Contributions to the Practice of Song Writing

The Rolling Stones indubitably contributed quite a bit to the practice of song writing. Almost all of their songs have dual meanings, as well as a plethora of poetic devices. They were and still are creative and talented musicians. There are only a few bands that still tour who are from the '60s. Not only do they still tour, but their shows are still time and time again sold out. I think it is fair to say that The Rolling Stone very well may have been correct when they began referring to themselves as the "World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band".

Ten Facts About the Band

01.] The band formed May 25, 1962 in London, England and is still going strong today.

02.] They were formed by blues purest, guitarist, and harp player Brian Jones.

03.] The Rolling Stones began calling themselves the World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band in the late '60s.

04.] Their first single was called "Come On".

05.] Mick Jagger was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

06.] Keith Richards played Johnny Depp's father, Captain Teague, in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

07.] Throughout the years, the group members had three "Mick"s.
1. Mick Jagger
2. Mick Taylor
3. Mick Avory

08.] They have had ten band members total since the beginning: Mick Jagger, Mick Taylor, Ron Wood, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Brian Jones, Dick Taylor, Mick Avory, Keith Richards, and Ian Stewart.

09.] Keith Richards' is also known as Keef.

10.] Mick Jagger had seven children with four different women.

1960-2005 Timeline of The Rolling Stones

October, 1960
Mick Jagger meets Keith Richards while on a train commuting to college. They start talking music and soon Keith is asked to join Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys.

April, 1962
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Brian Jones create their own band. Jones comes up with "The Rolling Stones," based on a Muddy Waters tune "Rollin' Stone Blues."

July 12, 1962
The Rolling Stones appear for their first show at the Marquee.

September, 1962
As the band struggles, bass player Dick Taylor quits to go back to college. Soon after he returns to music and forms "The Pretty Things."

January, 1963
Charlie Watts joins the band after seeing them play at a Sutton pub. The current drummer, Tony Chapman, leaves two days later. Bill Wyman rounds off the band.

May, 1963
Stones sign on with Decca Records.

June, 1963
The Stones release their first single, which was a Chuck Berry tune, "Come On." The group went on a British TV Show called "Thank Your Lucky Stars," where the producer told Oldham to get rid of "that vile-looking singer with the tire-tread lips."

November, 1963
Stones release their version of "I Wanna Be Your Man" backed by "Stoned." The song reaches No. 12 on the British charts.

November, 1963
The Stones go to Hollywood's RCA recording studio for a 17 hour session, which includes the covers "Pain in My Heart," "Down Home Girl," Everybody Needs Somebody To Love," "Hitch-Hike" and more.

June, 1964
The first edition of the Rolling Stones Monthly Book - the band's first fanzine - appears. It is edited each month by a different member of the band.

May, 1965
The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" - arguably their most famous hit - hits No. 1 on the charts. It stayed on the charts for 14 weeks.

October, 1965
Stones play Manchester and Jagger gets cut from bits of seats thrown on stage. Keith gets hit and knocked out for some five minutes. In December, Richards gets knocked out by an electric shock at a Sacramento performance while playing "The Last Time." His guitar made contact with an ungrounded mike.

1966
The Stones released their first all-original material album, "Aftermath."

October, 1966
The Stones play Newcastle and record a show for their first live album, "Got Live If You Want It!"

April, 1967
The Stones play to 14,000 fans in Vienna and a smoke bomb goes off, which sparks a riot, More than 150 fans were arrested.

June, 1967
Brian and "Stash" appear in court where they face allegations based on police finding cannabis, methedine, and cocaine at Brian's apartment. Trial is set for Oct. 30.

December, 1967
The Stones release "Their Satanic Magesties Request" album in response to the Beatles' historic "Sgt. Pepper" album. The Stones' album is panned an "ambitious mess."

1968
The band returns to its music roots and releases "Jumping Jack Flash," which lands them a No. 3 hit. Some hailed "Beggar's Banquet" as the band's finest achievement.

