I had almost forgotten of this song until I read about it – not too long ago at Max’s blog – PowerPop. His principal version was by The Rolling Stones, but I slightly prefer the version by Marianne Faithfull. Both are wonderful of course.
This was one of the first songs written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The Stones manager gave it to a singer he also managed named Marianne Faithfull, who released it in 1964. It was going to be the B-side of her first single, but the record company decided to make it the A-side and it became her first hit. The Stones recorded it a year later. In 1966 Faithfull became Jagger’s girlfriend and that would last 3-4 years.
Max – PopwerPop
It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Smiling faces I can see
But not for me
I sit and watch as tears go by
My riches can’t buy everything
I want to hear the children sing
All I hear is the sound
Of rain falling on the ground
I sit and watch as tears go by
Marianne Faithfull version peaked at number nine on both the UK and Irish singles charts.
Wikipedia: By one account, Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham locked Jagger and Richards in a kitchen in order to force them to write a song together, even suggesting what type of song he wanted: “I want a song with brick walls all around it, high windows and no sex.” The result was initially named “As Time Goes By”, the title of the song Dooley Wilson sings in the film Casablanca. It was Oldham who replaced “Time” with “Tears”.
According to Jagger biographer Philip Norman, the song was mainly created by Jagger, in co-operation with session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan, although Jagger claims he was responsible for the lyrics while Richards wrote the melody.
In her own autobiography, Faithfull (1994), written together with David Dalton, she says “‘As Tears Go By’ was not, contrary to popular folklore, written for me, but it fitted me so perfectly it might as well have been”.
References:
1. As Tears Go By (song) – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
I like this one…I just read Keith’s book again….it was THE first one they wrote. Funny because they are not known for their great melodies.
Based on what they said in the Wikipedia article they thought it was crap or at least not to their liking:
‘We thought, what a terrible piece of tripe. We came out and played it to Andrew [Oldham], and he said “It’s a hit.” We actually sold this stuff, and it actually made money. Mick and I were thinking, this is money for old rope!”
Such a great song.
Yea he locked both of them in a kitchen and made them write something. Keith said it took them months to learn how to write for the Stones.
They kept covering songs until John and Paul wrote them a hit to record…
In a kitchen haha. I can’t imagine coming up with this song in a kitchen.
I should know this… but what song by John and Paul was written for them?
They finished a weak so in front of them… I Wanna Be Your Man
Ok I’m listening to Stones version now. Great guitar work. Apart from that, the song doesn’t do much for me. What do you mean they finished a week so in front of them?
Oh they finished the song in front of them. They met up with the Stones and their manager Andrew knew The Beatles and asked John and Paul for a song for the Stones… so they gave them that one and it was a hit… it was a throwaway song that they gave to Ringo to sing… but it worked well for the Stones because it was their style..
Later on they helped each other out on a few songs.
I never knew any of that. Thanks for laying it out for me Max. You are a beast when it comes to musical knowledge, particularly of that era and those groups.
Thanks Matt… useless trivia lol. I guess we all to be good at something.
Thanks for the link Matt
Well, you brought the song back to me which I’d nearly forgotten about. So, I have you to thank.
No problem! I really like this song.
Just a great song…