Shattered by Rolling Stones Lyrics Meaning – Dissecting the Relentless Pulse of New York City Life
Lyrics
Love and hope and sex and dreams
Are still surviving on the street
Look at me, I’m in tatters!
I’m a shattered
Shattered
Friends are so alarming
My lover’s never charming
Life’s just a cocktail party on the street
Big Apple
People dressed in plastic bags
Directing traffic
Some kind of fashion
Shattered
Laughter, joy, and loneliness and sex and sex and sex and sex
Look at me, I’m in tatters
I’m a shattered
Shattered
All this chitter-chatter, chitter-chatter, chitter-chatter ’bout
Shmatta, shmatta, shmatta, I can’t give it away on 7th Avenue
This town’s been wearing tatters (shattered, sha ooobie shattered)
Work and work for love and sex
Ain’t you hungry for success, success, success, success
Does it matter? (shattered)
Does it matter?
Ah look at me
I’m shattered
I’m shattered 0
Look at me, I’m a shattered, yeah (shattered)
Pride and joy and greed and sex
That’s what makes our town the best
Pride and joy and dirty dreams and still surviving on the street
And look at me, I’m in tatters, yeah
I’ve been battered, what does it matter
Does it matter, uh-huh
Does it matter, uh-huh, I’m a shattered
Mmm, I’m shattered, unh
Sha oobie, shattered, unh
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered, shattered
Don’t you know the crime rate is going up, up, up, up, up
To live in this town you must be tough, tough, tough, tough, tough!
You got rats on the West Side
Bed bugs uptown
What a mess this town’s in tatters, I’ve been shattered
My brain’s been battered, splattered all over Manhattan
Sha oobie, shattered, shattered, what say
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered
Uh-huh, this town’s full of money grabbers
Go ahead, bite the Big Apple, don’t mind the maggots, huh
Sha oobie, my brain’s been battered
My friends they come around they
Flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter
Pile it up, pile it up, pile high on the platter
Amidst the chaos of a rapidly shifting cultural landscape, the Rolling Stones released ‘Shattered,’ a track from their 1978 album ‘Some Girls’ that encapsulated the gritty, fragmented essence of New York City life during that era. A fusion of raw energy and critical social commentary, the song came as a response to the harsh urban realities the band observed while embracing the city’s dynamic pulse.
At first glance, ‘Shattered’ reads as a jaded catalogue of NYC’s underbelly, set to an unyielding rhythm that mirrors the city’s ceaseless activity. But between the lines, and within the insistent repetition of Mick Jagger’s plaintive cries, there exists a deeper resonance that speaks to the human condition, societal pressures, and the relentless pursuit of success and satisfaction amidst urban decay.
Concrete Jungle: The City That Never Sleeps Through Jagger’s Eyes
The Stones are no strangers to the theme of excess and the rollercoaster ride of fame. ‘Shattered’ serves as an expression of their experience with New York City as the epicenter of ambition and aspiration. Lines like ‘Love and hope and sex and dreams are still surviving on the street’ show a resilience against the abrasive urban landscape, standing out as an ode to the strength and determination that New Yorkers are renowned for.
Amongst the contrasting images of strife and survival, the song paints a picture of the social stratification that is as apparent today as it was in the late ’70s. Oftentimes marginalized by popular narratives are the scenes described in the song: ‘People dressed in plastic bags, Directing traffic, Some kind of fashion.’ This paints a stark picture of the homelessness and desperation that coexists with the city’s vibrant fashion scene.
The Enduring Tug-of-War Between Success and Disillusionment
Jagger’s repeated questioning, ‘Does it matter?’, punctuates the song, emphasizing the feeling of disillusionment. The pursuit of ‘success, success, success’ is juxtaposed with the raw depictions of ‘sex and sex and sex and sex,’ tying together themes of desire with the demanding realities of city life. Success seems omnipresent, yet frustratingly elusive, revealing a cynical view of New York’s promise and the sacrifices demanded in its chase.
A key frustration highlighted in ‘Shattered’ is the struggle to remain genuine in a world that demands a constant performance. As the lyrics declare, ‘Life’s just a cocktail party on the street,’ there’s a sense that every interaction becomes a show, every relationship a facade, culminating in a social environment where authenticity is overpowered by hollow flattery.
The Allusion to Americana and The Big Apple’s Bruised Ego
In a move that’s both homage and critique, the Stones tap into the American Dream narrative and give it a bruised, if not shattered, sheen. Phrases like ‘Go ahead, bite the Big Apple, don’t mind the maggots’ serve as a thwarting reminder of the city’s decay, hidden beneath the allure of the American Dream. It’s New York City in all its glory and grime, calling out both its aspirations and the darker truths that lie beneath.
This duality continues with the juxtaposition of ‘Pride and joy and greed and sex’ with ‘dirty dreams and still surviving on the street,’ lacing the patriotic bravado with the unspoken lives of the city’s inhabitants. It’s New York City’s magnificence and entrepreneurship, yet it’s also a city where not everyone gets to partake in the ‘pride and joy.’
The Searing Commentary Within the Song’s Hidden Meanings
‘Shattered’ is rife with euphemisms and double entendres, often overlooked at first listen. The reference to ‘chitter-chatter ’bout shmatta’ isn’t just idle talk – it’s a reference to the rag trade, an acknowledgment of the working class and the garment district synonymous with New York’s industrial backbone. The Stones hint at the constant turnover of fashion and materialism, emphasizing both its fleeting nature and the hard realities of those within the industry.
The caricatures of ‘Big Apple’ residents painted by Mick Jagger are more than mere descriptors – they are the fragmented personas of a city undergoing seismic shifts in culture and identity. Each line of ‘Shattered’ holds a mirror up to the duality of life in New York, the relentless pursuit amid the chaos, and the tireless striving amongst the city’s inhabitants to find success, or at the very least, survival.
Memorable Lines That Echo the New York State of Mind
Two lines stand out for their raw encapsulation of the song’s essence: ‘Pride and joy and greed and sex, that’s what makes our town the best,’ and ‘My brain’s been battered, splattered all over Manhattan.’ Both capture the triumphant yet destructive force of New York City’s essence. The first grapples with a pride that is both a blessing and a curse, a driving force that fuels the city’s heart but also amplifies its vices.
The latter line artfully depicts the wear and tear of urban life, the mental toll that living in such a relentless environment can take on an individual. Jagger’s ‘battered brain’ is a metaphor for the psychological impact of city living, scattered across the prismatic landscape of Manhattan. These lines stick with listeners, leaving them with a persistent echo of the city’s chaotic tune, long after the song has ended.
