Rolling Stones Wisdom

I was lucky enough to make it the Republican National Convention a few weeks ago. It was a fun event to get to see in person. Lots of pageantry and excitement.

But I don’t want to bore you long stories about the convention. I prefer to write about a minor event I was part of as the convention came to a close. It involves my favorite Rolling Stone’s song.

As I boarded the elevator to leave the arena I heard the sweet sounds of the London Bach Choir. Few people know much about the London Bach Choir but every fan of Classic Rock will recognize them the beautiful voices who sing the intro and background to the Stone’s classic, “You Can’t Always Get what you want.”

I quickly announced to everybody I hoped the elevator got stuck so we would be able to finish listening to Mick and the boys finish off one of my all-time favorites. I stood and listened with a smile on my face until the millennial standing next to me announce she didn’t like the song.

I was shocked and sadden. And then it got worse.

It wasn’t the beat or rhythm of the song she objected to it was the message!!! She said “I hate the message of the song.” I hope she was joking but it seems she wasn’t. Lucky for her we were in an elevator because elevators don’t have windows.

My Children are very familiar with the song. Not only because it comes up a lot on my iTunes and Spotify. My children are familiar with the song because if they had a nickel for every time I told them, “you know what Mick Jaeger would say about that,” they would be able to afford whatever they want.

In fact a few years ago my son, Mike, and were at a Fun. concert and when Nate Ruess started his cover it didn’t take more than about two bars before he was able to point out “Dad they are playing your song.” (Maybe someday my children will think it is our song, not just my song.)

I’m not suggesting you use pop culture for advice on how to live. The Stones have plenty of song I would prefer my children not live out. But in the case of this song, I would like every American to come to except the songs not so subtle message.

They don’t hide it. If fact they say it over and over and over and over again.

You can’t always get what you want but if you try sometime you might just get what you need. Oh yeah. I love it.

At Willmar Electric our core values include “treating other the way you want to be treated.” Coming to except you can’t always get what you want is the first step toward treating others the way THEY want to be treated. It is hard to focus on others and serve others if you haven’t accepted you can’t always get what you want and in fact you should even be seeking it out.

A wise man once told me. If everybody put everybody else first just imagine how much better off we all would be. We would have everybody watching out for us instead of themselves.

(Side note. Music critic Richie Unterberger once wrote, "If you buy John Lennon's observation that the Rolling Stones were apt to copy the Beatles' innovations within a few months or so, "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is the Rolling Stones' counterpart to 'Hey Jude.’” Hey Jude is my favorite song. So maybe I’m just a sucker for this very specific genre.)