About the song
“Tumbling Dice” is a blues-rock song by the Rolling Stones, released in 1972 as the lead single from their iconic album “Exile on Main St.”
Background:
The song was primarily written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards during a time of significant upheaval for the band. They were living in exile in France to avoid high taxes in the UK and were dealing with personal and legal issues. The recording process was notoriously chaotic, with sessions taking place in various locations and involving numerous musicians. Despite the challenges, “Tumbling Dice” emerged as one of the standout tracks on the album.
Themes:
- Gambling and Risk: The song’s title and lyrics draw a metaphor between gambling and love. The narrator compares himself to a tumbling dice, suggesting he is at the mercy of chance and fate in matters of the heart. The song’s opening lines, “Women think I’m easy, but this fool can’t be tamed,” highlight the narrator’s reputation as a risk-taker and womanizer.
- Infidelity and Unreliability: The lyrics portray the narrator as someone incapable of remaining faithful to any woman. He acknowledges his wandering eye and inability to settle down, expressing a sense of regret but also a resignation to his nature.
- Desire and Temptation: Despite his flaws, the narrator remains alluring to women. The song suggests a complex dynamic between the narrator and the women he encounters, with desire and temptation driving their interactions.
- Masculinity and Identity: The song explores traditional notions of masculinity, with the narrator embodying a swaggering, self-destructive figure. This persona is both celebrated and critiqued in the lyrics, raising questions about the costs and consequences of such behavior.
Overall, “Tumbling Dice” is a rich and nuanced song that delves into the complexities of love, desire, and human nature. Its enduring popularity is a testament to its timeless themes and the Rolling Stones’ ability to capture the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll rebellion.
Video
Lyrics
But they’re always tryin’ to waste me
Make me burn the candle right down
Baby, baby, don’t need no jewels in my crown
‘Cause all you women is low down gamblers
Cheatin’ like I don’t know how
Baby, I go crazy, there’s fever in the funk house now
This low down bitchin’
Got my poor feet a-itchin’
You know you know the deuce is still wild
Baby, I can’t stay, you got to roll me
And call me the tumblin’ dice
Always in a hurry, I never stop to worry
Don’t see the time flashin’ by
Honey, got no money
I’m all sixes and sevens and nines
Say now, baby, I’m the rank outsider
You can be my partner in crime
Baby, I can’t stay
You got to roll me and call me the tumblin’
Roll me and call me the tumblin’ dice
Oh, my, my, my, I’m the lone crap shooter
Playin’ the field every night
Baby, can’t stay
You got to roll me and call me the tumblin’ (dice)
Roll me and call me the tumblin’
(Got to roll me) dice
Got to roll me. Got to roll me
Got to roll me. Got to roll me
Got to roll me. Got to roll me
Keep on rolling
Got to roll me
Keep on rolling
Got to roll me
(Oh yeah, keep on rolling)
Got to roll me (Call me the tumbling dice)
Got to roll me (Yeah)
Got to roll me (Roll me, baby [?])
Got to roll me (Ah yeah)
Got to roll me (Oh my, my, my, my)
Got to roll me
Got to roll me (Keep on tumbling down, baby, oh)
Got to roll me
Got to roll me
Got to roll me