Bitch by The Rolling Stones Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking the Raw Emotion and Energy Behind the Classic Rock Anthem

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for The Rolling Stones's Bitch at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

Feeling so tired, can’t understand it
Just had a fortnight’s sleep
I’m feeling so tired, I’m so distracted
Ain’t touched a thing all week

I’m feeling drunk, juiced up and sloppy
Ain’t touched a drink all night
I’m feeling hungry, can’t see the reason
Just ate a horse meat pie

Yeah when you call my name
I salivate like a Pavlov dog
Yeah when you lay me out
My heart is beating louder than a big bass drum, alright

Yeah, you got to mix it child
You got to fix it must be love
It’s a bitch, yeah
You got to mix it child
You got to fix it but love
It’s a bitch, alright

Sometimes I’m sexy, move like a stud
Like kicking the stall all night
Sometimes I’m so shy, got to be worked on
Don’t have no bark or bite, alright

Yeah when you call my name
I salivate like a Pavlov dog
Yeah when you lay me out
My heart is bumpin’ louder than a big bass drum, alright

I said hey, yeah I feel alright now
Got to be a
Hey, I feel alright now
Hey hey hey
Hey hey yeah
Hey hey hey
Hey hey yeah
Hey hey hey
Hey hey yeah
Hey hey hey
Hey hey yeah
Hey hey hey

When we think about the incendiary track ‘Bitch’ from The Rolling Stones, often we’re enveloped by its raw guitar riffs and the pulsating rhythms that underscore a visceral slice of the human condition. Released as part of the 1971 album ‘Sticky Fingers’, the song blasts through the speakers with a force that’s both insubordinate and infectious.

What many may write off as just another rock and roll bravado-filled anthem, ‘Bitch’ dives deeper beneath the surface of love’s addictive tug-of-war. Mick Jagger’s throaty vocals rip through the veneer of the mundane, articulating a chaotic spree of emotions that seems to ricochet between love’s highs and lows.

The Frenzy of Love’s Labor: Navigating Desire’s Confusing Signals

The song opens with a sense of exasperation, a fatigue that refuses to lift even after a ‘fortnight’s sleep.’ This is a metaphor for the exhaustion that accompanies unrequited or tumultuous love—the sense that no matter how much you rest or what you consume, nothing satisfies that deep hunger.

In this opening, we’re also confronted with the drunk-like dizziness of infatuation. It’s a state where logic is defenestrated and all that remains is an appetite that can’t be sated, leading into the central metaphor of the song’s title, ‘Bitch.’ It’s less about derogatory slang and more about the bitch of circumstance, the difficulties love presents.

Pavlov’s Dogs of Passion: The Inescapable Conditioning of Love

Referencing classic psychological experiments, the lines ‘Yeah when you call my name / I salivate like a Pavlov dog’ evoke the uncontrollable responses conditioned by the bell of love’s summon. There’s profound insight here about the helplessness we feel when drawn to someone—how we react instinctually and fiercely, even against our better judgement.

This connection to Pavlov’s work suggests that romantic responses might be more innate and uncontrollable than we’d like to admit. The Stones tap into the psychology of desire, acknowledging the push and pull that leaves us feeling both alive and utterly dominated by love’s caprice.

The Euphoric Crescendo: Love as an Irresistible Rhythm

The lyrical shot ‘My heart is beating louder than a big bass drum’ is not just a throwaway line—it thrusts us into the physicality of love, how it quickens the pulse and overtakes the senses. There’s an authenticity in this musical embodiment of passion that aligns with the Stones’ reputation for visceral, experiential songwriting.

These lyrics don’t just describe a feeling; they transport the listener to that exhilarating edge where control slips away and the rhythm of another’s presence overwhelms your own. It’s this pounding heartbeat that underscores the entire human experience of love—an all-encompassing refrain that defines and destroys in equal measure.

The Duality of Desire: From ‘Sexy’ to ‘Shy’ in a Heartbeat

The track doesn’t shy away from the dual nature of personalities in the theatre of lust and admiration. One moment you’re ‘moving like a stud’, and the next, you’re ‘so shy, got to be worked on.’ This conveys love’s power to transform us, to make us alternately bold and reticent, projecting our best selves while struggling with insecurities.

It’s a nuanced expression of the complexities behind human attraction and the roles we play to entice and engage with love interests. These lines strip back the layers, exposing a truth that resonates—the oscillation between confidence and vulnerability is a dance as old as time.

Venturing Beyond the Surface: The Hidden Meaning of ‘Bitch’

In a broader context, ‘Bitch’ doubles as a social critique—a musing on the challenging nature of life itself. It echoes the sentiment that life, much like love, requires us to ‘mix it’ and ‘fix it,’ an endless endeavor to strike a balance amidst chaos.

The term ‘bitch’ can also be seen as an embrace of the unpredictability of existence. It’s a soulful recognition that sometimes life just is a ‘bitch,’ and we’re all riding the wave, trying to find our footing, be it in love, work, or daily struggles. Through this lens, the song elevates itself from rock anthem to an enduring motif on the human struggle for harmony and understanding.