Uncover the Legendary Story Behind The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” – Prepare to be Amazed!

The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”: The Story Behind the Iconic Song

If The Rolling Stones are the epitome of rock ‘n’ roll bands, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” may just be the song that brought it all together. The band started as a blues combo in 1962, evolved into a pop outfit, and then found their footing as rock stars. The lyrics’ imagery and the killer riff’s raw power add up to a “gas, gas, gas.” Let’s take a look at the story behind “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” by The Rolling Stones.

I was born in a crossfire hurricane
And I howled at the morning driving rain
But it’s all right now. In fact, it’s a gas
But it’s all right, I’m Jumpin’ Jack Flash
It’s a gas, gas, gas

The Riff

Even though the writing credit is Jagger-Richards, the song originated with the bass player. Bill Wyman wrote in his 1990 memoir Stone Alone: “The crucial riff for this song was mine, and it evolved in the unorthodox way that some of the best ideas do. One night during rehearsals at Morden, I was sitting at the piano waiting for Mick [Jagger] and Keith [Richards] to arrive. Charlie [Watts] and Brian [Jones] came in as I began playing the electronic keyboard, messing around with a great riff I’d found. Charlie and Brian began jamming with me, and it sounded really good and tough. When Mick and Keith walked in, they said, ‘Keep playing that, and don’t forget it. It sounds great.’

“A few weeks later, when we were in the Olympic studio, out came my riff, the backbone for Mick’s terrific lyrics: I was born in a crossfire hurricane. And we all worked on the music. The part I’d composed worked perfectly—but the credit for this, one of our best tracks ever, reads Jagger-Richards. I knew the important riff was my idea, and so did the band, but I’d forgotten to do anything about it. Even Keith admitted in interviews that I wrote that song. At the time, it didn’t worry me so much as I considered it a contribution to our success.”

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