You Can’t Always Get What You Want – Quick Facts
- Recorded in November, 1968 at Olympic Sound Studios in London and released on the 1969 album, Let It Bleed.
- Jimmy Miller, the Stones producer, plays drums on this track
- Al Kooper plays the french horn part as well as piano and organ
Guitar Chords, Lyrics, and Harmonica Tabs
You Can’t Always Get What You Want music and lyrics are property and copyright of their owners and provided for educational purposes and personal use only.
The following is my transcription of my version of this awesome song.
You Can’t Always Get What You Want – Jagger/Richards
On this song, I am playing with Open G tuning and using a G harmonica.
Tune your guitar to the following:
6th string lowered to D
5th string lowered to G
4th string stays at D
3rd string stays G
2nd string stays B
1st string lowered to D
The Rolling Stones play this song in C, so putting a capo on the 5th fret and playing as I show you will allow you to play along with the original recording but you’ll need to use a C harmonica.
Chords for Verses
Chords for Chorus
Chords for Bridge
Harmonica Intro
4 -5 -6 6
-6 6 4 -4 -4 5
-5 5 5 -4 4
1st VERSE
I saw her today at the reception
6 8 8 8 8 -8 7 -8 -6
A glass of wine in her hand
6 8 8 8 -8 7 -8 -6
I knew she would meet her connection
6 8 8 8 8 8 8 -8 7 -8 -6
At her feet was a footloose man
6 6 8 8 7 8 -8 -8 -6
CHORUS
You can’t always get what you want
6 8 8 8 8 -8 7 -8 -6
You can’t always get what you want
6 8 8 8 8 -8 7 -8 -6
You can’t always get what you want
6 8 8 8 8 -8 7 -8 -6
But if you try sometime you’ll find
6 6 6 8 -8 -6 -6 7
You get what you need
7 8 8 8 8 7
2nd VERSE
I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, “We’re gonna vent our frustrations
If we don’t we’re gonna blow a 50-amp fuse”
CHORUS
3rd VERSE
I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled
I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill
We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
And he said one word to me, and that was “dead”
I said to him
CHORUS
BRIDGE
4th VERSE
I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands
CHORUS
Video Transcription
Hi, George here. Welcome to this video where I show you how I play You Can’t Always Get What You Want by The Rolling Stones on guitar and harmonica.
Ok, we’re going to through the tuning. It’s not standard tuning, it’s open G tuning so we’ll go through that. Then we’ll go through the chords, strumming pattern, harmonica part that I play, and then we’ll run through it – jam through it and I’ll put up the chords so that you can follow along.
So, let’s start off with the tuning.
You’re standard tuning is E A D G B E. You’re 6th string up here would be E, then A D G B E. Well that’s not what we’ve got. The 6th string is tuned down a full step to D. Then our 5th string is tuned down to a G. It’s dropped from an A to a G. Our 4th string stays D. That now matches our 6th string. Our 3rd string stays G and that matches our 5th string now. The 2nd string stays B and our 1st string is lowered to D. So that D matches our 4th and 6th strings. Ok, so that’s open G tuning. Once you have that tuned you can strum an open G chord. Ok, so that’s the tuning.
Mostly, there’s just two chords in the song – G and we have a C. It’s actually Cadd9. That’s a C chord and that’s a D. So we have a D in a C chord, not usually. That’s C and adding the 9th so that’s Cadd9. When we’re playing this, we’re also playing the Gadd9 as well. So let’s do that. Let’s play the first part.
What we’re doing is we are starting with the Gadd9. That’s open G and we take our 2nd finger and put it in the second fret, 3rd string and then we take that off.
So the strumming is 1 (2) 3 (4) 1 2 3 & 4 & . Play Gadd 9, off, on, off, on, off, on off to C.
Now with the C chord, we can do a little hammer on to add some interest. Take the 4th string open and then with the second finger hammering on to the second fret and then we play the 3rd string. So it’s play 4th string open, hammer onto the 2nd fret, then 3rd string open. Then we play the 3rd string, 2nd fret and then take that off. Pull it off or strum it off. That kind of idea. So let’s give this a go and do the first couple of bars here.
So, those 2 chords work through all the verse and then the chorus until we get to the ‘try some time’. Then it goes to A. Playing the string open is G, so if we put a bar across the 2nd fret, that’s A. Then go to C, to G.
