Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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All The Way Down
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

The Hit Factory, New York City, New York, US, June - August 1, 1983

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals, electric guitar
Keith Richards - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass, percussion
Ron Wood - electric guitar, backing vocals
Chuck Leavell - electric piano

I was twenty one, naïve, not cynical, I try to please
Her wit, her speech, her repartee impressed me almost instantly

She went all the way, all the way down
She went all the way, all the way

She showed me sex a hundred ways, how she pimped and how she paid
And all the daughters, all the sons, all were welcome, all would come, yeah

We went all the way, all the way down
We went all the way, all the way

I was King, Mr Cool, just a snotty little fool, like kids are now
I dreamed of reaching greater heights, I raved about it every night, talked

She went all the way, all the way, all the way down, yeah
She went all the way, all the way, all the way, all the way down

She's there when I close my eyes, there when I close my eyes
She's there when I close my eyes, there when I close my eyes

How the years rush on by, birthdays, kids and suicides
But still I play the fool and strut, still you're a slut, hey babe

She went all the way, all the way, all the way, all the way down
She went all the way, all the way, all the way, all the way down
She went all the way, all the way, all the way, all the way down, down, down, down

You give me back that time right now, I can see it if I close my eyes
Was every minute just a waste, was every hour a foolish chase?
No, I don’t believe you slipped all the way
She went all the way, all the way, all the way down…

Produced by The Glimmer Twins & Chris Kimsey

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Undercover Of The Night / All The Way Down” 7” single
(Rolling Stones Records RSR 113) UK, November 1, 1983

Great song! Some great playing by Keith in there.

...a tuneless, putrid, vacuum of shite with infantile lyrics that must have took all of five minutes to put together.

Arguably the Stones worst ever song (if you could call it one).

in my opinion, it is the best track on a dismal record

Fun song it is! Slutty . Gutter whoreish eh? MEZ

@barn owl: can´t agree with you...undercover is a very good album, All The Way Down may not be a highlight of it, but it is ok for me, as well musically, as well lyrically. i am not one of those you consider each and every stones song as highlight - for example i can´t stand "blinded by love" or "little indian girl", but "All The Way Down" does definitley NOT belong to these....

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wandering spirit
@barn owl: can´t agree with you...undercover is a very good album, All The Way Down may not be a highlight of it, but it is ok for me, as well musically, as well lyrically. i am not one of those you consider each and every stones song as highlight - for example i can´t stand "blinded by love" or "little indian girl", but "All The Way Down" does definitley NOT belong to these....

Each to their own, Wandering Spirit!

...which makes the world such a great place, and the Stones such a brilliant, varied band, able to produce so many contrasting styles.

...i can agree with you now

Always loved this one, there is just something about it

The lyrics shine, I know many don't agree, but for me anyway the lyrics just sparkle - "I was King. Mr. Cool, just a snotty little fool, like kids are now" / "How the years they rush on by, Birthdays, Kids and Suicides.."

A cracking li'l number

2nd best song on the album after tie you up....in spirit and attitude, coulda easily fit on 'tween the buttons...

Any comments, input or alterations on the recording dates/places, musicians and lyrisc?

René

this is a track that tends to appeal to would-be classicists among Stones fans. Undercover has gotten a lot of praise here over the past year or so, but before that, it was common to like only the last 3 cuts, including this one.

it does seem almost comic relief after such a heavy album, and I wonder if it was created with that function in mind. Either way, it doesn't sound as if it took much effort to "write." There's something off about it... mick has a few welcome wry lyrics, though his nudge nudge wink wink delivery is annoying, and the bending guitar licks are nice, but I feel like it would sound better if the band were clicking as they do on Emotional Rescue.

Lyrically and musically it reminds me of "I Go Wild." Verses crammed with lyrics and a simple repetitive chorus. I think "Wild" works better because the chorus isn't so rushed. Here it races through too much, so you don't get a break until the bridge (middle 8th?) "She's there when I close my eyes..."

