027 (US)
  • Tomcats, The: 1966 LP in mono, Philips 436387 (Spain)
  • Thunderbyrds, The: 1988 Album: V/A: Stoned Again - A Tribute To The RS
  • Tillberg, Dan: (Swedish title = "Din Första Kollision" ="Your First Crash".) 1979 LP: Gatstena (= "Roadstones")
  • Tuxedomoon: 1980 LP: Can You Hear Me? Music From The Deaf Club

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Gotta Get Away
[Mick Jagger / Keith Richards]

Baby, the truth is out so don't deny
Baby to think I believed all your lies
Darlin’ I can't stand to see your face
It's the truth, you understand
The Rolling Stones - Gotta Get Away - US promo 45I got to get away, got to get away
Gotta, gotta, gotta get away
Got to get away

Baby, I don't want to live here no more
Baby, though I tore your pictures off my walls
Darlin' this old room's falling in on me
You understand the truth now
I got to get away, got to get away
Gotta, gotta, gotta get away
Got to get away

Baby, oh, how could you take away your clothes
Baby, don't screw up this old heart of gold
Darling, this will rule my social flare
You understand me now
I got to get away, got to get away
Gotta, gotta, gotta get away
Got to get away


Recorded on September 6 & 7, 1965
Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham
Mick Jagger: lead & backing vocals
Keith Richards: guitar
Brian Jones: guitar
Bill Wyman: bass
Charlie Watts: drums
James W. Alexander: tambourine
The Rolling Stones - 19th Nervous Breakdown US sheet music
19th Nervous Breakdown [Mick Jagger / Keith Richards]

Recorded on December 3-8, 1965, at Los Angeles, RCA Studios, Hollywood.
Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham
Sound Engineer: Dave Hassinger
Mick Jagger: lead vocals
Keith Richards: electric guitar, background vocals
Brian Jones: electric guitar, sax
Bill Wyman: bass
Charlie Watts: drums
charts peak release date 7" single B-side
The Rolling Stones UK Singles Discography 2 February 4, 1966 Decca F.12331 As Tears Go By
[M. Jagger / K. Richards / A. L. Oldham]
The Rolling Stones USA Singles Discography 2 February 11, 1966 London 9823 Sad Day [M. Jagger / K. Richards]

19th Nervous Breakdown
[Mick Jagger / Keith Richards]

You're the kind of person
You meet at certain dismal dull affairs.
Center of a crowd, talking much too loud
Running up and down the stairs.
Well, it seems to me that you have seen too much in too few years.
And though you've tried you just can't hide
Your eyes are edged with tears.

You better stop
Look around
Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes, here it comes
Here comes your 19th nervous breakdown.
The Rolling Stones - 19th Nervous Breakdown UK sheet music
When you were a child
You were treated kind
But you were never brought up right.
You were always spoiled with a thousand toys
But still you cried all night.
Your mother who neglected you
Owes a million dollars tax.
And your father's still perfecting ways of making ceiling wax.
You better stop, look around

Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes, here it comes
Here comes your 19th nervous breakdown.

Oh, who's to blame, that girl's just insane.
Well nothing I do don't seem to work,
It only seems to make matters worse.  Oh please.

You were still in school
When you had that fool
Who really messed your  mind.
And after that you turned your back
On treating people kind.
On our first trip
I tried so hard to rearrange your mind.
But after while I realized you were disarranging mine.

You better stop, look around
Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes, here it comes
Here comes your 19th nervous breakdown
Here comes your 19th nervous breakdown


'19th Nervous Breakdown's UK B-side 'As Tears Go By' was written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and their manager Andrew Loog Oldham, and had been a popular hit for both British singer Marianne Faithfull in 1964. The song is one of the first original compositions by Jagger and Richards. The myth surrounding the song's genesis has it that Oldham locked Jagger and Richards in a kitchen forcing them to write a song together, even suggesting what type of song he wanted: "I want a song with brick walls all around it, high windows and no sex." The result was initially named 'As Time Goes By' the title of the song Dooley Wilson sings in the film Casablanca. It was Oldham who changed 'Time' for 'Tears'. Oldham subsequently gave the ballad - a format that the Stones were not yet known for - to Faithfull, then 17, for her to record as a B-side.
The Rolling Stones - As Tears Go By - UK sheet musicThe success of the recording caused the record company Decca to switch the song to an A-side, where it became a very popular single. It reached #9 in the British charts and launched Faithfull's career as a major singer.
The Rolling Stones recorded their own version in 1965, notable for its heavy string arrangement by Mike Leander. The track was released as a single in December 1965 in the US [London 9808], due to popular demand after radio DJs across the country started playing the song from the band's recently released album 'December's Children (And Everybody's)'. The song peaked at #6 on the American Billboard Charts.

An Italian version 'Con Le Mie Lacrime' was released as a single in Italy - c/w 'Heart Of Stone' - sung by Jagger in Italian [the first and last attempt of singing in a foreign language].



The Rolling Stones - Con Le Mie Lacrime - Italian sheet music
As Tears Go By
[Mick Jagger / Keith Richards / Andrew Loog Oldham]

Recorded on October 26, 1965 at Los Angeles, RCA
Studios, Hollywood
Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham
Arrangers: Keith Richards and Mike Leander
Mick Jagger: vocal
Keith Richards: twelve-string acoustic guitar
Mike Leander Orchestra: strings
charts peak release date 7" single B-side
The Rolling Stones USA Singles Discography 6 December 17, 1965 London 9808 Gotta Get Away [M. Jagger / K. Richards]

As Tears Go By
[Mick Jagger / Keith Richards / Andrew Loog Oldham]

The Rolling Stones - As Tears Go By - US sheet musicIt is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Smiling faces I can see
But not for me
I sit and watch
As tears go by

My riches can't buy everything
I want to hear the children sing
All I hear is the sound
Of rain falling on the ground
I sit and watch
As tears go by

It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Doin' things I used to do
They think are new
I sit and watch
As tears go by

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