"You Got Me Rocking" is a song by English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from their 1994 album, Voodoo Lounge. The song was released as a single in the UK in September 1994, where it reached No. 23 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also released as a single in the United States, reaching number 13 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart in 1995. A recording from the 1997–1998 Bridges to Babylon Tour opened the 1998 live album No Security. It was also included on the Stones' 2002 career retrospective, Forty Licks.

Background and composition

Begun early in 1993, "You Got Me Rocking" was initially a blues flavoured number; bootlegs have Jagger and Richards working the song as a slower, blues flavoured ramble, with Jagger shouting the hook "you got me rocking". Changed to a straightforward rocker in the vein of "Start Me Up", the song quickly evolved as Richards made the transition from piano to guitar. The lyrics moved to a more upbeat tone, as singer Mick Jagger presents redemption from a series of career ending instances of various professionals: ''I was a hooker losing her looks; I was a writer can't write another book; I was all dried up dying to get wet; I was a tycoon drowning in debt''. The lyrics can be interpreted as an answer to the Rolling Stones' critics, who often deride the band for their advancing age. Recording on "You Got Me Rocking" lasted from mid-summer to early winter 1993, when final touches were put on.

Live performances

"You Got Me Rocking" is notable as one of the few latter-day songs from the band's career to remain on their setlist long after being released. The song was performed some 50 times during the 2005–2006 A Bigger Bang Tour.

B-side

The B-side is the little-known "Jump on Top of Me", which also appears on the soundtrack to Prêt-à-Porter. "You Got Me Rocking" appeared on the soundtrack to The Replacements in 2000.

Track listings

Personnel

The Rolling Stones Additional Performers

Charts

Release history