BABY, YOU ARE OUT OF TIME

Just the other day I was listening to Maroon 5 singing a song about moving like Jagger. All at once I began to think it's about time we gave some credit to Mick Jagger and his group The Rolling Stones.

 Mick is truly exceptional. If you have been to a Rolling Stones concert you would understand. I was so lucky to have the chance to watch them 'live' in Singapore several years back.

The Rolling Stones are like a flame that was lit in the 60's and which had not been extinguished ever since. Just like the saying 'a rolling stone gathers no moss'. Watching them perform it seems that Mick and the rest of the Stones have never aged.

The Stones always bring back fond memories of my dad. He told me he once had a giant poster of Mike Jagger that said 'STOP DRUGS....JAIL THE FIRST STONE'.  He said Mick was always getting himself into trouble with the law and was never like John, Paul, George or Ringo, which to him were considered all right lads. Not Mick, he was like a black sheep in the family.

My dad said that during his time, his group of friends were so into folk music. So if whoever had a guitar then, it was everyone's expectation that he or she would strum and sing either '500 miles', 'A Place In The Sun' or 'Blowing In The Wind'. One day, when my dad brought a new friend along who played  and sang The Rolling Stones 'Jumping Jack Flash' , several of my dad's mates began to label his new friend a rebel.

After my dad died, I found in our store room a large chest that contained his record collection. The records were so well kept and there were quite some great Rolling Stones ones like Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass), Aftermath, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main St.

I always enjoy flipping through all these old albums and looking at the pictures on the covers. Just like reading a book, such wanderings would help me while away the lonesome hours.

I am proud to say  I still love listening particularly to the High Tide and Green Grass album. Well, you will never break a heart of stone, I guess.

All my favourites are in there: Time Is On My Side, As Tears Go By, Not Fade Away, Get Out Of My Cloud, Heart Of Stone, The Last Time, Play With Fire, Tell Me and of course that famous I Can't Get No Satisfaction.

To many fans, I suppose, the licking tongue logo of The Rolling Stones is more than just a fad,  it is a permanent craze. I was so happy when I received as a birthday gift one year a black tee with that logo on it.  I went round town wearing that to profess  I was a true fan of The Rolling Stones and not a poser.

Sometimes I  think Mick Jagger had in a way,  back in 1966,  made a prophecy of his group's everlasting popularity when he wrote these lines.........

'It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Doing things I used to do
They think are new
I sit and watch as tears go by.'