With the A, you can sometime add the 9 (actually the 4). So that’s barring the 2nd fret and taking our second finger, putting it on the 2nd string, 2nd fret. Ok, that’s a little flavour you can add to that.
Now there’s a 3rd section that I don’t always play. It’s a bridge section and it comes in after the chorus which follows the “I went down to the Chelsea drugstore” verse. It starts in A, then goes to B, then goes to C, then it goes back to A and then to that alternate Gadd9, then to G.
Ok, that’s the bridge section.
Now, if you want to play along with how they are doing it on Let It Bleed, put your capo up on the 5th fret and do how I’m showing you here.
So for the harmonica, we are in G and I am playing a G harmonica which you can get at http://www.georgegoodman.com/georgesharpshop/.
At the beginning, I like to play the part that the french horn plays. If you listen to the Let It Bleed album they have a french horn at the beginning playing that nice little melody which I like to play with the harmonica. Then I’ll also play the melody to the chorus You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ and then maybe just a little solo fill or something like that.
Alright. You Can’t Always Get What You Want, The Rolling Stones. That’s how I play it on guitar and harmonica. I hope you enjoyed the video. If you did, please share it on social media. Like it, send it to Twitter, all that good stuff. Alright, so have a great day, see you next time, peace.
George can you play songs by The Pogues Lorelei
Good. But what does Keith play on the very very first chord of the song ? there is a note added
Always fasinates me to see someome play two instruments at once , hard enough two play one, Thanks for the lesson!
Good Tuts George….regards, Pete
Nice. I’ve seen The Stones twice but not since the 80s. Enjoy the show. I’m a little envious.
So cool. Next sunday, I’ll see them live for my fouth time …. maybe, I’m the happiest man in the world… maybe
Cool. Appreciate it.
Sweet! Nice version. Harp sounds good with this tune. Thanx.
Thanks. Have fun
theres a reason this has no dislikes. definitely the best tutorial on youtube. much appreciated George! im learning this one for my dad.
I agree. I believe I make mention to that in the video that to play along with the version from Let It Bleed you need to put the capo on the 5th fret.
Best way I found to play this was in open G but with a capo in the 5th fret.
Thank you very much! You are very good teacher…
[..YouTube..] Thank you very much! You are very good teacher…
Thank you
[..YouTube..] @kharkhov Thank you
Love your work George 🙂
[..YouTube..] Love your work George 🙂
Thanks Lowell. Yeah, Keith likes to play open tuning on a 5 string guitar.
[..YouTube..] @rastablues1 Thanks Lowell. Yeah, Keith likes to play open tuning on a 5 string guitar.
[..YouTube..] Very nice, George, as always…This lesson is particularly valuable, cuz it’s so difficult to figure out Keith’s stuff…
thank you.
Lowell in Florida
Johnny! Thanks Man
[..YouTube..] @johnnyrockitman Johnny! Thanks Man
ANOTHER GREAT ONE FROM YOU! THANKS
[..YouTube..] ANOTHER GREAT ONE FROM YOU! THANKS
Hi. I forgot to put the tabs for the harmonica intro on the website. I’ve got them there now and also here:
Harmonica Intro
4 -5 -6 6
-6 6 4 -4 -4 5
-5 5 5 -4 4
Cheers, George
[..YouTube..] @sibiu44 Hi. I forgot to put the tabs for the harmonica intro on the website. I’ve got them there now and also here:
Harmonica Intro
4 -5 -6 6
-6 6 4 -4 -4 5
-5 5 5 -4 4
Cheers, George
Superb video. What are the first two passages of harmonica notes (tab?) you are playing in the intro? It sounds great but not being a harmonica player I’m having trouble figuring it out.
[..YouTube..] Superb video. What are the first two passages of harmonica notes (tab?) you are playing in the intro? It sounds great but not being a harmonica player I’m having trouble figuring it out.
Right on, Ash. Have a great one. Cheers, George
[..YouTube..] @belleray2 Right on, Ash. Have a great one. Cheers, George
You’re very welcome
[..YouTube..] @321novrain You’re very welcome
Thanks very much. I’m glad you like it.
[..YouTube..] @berlinm1088 Thanks very much. I’m glad you like it.
Thanks for the video you do a great job
[..YouTube..] Thanks for the video you do a great job
VERY cool ! Thanks a lot man.
[..YouTube..] VERY cool ! Thanks a lot man.
Good stuff George.Thanks a lot.
[..YouTube..] Good stuff George.Thanks a lot.