What is the song “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones about?
In spite of common belief, the song is not seriously arguing Christian doctrine, but using the devil as a symbol, a personification of evil, and of how it works in the world. If you take the lyrics at face value, you might consider that Mick Jagger (as lead vocalist and lyricist) is sincerely suggesting that the devil really isn’t such a bad fellow. After all, he says, every cop is a criminal, and all the sinners saints, and it was you and me who killed the Kennedys. So what’s the difference? We’re all the same, aren’t we? He’s just one of the lads. Look more deeply, though, and you will find that this confusion of good and evil, of appearance and reality, is really just a ploy of the evil one. The devil may appear to be a gentleman, a man of wealth and taste. He may appear to be polite and a member of good society, approaching you with the words, Let me please introduce myself, and pleased to meet you. But alongside of this we have a long catalog of some of the worst atrocities of hum
