The Rolling Stones

Released: December 6, 1968

Songwriter: Mick Jagger Keith Richards

Producer: Jimmy Miller

[Chorus 1 -- Keith Richards]
Let's drink to the hard working people
Let's drink to the lowly of birth
Raise your glass to the good and the evil
Let's drink to the salt of the earth

[Verse 1]
Say a prayer for the common foot soldier
Spare a thought for his back-breaking work
Say a prayer for his wife and his children
Who burn the fires and who still till the earth

[Chorus 2]
When I search a faceless crowd
A swirling mass of gray and
Black and white
They don't look real to me
In fact, they look so strange

[Chorus 1]
Raise your glass to the hardworking people
Let's drink to the uncounted heads
Let's think of the wavering millions
Who need leading but get gamblers instead

[Verse 2]
Spare a thought for the stay-at-home voter
His empty eyes gaze at strange beauty shows
And a parade of the gray-suited grafters
A choice of cancer or polio

[Chorus 2]
When I look in the faceless crowd
A swirling mass of grays and
Black and white
They don't look real to me
Oh, don't they look so strange?

[Chorus 1]
Let's drink to the hardworking people
Let's think of the lowly of birth
Spare a thought for the rag taggy people
Let's drink to the salt of the earth

[Chorus 1]
Let's drink to the hardworking people
Let's drink to the salt of the earth
Let's drink to the two thousand million
Let's think of the humble of birth

Let's take a drink to the salt of the earth
Let's take a drink to the salt of the earth
Let's take a drink to the salt of the earth
Let's take a drink to the salt of the earth
Let's take a drink to the salt of the earth
Let's take a drink to the salt of the earth
Let's take a drink to the salt of the earth
Let's take a drink to the salt of the earth

Formed in London in 1962, The Rolling Stones led the “British Invasion” along with The Beatles and were so successful their influence can be seen in arguably every rock ‘n’ roll band that followed.

Three of the current members have been there since the band’s singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, who write the majority of the band’s catalogue and also produced some albums as The Glimmer Twins; and drummer Charlie Watts. The fourth official member is guitarist Ronnie Wood, who has been there since 1975 (the keyboardist and bassist who play in studio and live are usually not listed). The Stones have released more than 20 studio albums, and even as age caught up on them, continued to be a huge attraction on the live circuit, with big stadium tours continuing through the 1990s, 2000s and into the 2010s.

Discography

more tracks from the album

Beggars Banquet

From the albums

Beggars Banquet (1968)
The Concert for New York City (2001)

The Rolling Stones popular songs

Salt of the EarthThe Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones

Beggars Banquet