The Rolling Stones “Hot Rocks 1964-1971″ released on this date 45 years ago, December 20th, 1971. An unauthorized retrospective release (The Rolling Stones’ former manager put out the record after the band left him and Decca), Hot Rocks became their best-selling album, spending 262 weeks on the Billboard chart and peaking at #4. With four sides, the LP has a dizzying number of great Stones tracks, all iconic in their place in rock history. My favorite (and, really, favorite of all Rolling Stones songs) is “Paint It Black.” Released as a single in May 1966, it appears on US version of Aftermath, their first album to contain tracks written entirely by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. “Paint It Black” hit #1 in both the US and the UK and can boast the title “First #1 Song to Feature Sitar.” I love it because it is upbeat musically and incredibly bleak emotionally (predating goth by a good 10+ years). Sorry to get a little heavy here but those emotions also connect me to my friend Laurie, who loved “Paint It Black” – I think it may have been one of her favorites of all time. She was a truly bubbly soul who disappeared in August 1992 just shy of her 21st birthday; it’s assumed she was abducted and killed and while a suspect did confess to the crime, the case has not been confirmed or closed. This spin is for you, my friend.

I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colours anymore, I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
I see a line of cars and they’re all painted black
With flowers and my love, both never to come back
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away
Like a newborn baby, it just happens everyday
I look inside myself and see my heart is black
I see my red door and must have it painted black
Maybe then I’ll fade away and not have to face the facts
It’s not easy facing up when your whole world is black
No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue
I could not foresee this thing happening to you
If I look hard enough into the setting sun
My love will laugh with me before the morning comes
I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colours anymore, I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
I wanna see it painted, painted black
Black as night, black as coal
I wanna see the sun blotted out from the sky
I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black