When a song takes on a life of its own in a way that ‘Wild Horses’ by The Rolling Stones has done over the last half a century, it’s easy to understand how Keith Richards and Mick Jagger could have developed contrasting feelings about the track.
In truth, it’s understandable how the two bandmates share a completely different idea on what the abstractly titled ‘Wild Horses’ is even about, and part of its beauty is that the song has a different meaning for any listener. Interestingly, the way the song even came to exist is living proof of the professional relationship between the Glimmer Twins, one that has continued to work in weirdly unorthodox ways.
Despite having differing perspectives on the track’s meaning, they brought their brains together to create an eternal piece of music. It all started with the line, “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away”, which was written by Richards. From there, Jagger felt an instant connection, one that inspired him to re-imagine the song in his mould.
The line came to Richards as he prepared to head back out on tour, leaving his family behind shortly after the birth of his son, Marlon. Despite Jagger not being in a relatable position, something about those six words tugged on his heartstrings, which made him point the microscope at his own life, and his love interests.