I'm an Undercover lover, and this one never really grabbed me.

If I came up with lyrics like these at the age of 40, I guess people would be worried
about me having a midlife crisis. It beats me how Mick got away with this.

I like the song for what it is, a rather generic rocker, like they've made 13 a dozen.
Don't think too much about it, just let the beat carry you away.

I think it’s great song, musicially it flows from one part to the next, chorus to verse, bridge to verse. Yes it’s pretty generic but a good example of its sort.

Lyrically, there’s a great rhythm in the words - among Jagger’s best efforts in my opinion - plus there’s a story to tell which he puts across very well.

This is an underrated song, like much of Undercover.

Undercover should be completetly remastered, produced, mixed..........etc. It could be a very nice album , but theres a lack of coherence in the production , i think.......
Maybe it reflects inside struggles between both leaders.....

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marcovandereijk
If I came up with lyrics like these at the age of 40, I guess people would be worried
about me having a midlife crisis. It beats me how Mick got away with this.

Yeah, but when a man gets to his fifties he is singing like "the sparks will fly when I get back to you , beeibeeee...", not to mention in his sixties singing about "staring at your tits", etc. I think that somehere during the 80's Mick actually lost the credibility in these kind of matters, as well his once cool image, and nobody actually takes him too seriously anymore, which is good. I think to the most of the world he is just a funny old man with extremely good physical condition singing about silly teenager stuff... But THE legendary, mystical, sexy, dangerous Mick Jagger he ain't no more

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-22 01:04 by Doxa.

This one has grown on me over the years. I like the guitar interplay

ATWD is great southern rock....luv the tune luv the lyrics

Stilll about the lyrics: there is still that healthy, edgy, self-irony Jagger championed at the time. The line:

"I was King, Mr Cool, just a snotty little fool, like kids are now"

is just priceless! That sounded bloody clever at the time. That's much better than "It's lonely at the top, but baby it's hot" kind of jargon, he would soon get himself into, and turn to be a "snotty little fool" once again...

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-22 01:24 by Doxa.

My least favorite track on Undercover (which as always a bit of an underrated album to me, I actually like it better than the previous 2 that came before it). The song may have had potential with a little tweaking, but it feels weak and tossed off. Jagger's lyrics and delivery are pretty horrid as well.

I think it's rather obvious some people take some things too seriously and don't get Mick's sense of humour.

Great tune, nice production.

Excellent rocker - still among the "4 weaker ones" on Undercover.......but even that section of that album is something one can't do without

The 3 last tracks of Undersover seems like an easy-way-out for the band; if they had exchanged those 3 last ones for something completely else - "Undercover" might have gotten the respect it deserves among the.........deadly.....or "people out there"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-11-22 04:11 by Erik_Snow.

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skipstone
I think it's rather obvious some people take some things too seriously and don't get Mick's sense of humour.

Great tune, nice production.

I totally get Mick's sense of humor, especially on country tracks like "Far Away Eyes" and "Dead Flowers". But to my ears, a mediocre song is a mediocre song.

Fantastic track from a fantastic album. Wanna Hold You is pretty bad, but the rest of the album is utterly fantastic. Energetic, aggressive, fantastic vocals by Mick. Truly the last album the Stones where still the Stones and not a Vegas act.

Mathijs

well it ain't literature, but as a rock n roll song with some tounge in cheek fun it works.

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!

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Mathijs
Fantastic track from a fantastic album. Wanna Hold You is pretty bad, but the rest of the album is utterly fantastic. Energetic, aggressive, fantastic vocals by Mick. Truly the last album the Stones where still the Stones and not a Vegas act.

Mathijs

+1

Drew

'Undercover of the Night' was released as the A side, with 'She Was Hot' as the B. That's as far as it should have gone. The rest of the album is pure dreck. I never even replaced it when I went from albums to CDs. Much, much worse than GHS, or all but a handful of tracks on their last three studio albums.

horrible track.from a horrible album!

Like it a lot!