The Recording Story of 'Wild Horses' at Muscle Shoals

The Stones recorded “Wild Horses” during the Sticky Fingers sessions at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama in early 1970. Jagger had sketched the song on acoustic guitar months earlier, the lyrics written while Marianne Faithfull was drifting away from him after her overdose and the collapse of their relationship. The raw, repeated line “wild horses couldn’t drag me away” was more a plea than a promise.

The Muscle Shoals rhythm section gave the track its soulful, country-tinged feel. Keith Richards arrived with his own acoustic part, and Gram Parsons—who happened to be in town—helped shape the phrasing and pedal steel sound. Richards later praised the version as “a gorgeous song” and one of his very favorites, while Jagger has said he still gets a lump in his throat playing it.