Age Meets Beauty: A Swift Treat for Rolling Stones’ Chicago Fans

When American bombshell and singer songwriter Taylor Swift was born in 1989, The Rolling Stones’ lead Mick Jagger was 46 years old and a worldwide rock sensation.  On Monday, June 3, when the 23-year-old joined Jagger to sing the 1964 rock ballad, As Tears Go By, the pop sensation described the feeling of being on stage with the legendary musician as something she had never imagined in her “wildest dreams”.

This is not the first time Mick Jagger has attempted to bridge the generation gap.  Jagger – much like Madonna in recent years – has taken to collaborations with younger artists, most notably singing with Will.I.Am in “T.H.E”.  It should have been no surprise then when the fans in Chicago were treated to both a musical and visual treat of a very sultry Swift donning a skimpy sixties-style little black jumpsuit and breaking into her characteristic dance moves, while grasping Jagger’s hand on stage.  For those who have followed The Rolling Stones over the years, Swift’s stunning resemblance to a younger Marianne Evelyn Faithfull, Jagger’s ex-girlfriend from the 1960s and the first singer to sing the rock ballad, must have been hard to miss. It was therefore, as much a reflection on part of an aging rock star on the days gone by as it was an opportunity for the legendary band to remain relevant to a generation of listeners.

The song, As Tears Go By, was written by Jagger in collaboration with Keith Richards and Andrew Oldham. Faithfull released the first version in 1964 and The Rolling Stones released it in 1965. Both times the song turned out to be a massive hit.

Image courtesy: By calmdownlove [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons