shattered
Rolling Stones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴Uh huh shattered, uh huh shattered
Love and hope and sex and dreams
Are still surviving on the street
Look at me, I'm in tatters!
I'm a shattered
Shattered
Friends are so alarming
My lover's never charmingLife's just a cocktail party on the street
Big Apple
People dressed in plastic bags
Directing traffic
Some kind of fashion
Shattered
Laughter, joy, and loneliness and sex and sex and sex and sex
Look at me, I'm in tatters
I'm a shattered
Shattered
All this chitter-chatter, chitter-chatter, chitter-chatter 'bout
Shmatta, shmatta, shmatta, I can't give it away on 7th Avenue
This town's been wearing tatters (shattered, sha ooobie shattered)
Work and work for love and sex
Ain't you hungry for success, success, success, success
Does it matter? (shattered)
Does it matter?
Ah look at me
I'm shattered
I'm shattered 0
Look at me, I'm a shattered, yeah (shattered)
Pride and joy and greed and sex
That's what makes our town the best
Pride and joy and dirty dreams and still surviving on the street
And look at me, I'm in tatters, yeah
I've been battered, what does it matter
Does it matter, uh-huh
Does it matter, uh-huh, I'm a shattered
Mmm, I'm shattered, unh
Sha oobie, shattered, unh
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered, shattered
Don't you know the crime rate is going up, up, up, up, up
To live in this town you must be tough, tough, tough, tough, tough!
You got rats on the West Side
Bed bugs uptown
What a mess this town's in tatters, I've been shattered
My brain's been battered, splattered all over Manhattan
Sha oobie, shattered, shattered, what say
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered
Uh-huh, this town's full of money grabbers
Go ahead, bite the Big Apple, don't mind the maggots, huh
Sha oobie, my brain's been battered
My friends they come around they
Flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter
Pile it up, pile it up, pile high on the platter
Overall Meaning
The Rolling Stones' "Shattered" is a raucous reflection on life in New York City in the late 1970s. Mick Jagger, the band's lead singer and one of the song's co-writers, sings about the stresses of city living and the various struggles of urban life. The opening lines repeat the word "shattered" twice, which conveys a sense of weariness and exhaustion. Jagger then sings about the persistence of certain aspects of city life, such as love, hope, and sex, amidst the chaos.
The following lines describe the various social groups that exist in the city, such as friends, lovers, and fashion-conscious individuals. The singer notes that life can sometimes feel like a "cocktail party on the street," suggesting the superficiality and constant distractions of New York City culture. The repeated references to being "in tatters" convey a sense of physical and emotional disintegration.
The chorus repeats the word "shattered" and adds a list of human emotions and experiences, including laughter, joy, loneliness, and sex. The list conveys a sense of the overwhelming sensory input that characterizes urban life. The song's bridge, with the repeated refrain of "Does it matter?", suggests a sense of fatalistic resignation in the face of these challenges. Throughout the song, the Rolling Stones showcase their trademark energy and swagger, filling the track with the raw power of their rock and roll sound.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh huh shattered, uh huh shattered
The singer is repeating the word "shattered" to emphasize their current state of being.
Love and hope and sex and dreams Are still surviving on the street
Despite the hardships the singer is facing, they see that people are still finding ways to pursue love, hope, sex, and dreams.
Look at me, I'm in tatters! I'm a shattered Shattered
The singer is declaring their own brokenness and trauma with the repetition of "shattered".
Friends are so alarming My lover's never charming Life's just a cocktail party on the street Big Apple People dressed in plastic bags Directing traffic Some kind of fashion Shattered
The artist is disillusioned with their relationships and views life in their city as superficial and chaotic.
Laughter, joy, and loneliness and sex and sex and sex and sex Look at me, I'm in tatters I'm a shattered Shattered
The artist lists off various emotions and experiences, but can only see themselves as "shattered" - they are unable to access the positive things in life.
All this chitter-chatter, chitter-chatter, chitter-chatter 'bout Shmatta, shmatta, shmatta, I can't give it away on 7th Avenue This town's been wearing tatters (shattered, sha ooobie shattered)
The singer is frustrated with the superficial, materialistic culture of their city, and notes that they are also wearing "tatters" (brokenness).
Work and work for love and sex Ain't you hungry for success, success, success, success Does it matter? (shattered) Does it matter?
The singer questions the worth of striving for success in the midst of their brokenness.
Ah look at me I'm shattered I'm shattered 0 Look at me, I'm a shattered, yeah (shattered)
The artist is fixated on their own brokenness and declares it again with the repetition of "shattered".
Pride and joy and greed and sex That's what makes our town the best Pride and joy and dirty dreams and still surviving on the street And look at me, I'm in tatters, yeah I've been battered, what does it matter Does it matter, uh-huh Does it matter, uh-huh, I'm a shattered
The artist reflects on the darker side of their city's culture, which values pride, greed, and dirty dreams. They acknowledge their own brokenness but it doesn't seem to matter to them anymore.
Mmm, I'm shattered, unh Sha oobie, shattered, unh Sha oobie, shattered Sha oobie, shattered, shattered
The artist continues to repeat the word "shattered" to emphasize their own brokenness.
Don't you know the crime rate is going up, up, up, up, up To live in this town you must be tough, tough, tough, tough, tough! You got rats on the West Side Bed bugs uptown What a mess this town's in tatters, I've been shattered My brain's been battered, splattered all over Manhattan
The singer notes the dangers and hardships of living in their city, which further contributes to their brokenness.
Sha oobie, shattered, shattered, what say Sha oobie, shattered Sha oobie, shattered Sha oobie, shattered
The artist repeats the word "shattered" once again to emphasize their own brokenness.
Uh-huh, this town's full of money grabbers Go ahead, bite the Big Apple, don't mind the maggots, huh Sha oobie, my brain's been battered My friends they come around they Flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter Pile it up, pile it up, pile high on the platter
The singer criticizes the greed and superficiality of their city's inhabitants, and describes their own negative experiences with flattery and materialism.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: KEITH RICHARDS, MICK JAGGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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