Beast of Burden

Beast of Burden's harmony is deceptively simple — standard diatonic chords in E major — but the song's magic lies in how Richards and Wood voice and embellish those chords with interlocking guitar parts. The blues influence shows not in the chord choices themselves but in the feel: the lazy, swinging groove and the way Jagger's vocal melody bends around the harmony with R&B phrasing. The lack of minor-key drama keeps the song warm and inviting, reinforcing its lyrical theme of devotion.

The music and core lyrics were primarily written by Keith Richards, with Mick Jagger filling in the verses during recording sessions. Richards later revealed that the song was his way of thanking Jagger for shouldering the band's responsibilities during Richards' well-documented drug struggles throughout the 1970s. As Richards recounted in 2003: 'When I returned to the fold after closing down the laboratory, I came back into the studio with Mick... to say, Thanks, man, for shouldering the burden.'

"Beast of Burden" is the emotional centerpiece of The Rolling Stones' 1978 album Some Girls, blending heartfelt R&B balladry with the band's signature dual-guitar interplay. Written primarily by Keith Richards as a tribute to Jagger's loyalty during Richards' struggles with addiction, the song showcases the Stones at their most tender and melodically inventive, earning a place among the greatest rock ballads ever recorded.