Early Stones: How Jagger and Richards Handled Lyrics for Blues Covers vs. Their Own Songs on the First Two Albums

On 1964’s The Rolling Stones and 12x5, the band treated lyrics almost like two separate jobs. For the blues covers—like “I Just Want to Make Love to You” or “You Can Make It If You Try”—they stuck close to the original words, often just tightening a verse or swapping a pronoun. The goal was to honor the source, not rewrite it. You hear Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry in the phrasing, with Mick Jagger pushing the sneer and drawl but keeping the lines intact.

The Jagger-Richards originals from that same period, though, were already looking for their own voice. “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)” and “Good Times, Bad Times” aren’t blues lyrics—they’re more pop-leaning, with simpler repeating choruses and direct “I want you” sentiments. But even then, Jagger was slipping in small attitude adjustments: a little distance, a little impatience. The covers gave them a foundation; the originals started building a persona that would soon leave the blues behind.