June, 1969
Brian Jones announces he's leaving the group because "I no longer see eye to eye with the others over the discs we are cutting." Jones is replaced by Mick Taylor, a former guitarist for John Mayall.

July, 1969
Jones plans to start his own band when he is found dead in his swimming pool. The official death was deemed an accidental drowning, precipitated by the use of drugs and alcohol. Soon after his death, rumors that he was murdered began to spread. However, the official cause of death is still labeled as accidental.

December, 1969
A young black fan, Meredith Hunter, dies during the Stones' free "Gimme Shelter" concert at California's Altamont Speedway. The fan was stabbed to death by members of the Hell's Angels motorcycle gang, who were hired - on the advice of the Grateful Dead - to provide security for the event. Hunter was one of four people who died during the event.

October, 1970
More than 2,000 fans try to enter a sold-out show in Milan. Police use tear gas to fend off the crowd, while more than 60 are arrested.

1971
The Stones form Rolling Stones Records and release "Sticky Fingers." Album reaches No. 1 a year later. Andy Warhol designed the controversial zipper cover.

February, 1971
The Stones' loan their Mobile Studio out to Led Zeppelin, a band growing in popularity. The Stones' Ian Stewart plays piano on a pair of tracks.

May, 1971
Mick Jagger marries Bianca Perez Morena de Macias, originally from Nicaragua.

July, 1971
The movie "Gimme Shelter" is released in London, a film documenting the tragic events at the Altamont Speedway in 1969, when four people died at a free concert that included the Stones, Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane, among others.

January 1972
The Stones release their first greatest hits album, "Hot Rocks 1964-1971." The album was certified gold.

December 1972
A warrant is issued for the arrest of Keith and his girlfriend Anita Pallenberg in France on drug charges. The case collapses after five witnesses claim police physically forced them into saying they saw the Stones doing drugs in Richard's home.

December 23, 1972
A massive earthquake hits Managua, Nicaragua. Mick and his wife Bianca rush to the city to find Bianca's missing parents. The couple is presumed missing in search of Bianca's family, but turn up unscathed a few days later in early January.

January 18, 1973
The Stones hold a concert in aid of the earthquake victims of Nicaragua at the Los Angeles Forum.

January 1974
Keith Richards is found guilty of possessing a cocaine snorter, found in his Bentley after a car accident the September prior.

December 1974
Mick Taylor announces he is leaving the band and is eventually replaced by Ronnie Wood. Though Wood did not officially join the band until 1976 after settling commitments he had with Rod Stewart and the Faces.

January , 1975
The rock magazine Creem's yearly readers poll lists the Stones' "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll" as best album and The Rolling Stones as the best band.

November, 1975
With their music labeled as immoral and "appealing to the flesh," Baptist Church officials in Tallahassee, Fla., burn albums by the Stones, Elton John, and others.

April 1976
A radio station in L.A. spins the new Stones album without getting the band's permission. The Stones stop the broadcast fearing bootleggers will release the record before they do.

March 1977
Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg are arrested for possession of heroin, this time in Toronto. The charges threaten the future of the band, but Richards receives a suspended sentence and kicks his habit one year later.

April 1977
The Stones are very close to splitting up, as Mick and Keith call a big meeting to determine if they break up, how it will happen. The two get drunk instead, and promise to go on.

September 1977
"Love You Live" is released, and once again the cover artwork is by Andy Warhol.

June, 1978
"Some Girls" album is released. Lucille Ball, Raquel Welch, and Liz Taylor - some of the ladies pictured on the album cover - threaten to sue. Atlantic eventually caves in several months later and changes the cover.

June, 1978
After the band did not play an encore at their Orchard Park, N.Y., gig, fans respond with a massive riot.

October 7, 1978
Stones perform three songs on Saturday Night Live. Mick is interviewed by SNL veteran Dan Akroyd, who played the role of Tom Snyder.

February 1979
The band's longtime road manager Alan Dunn and girlfriend Ramona have gone missing in the Bermuda Triangle. The Stones join the search. The couple is found unharmed.

