The Rolling Stones’ “Schoolboy Blues” Lyrics Meaning

Though recorded back in 1970, this song is very NSFW, even by today’s standards. The subject of the track is a “lonesome schoolboy” who apparently is a fresh visitor to London. And he has “heard so much about” the city, specifically it would seem in terms of its ability to fulfill his homosexually-based carnal urges. So he goes about looking for a place to get his sensual urges satisfied, despite having no money to pay for these services.

Eventually he comes across “a young policeman” whom, in some ambiguous way, he lets his desires be known to. And ultimately this selfsame officer assists him in fulfilling the aforementioned urges. And in the process of it all, the singer also alludes to the idea that he used to sleep with “pigs in (his) farmyard”, thus alluding to, quite honestly, a frowned upon intimate act (one which we can’t mention).

So overall it can said that “Schoolboy Blues” is quite vulgar. Since the 1970s homosexuality has become an accepted part of Western society. But even popular-homosexual singers don’t make songs this explicit. Also the fact that it explicitly references the aforementioned frowned-upon act (which we cannot mention) remains one of the reasons why this track – for the most part – has remained unreleased throughout the decades.

Lyrics of "Schoolboy Blues"

Facts about “Schoolboy Blues”

The Rolling Stones did not intend for this track to be taken seriously per se.  Rather they were obligated to present one last song to Decca Records to fulfill their contract before venturing off to start their own label. Thus it can be concluded that they gave Decca Records a song with such unprintable content just to annoy them. And their beef with the label did not end there, as Decca Records counteracted by releasing a Rolling Stones compilation album which the band did not approve of.

However Decca Records did also release a few promotional singles of “Schoolboy Blues” back in 1970.

They also released it (reportedly by accident) on the West Germany edition of a 1983 box set entitled “The Rest of the Best”. However, shortly thereafter Decca Records re-released the set without “Schoolboy Blues”.

“Schoolboy Blues” was written by The Rolling Stones’ members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

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