Gimme Shelter

This article is about the song by the Rolling Stones. For other uses, see Gimme Shelter (disambiguation).

"Gimme Shelter"
Song by the Rolling Stones
from the album Let It Bleed
Released5 December 1969 (1969-12-05)[1][2][3]
Recorded23 February, 2 November 1969
Genre
Length4:37
Label
Songwriter(s)Jagger–Richards
Producer(s)Jimmy Miller
Audio sample
Gimme Shelter

"Gimme Shelter"[a] is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Jagger–Richards, it is the opening track of the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed.[6][7] The song covers the brutal realities of war, including murder, rape and fear.[8][7] It features prominent guest vocals by American singer Merry Clayton.

American author, music journalist and cultural critic Greil Marcus, writing for Rolling Stone magazine at the time of its release, praised the song, stating that the band has "never done anything better".[3] "Gimme Shelter" has placed in various positions on many "best of" and "greatest" lists including that of Rolling Stone magazine.[9] In 2021 "Gimme Shelter" was ranked at number 13 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[10]

  1. ^ "Gimme Shelter: How the Rolling Stones Captured the Death of the '60s". 5 December 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  2. ^ "The Story Behind The Song: Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones". loudersound.com. Classic Rock Magazine. 28 April 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b sw00ds (22 March 2020). "'Let it Bleed' (12/27/69)". GreilMarcus.net. Retrieved 23 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ v.d. Luft, Eric (21 September 2009). Die at the Right Time!: A Subjective Cultural History of the American Sixties. Gegensatz Press. p. 410. ISBN 978-1-933237-39-8.
  5. ^ Museum of Modern Art, New York (12 September 2013). "Let Them Eat Delia's Cake, or Robert Brownjohn's 'Let It Bleed'". moma.org.
  6. ^ Let it Bleed tracklisting here
  7. ^ a b "You Won't Believe The Haunting Truth Behind The Rolling Stone's "Gimme Shelter"". Society Of Rock. 30 August 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  8. ^ Wall, Mick (28 April 2014). "The Story Behind The Song: Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones". loudersound. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  9. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  10. ^ "Gimme Shelter ranked #13 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs List". Rolling Stone. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.


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