April, 1980
The Stones shoot a radical video for "Emotional Rescue" in New York. The band uses a thermographic camera that only picks up body heat.

August, 1980
Once again there are reports that Bill Wyman is leaving the band. In a simple statement to the Press, Jagger says, "I don't mind ... what can I do? If people want to leave the band they just do."

March 1981
Another Stones greatest hits album, "Sucking In the Seventies," is released. Controversy ensues surrounding the title's double entendre. Some major retailers, including Sears, refuse to have the record on their shelves.

August 1981
Tattoo You is released.

May 1982
Stones begin their European tour, performing at three small clubs in Scotland, plus the 100 Club in London.

August 1983
A contract agreement is reached and signed in Paris' Ritz Hotel at 3:00 a.m. by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and CBS head Walter Yetnikoff. The deal calls for the Stones to deliver four studio albums and is reportedly worth $28 million.

October 1983
Mick and Keith smash up a church for a scene in the "Undercover" clip, while shooting video in Mexico City. Mick's execution scene stirs controversy, while Keith sports a skull mask and a gun.
January 1986
Keith Richards is the first-ever presenter for the Rock 'n' roll Hall of Fame. As he hands Chuck Berry an award, the Stones guitarist rips off his tux and says, "I lifted every lick he ever played."

February 1986
The Stones play a surprise gig at the 100 Club in London to pay tribute to the late Ian Stewart. This is the first time the band has played together live in almost five years, sparking hopes of a new tour.

July 1987
After stating he would never go solo and resented Jagger for making albums outside of the Stones, Richards signs a solo deal with Virgin Records. The feud had begun.

September 1988
Keith Richards releases his first solo album, "Talk is Cheap." Richards and Jagger then take shots at one another in the press and in lyrics. According to reports, Richard's single "You Don't Move Me" was directed at Jagger.

January 1989
Everything is smoothed over as the Stones are inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, and Richards and Jagger spend 10 days in Barbados writing songs. The result would be the critically acclaimed "Steel Wheels."

August 1989
The Stones preview their Steel Wheels tour for 700 unbeknownst people at Toad's Place in New Haven, Conn. The cover charge was only $3, as the sign outside read "Rock Dance Party with the Cruiser."

February 1990
First ever tour of Japan includes 10 sold out shows at Tokyo's Korakuen Dome.

July 1990
Keith Richard's right index finger becomes inflamed after a Glasgow concert on the "Urban Jungle" tour. The upcoming week's shows are postponed, marking the first time in the band's history that the Stones miss a show due to illness or injury.

February 1991
The BBC is forced to ban "Highwire" from airwaves after pressure from the Parliament before the single is even released. Members of Parliament had not even heard the song, but based the decision on lyrics only.

November 1991
The Stones sign with Virgin Records.

January 1992
The film "Freejack" premieres in Hollywood. Mick Jagger co-stars with Emilio Estevez and Anthony Hopkins.

October 1992
Keith Richards releases his second solo album, "Main Offender."

January 1993
Bill Wyman finally officially quits the Stones during an interview on the BBC's London Tonight. "I really don't want to do it anymore," he said. Richards offers this quote on trying to keep Wyman a Stone: "I did everything but hold him at gunpoint."

April 1993

Jagger and Richards return to Barbados to begin writing material for the next Stones album, which would lead to "Voodoo Lounge." Charlie Watts joins them 10 days later.

July 1994
"Voodoo Lounge" is released. It's the Stones' 22nd studio album (36th overall), their first with Virgin Records. This would win them a Grammy for Best Album.

November 1994
Stones are the first major rock 'n' roll band to broadcast a concert live on the Internet. The 20-minute feature is transmitted from the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

December 1994
The Stones wrap up the North American leg of the "Voodoo Lounge" tour in Vancouver, and surpasses Pink Floyd's 1994 record-breaking tour as the most successful tour in history. "Voodoo Lounge" tour reportedly grosses the band $121 million.

