Benjamin L. Jefferys Friday October 5, 2012 Rhetoric & Civic Life in CAS 137H Essay 1, Rhetorical Analysis Mr.

Craig Rood, CAS 137H FINAL DRAFT

First appearing on the scene in 1969 the Rolling Stones song, Sympathy for the Devil caused many heads turn and question the meaning both in light of the present and with regard to the future. It is a rhetorical masterpiece by some of the greatest songwriters to ever live. The pretense of the song is vital to its meaning and thus it is explained below. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards served as primary writers of this song and virtually all other Stones songs from their inception until presently. It is with the tenor of writers that Keith and Mick create their works. It is important to understand that while the Rolling Stones have been an extremely popular band for the past four decades, it is largely due to their appeal as writers and songwriters. Thus, the part of writing plays an integral role in their success today just as it did in the past forty years. They are and were masters of rhetorical appeal presenting logic and emotion in all they wrote; gaining them credibility. These men were masters of the audience and they soon became commonplace in the world of international rock and roll. Some credit Keith Richards as being the mastermind of their more popular hits while others say the inspiration was entirely Micks. However the story behind the controversial and thought provoking Sympathy for the Devil is rather clear. It was late 1965 and a young Mick Jagger was currently dating a young blonde woman from France named Janet. Janet and Mick were getting rather serious with

one another and it was after a long night of rehearsal that Janet gave Mick a book to read. It was Mikhail Bulgakovs The Master and the Margarita. This is where Mick found the inspiration to write his now iconic hymn Sympathy for the Devil. In this novel the Devil was presented as a man of wealth and taste. Keith was astonished when Mick brought to him these lyrics hed prepared for composition. Keith at first was rather distraught about the entirety of the situation and persuaded Keith to not go any further with the song as it was not timely or appropriate. The smoldering pages were left on Micks desk for years, waiting to be brought to the right audience. Later in the year of 1968 Keith and Mick decided that the worlds political atmosphere was calming down and perhaps it was time to bring to the light their Sympathy for the Devil. So Keith and Mick sat down at the studio in London to hammer out a melody to fit these controversial lyrics. It was to be a melody complimentary to the tone of the song. It was the melody accompanying this rhetorical masterpiece that made The Rolling Stones Sympathy for the Devil an international sensation. The finished product debuted in 1969 on an album titled the Beggars Banquet and it proposed a question as to what evil really is, and who is responsible for its existence. It was Jimmy Miller world renowned rock and roll critic that said; It takes more than a listen or two to really get what Mick is putting down in this track Its more of a social awareness piece than a rock and roll song. (Rolling Stone, 1970) The songs primary appeal to the listener is an appeal of pathos. The lyrics tend to evoke emotions that lead the listener to question, and even become consumed in

determining their meaning. For example the first lines of the song are sung Please allow me to introduce myself, Im a man of wealth and taste. Immediately we are curious. Ive been around for a long, long year stole many a mans soul to waste. Now the listener has many questions to answer as the emotional reaction is one of frustration. The clues now start to mount though. I was round when Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain, made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands to seal his fate Pleased to meet you, Hope you guess my name, but whats puzzling you is the, nature of my game. At this point the appeal of pathos is in full swing now as the average listener is relieved to be able to deduce that Mick Jagger is singing in the fist person, as if he were Satan himself. The average listeners emotions are for a moment at ease as the melody between verses provides relief and the picture is becoming clearer. However this calmness is short lived as the lyrics turn to sinister and evil events throughout history and the emotional downturn begins. I stuck around St. Petersburgh Killed the Tsar and his ministers, Anastasia screamed in vain. I rode a tank in a generous rank when the Blitzkrieg raged, and the bodies stank. I watched with glee while your kings and queens fought for decades, for the Gods they made. I shouted out, who killed the Kennedys?... after all it was you and me. While these lines can be taken at face value as upsetting and even deeply disturbing it is important to understand that is Mr. Jaggers intention for the listener. The pathos appeal of fear is overwhelming at this point and one can deduce that the fear is two fold. On one hand the fear of these events is to be realized and acknowledged. But the fear serves a more meaningful purpose as fear causes the listener to question; why did

these things occur? Secondly the appeal of pathos in fear of the Satanic figure also relays a sense of ethos. As Richard Nixon once said, A man cannot fear someone he does not respect. (Crowley, 19) A sense of ethos, being credible, is definitely relayed in our fear of the primary character in this song. It is through this fear that the listener finds a respect for the Satan figure. Perhaps one of this songs greatest assets is one that cannot be explained in a rhetorical analysis, and that is the melody itself. It is a beautifully crafted melody that is really ever-changing, ever-evolving, ever-exploring, much as the lyrics are. The melody helps to affirm the lyrics as progressively uncertain, and continue their pathos appeal of scared uncertainty. It is through this uncertain melody that the Rolling Stones create a melody that frightens the ready and begs the question of how and who and when. It is in one of the final verses of the song however that we encounter the lines that make everything previous very clear. When one takes a good look at the last real verse the appeal of logos is finally present in this song. The last verse is sung with a terribly distraught Jagger voice and sung in an unmelodic tone, not quite screaming but not singing either: Just as every cop is a criminal, and all the sinners saints, as heads is tails, call me Lucifer cause Im in need of some restraint. The listener is finally reassured that the character Mick is singing as, is, in fact the Devil. He is said to be Lucifer. The next lines however are challenging as they present a logos that is not as plain as the words sung or the lyrics on paper. Just as every Cop is a Criminal all the sinners saintsas heads is tails. The appeal of logos is certainly abstract in these lines and it is my opinion after reading many others; that this is the

defining stanza of the song. It is Mick Jaggers way of challenging the public to think critically and realize that perhaps it is the way of evil to disguise itself. Mick is saying;Evil happens when those who are evil blur the line between good and evil. It is now that the abstract logos is apparent and the Devils intentions realized Perhaps it is not the intent of the Devil to do evil, but to influence us to do evil deeds. He puts on the disguise of a man of wealth and taste, but he is really conniving and untruthful. The Rolling Stones did their very best to incorporate a meaningful message into a song that would be popular not only for its catchy melody but for its cultural impact. They accomplished these goals in Sympathy for the Devil. They were able to use a logical, yet abstract and credible writing style that triggered an emotional and physical response from the listener. The song is truly a rhetorical masterpiece in that is evokes questions in the listener that are difficult to answer. It calls to the listener in an obscure manner. The Rolling Stones Sympathy for the Devil uses rhetorical methods of lyrics accompanied with a hypnotic melody to call into question one of the most basic struggles in life; good vs. evil; talk about convincing.

Works Cited "500 Greatest Songs of All Time: The Rolling Stones, 'Sympathy for the Devil' | Rolling Stone." Rollingstone.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. <http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time20110407/the-rolling-stones-sympathy-for-the-devil-19691231>. "Rhetorical Analysis of E B. White's "The Ring of Time"" About.com Grammar & Composition. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. <http://grammar.about.com/od/developingessays/a/analysisring.htm>. "Rhetorical analysis." About.com Grammar & Composition. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. <http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/Rhetorical-Analysis-term.htm>. STONES, THE R., 68. Music Mp3. London, UK: Columbia Records, 18 June 1968. Mp3. ""Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones." - Blogcritics Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2012. <http://blogcritics.org/music/article/sympathy-for-the-devil-by-the/>.