"19th Nervous Breakdown"
German picture sleeve
Single by The Rolling Stones
B-side	"As Tears Go By" (UK) "Sad Day" (USA)
Released	4 February 1966 (UK) 12 February 1966 (USA)
Format	7"
Recorded	3 - 8 December 1965, RCA Studios, Hollywood
Genre	Rock, psychedelic rock
Length	3 min 56 s
Label	Decca F.12331 London 45-LON.9823
Writer(s)	Jagger/Richards
Producer	Andrew Loog Oldham (engineer: Dave Hassinger)
The Rolling Stones singles chronology
"As Tears Go By" (1965) "19th Nervous Breakdown" (1966) "Paint It, Black" (1966)
Music sample 19th Nervous Breakdown

"19th Nervous Breakdown" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones.

The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards during their 1965 tour of the United States. The song was recorded during the Aftermath sessions between December 3 and 8, 1965 at RCA Recording Studios in Hollywood, California, at the conclusion of their fourth North American tour. The song talks of a difficult, spoiled girl who cannot appreciate life. Mick Jagger says he came up with the title first, and then wrote the lyrics around the title. It was released as a single on February 4, 1966 and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in America, and in the U.K. Record Retailer chart. However, it hit #1 in the NME chart and the BBC's Pick of the Pops chart, both of which were more widely recognized in Britain at the time.

The hypnotic riff Brian Jones is playing during the verses pays a tribute to Bo Diddley's song "Diddley Daddy", Diddley being a major influence on the Stones' style.^{[1] [2]} The song is also well-known for Bill Wyman's so-called "dive-bombing" bass line at the end of the song.

Like many early Stones recordings, "19th Nervous Breakdown" has only been officially released in mono sound. A stereo mix of the song has turned up in private and bootleg collections, however.^[3]

This was one of three songs ("(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "As Tears Go By" being the other two) the Rolling Stones performed on their Ed Sullivan Show appearance in 1966, their first color broadcast on U.S. television.

The Monkees' Song, "Auntie Grizelda", written in 1966, was influenced by the Stone's song "19th Nervous Breakdown"

Tom Verlaine, lead guitarist and songwriter of Television, noted that hearing this song during his adolescence inspired him to pick up the guitar.

[edit] External links

• Complete Official Lyrics

[edit] References