January 1995
The band starts the year with four sell-out shows at Mexico City's Autodromo Stadium.

1996
The film "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus" is released, featuring bands like the Who, Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal, John Lennon, and Eric Clapton, among others, recorded over two days in December, 1968.

1997
The Stones release "Bridges To Babylon" and embark on another extremely successful world tour, which wraps up a year later.

March 1998
The Stones begin their South America tour, with Bob Dylan as a supporting act. Dylan takes the stage with the Stones on "Like a Rolling Stone."

May 1998
Keith Richards punctures a lung falling from a chair while reaching for a book on the top shelf of his library. The band's European tour is postponed three weeks.

July 1999
Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall offically announce their separation.

June 1999
The Stones finish the "Bridges to Babylon" tour at the Mngersdorfer Stadium in Cologne, Germany, their longest tour ever.

May, 2000
Mick Jagger's 78-year-old mother passes away from a heart condition. Mick and brother Chris Jagger sing the gospel song, "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."

April 2001
Keith Richards teams up with Sheryl Crow during a gig at New York's Shine on Monday club, where they perform "Not Fade Away" and Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame."

November 2001
The documentary, "Being Mick" is aired on ABC in the U.S., featuring Jagger traveling the world to complete his album and the film, "Enigma."

2002
The Stones release "Forty Licks," a greatest hits compilation with four new songs. Q magazine names The Rolling Stones as one of the "50 Bands To See Before You Die." Hip-hop icon Dr. Dre remixes the Stones' "Miss You" for the Austin Powers "Goldmember" soundtrack. In a 10-day September stint in the Bay State, the Stones play shows at Gillette Stadium, the FleetCenter, and the Orpheum Theater.

July, 2003
The Stones headline the "Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto" concert in Toronto, Canada, to help the city recover from the effects of the SARS epidemic. It was the largest concert in Canadian history, attended by an estimated 450,000 people.

November, 2003
The Stones play Hong Kong for the first time as part of the Harbour Fest. That same month, the band licenses the right to sell their 4-DVD boxed set, "Four Flicks," exclusively to Best Buy. Other music retail chains, which include Tower Records and Virgin Megastore, pull all Rolling Stones CDs and related merchandise from their shelves.

2004
The Stones extend their gap between studio albums into a seventh year. Their former record label, ABKCO, releases the first of three box sets of the band's hit singles from the 60s.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards convene in Paris to complete sessions for a new studio album with Don Was as producer.

Charlie Watts is in attendance, in excellent health after being treated for throat cancer.

May, 2005
The Stones announce plans for another world tour starting on Aug. 21st at Fenway Park in Boston. The tour includes stops in the U.S. and Canada before going to South America, Asia and Europe.

July, 2005
On Mick Jagger's birthday, the Stones announce the name of their new album, "A Bigger Bang," will be released Sept. 6.




"Rolling Stones Timeline." Boston.com Arts and Entertainment. Summer 2005. 15 Sept. 2008 .

"Ironic" Analysis

Irony is a literary term which takes place in practically, if not every type of literature. It is present in poems, songs, stories, etc. Irony is simply defined as contrary to what is being expected. A song entitled “Ironic” would leave one assuming it to be filled with irony, would it not? This is ironically not quite the case when it comes to Alanis Morissette’s song, given that title.
The very first two lines of the song are “An old man turned ninety-eight. He won the lottery and died the next day.” Also, virtually an entire verse consists of the words, “It’s like rain on you wedding day. It’s a free ride when you’ve already paid. It’s the good advice that you just didn’t take.” All of these are not so much ironic as they are merely coincidental or unfortunate events. Though, this could be intentional. Perhaps the song was unsuitably titled in order to be thought provoking.
Especially ones that are also musicians, writers have the tendency to be anomalous. They very much enjoy making the reader think. Whilst reading these lyrics, I could not help but to think of all of the irony. I did not think of it as being in “Ironic” itself, for there truly is none, but the irony of the lack of it. Irony indubitably exists in the world today, but it forthrightly does not in this particular song.