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"Gimme Shelter"

Last updated 📅 2025-04-11

Seek refuge in the haunting power of The Rolling Stones' 1969 masterpiece, "Gimme Shelter." The iconic opening track from Let It Bleed, this song captures apocalyptic dread with Keith Richards' legendary guitar intro, Mick Jagger's vocals, and Merry Clayton's searing guest performance.

TITLE: Gimme Shelter
BAND: The Rolling Stones
GENRE: Blues Rock, Hard Rock
OTHER: Cruisin Classic
RELEASEDAY: December 05
YEAR: 1969

Featured on the classic 1969 album Let It Bleed, "Gimme Shelter" reflected the turmoil of its era through a dark lens of hard rock and blues rock. Its ominous atmosphere, driven by Richards' distinctive guitar work and the unforgettable contribution from guest vocalist Merry Clayton, created an instant classic.

This powerful 1969 track remains one of The Rolling Stones' most acclaimed works. Its chilling lyrics invoking violence ("War, children, it's just a shot away"), combined with its blues rock foundation and hard rock intensity, make "Gimme Shelter" an enduring and potent musical statement.

SONG MEANING: Written amidst the backdrop of the Vietnam War and social unrest, the song paints a bleak picture of impending violence, chaos, and societal breakdown ("Oh, a storm is threat'ning / My very life today"). The repeated plea "Gimme shelter" is a desperate cry for protection and refuge from the surrounding turmoil, war, and threat of violence ("Rape, murder / It's just a shot away").

Band

"The Rolling Stones"

Often called "The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band," these legendary British icons have defined rock music for decades. Anchored by an iconic frontman/guitarist duo, their blues-drenched sound, rebellious attitude, and electrifying live shows cemented their unparalleled status and influence.

TITLE: The Rolling Stones
ACTIVE: 1962–present (1962)
BAND: The Rolling Stones

Active continuously since the early sixties, their remarkable career includes groundbreaking experimental phases. Around nineteen sixty-six, they released major international hits near the seventh day of May that incorporated unique world music instrumentation and dark textures, masterfully blending pioneering psychedelic and raga styles with their foundational rock and roll power, alongside countless other blues, rock, and disco-influenced classics throughout their history...

THE ROLLING STONES: Gimme Shelter, One Hit (to the Body), (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, Start Me Up, Miss You, Honky Tonk Women, Brown Sugar, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Beast of Burden, Paint It, Black

Go to "The Rolling Stones" Page

BAND | The Rolling Stones

"One Hit (to the Body)"

Feel the impact of The Rolling Stones' hard-hitting 1986 rock track, "One Hit (to the Body)"! The powerful opener from Dirty Work, this song features intense guitar interplay, including a contribution from Jimmy Page, delivering a raw, aggressive hard rock statement.