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The Rolling Stones had recorded various versions of this song for years before finally recording the well-known version on the “Tattoo You” Album in 1981. The song originally was a reggae style song, but the band was not satisfied and these recordings were shelved.

How to Play “Start Me Up”

This song is in an alternate tuning, the ‘open G tuning’, which from low to high is D-G-D-G-B-D. To make this tuning drop the 5th string (what’s usually the A string) a whole tone (2 frets) so that it matches the 3rd string, the G string. To check the tuning play the 7th fret on the 5th string and make sure that it matches to the open D string. You also want to drop high E and low E strings, the 1st and the 6th strings, a whole tone to a D.

How to play “Start Me Up”

The song opens with this riff. The first time through you’ll notice that the opening figure has three strums (long-short-short), but when it repeats there’s an extra chord strummed.

I highly recommend you watch the video to get the proper feel on how to play this easy guitar riff by The Rolling Stones.

Start Me Up

by

The Rolling Stones




Start Me Up

“Start Me Up”

If you start me up
If you start me up I’ll never stop
If you start me up
If you start me up I’ll never stop
I’ve been running hot
You got me ticking gonna blow my top
If you start me up
If you start me up I’ll never stop
You make a grown man cry
Spread out the oil, the gasoline
I walk smooth, ride in a mean, mean machine
Start it up
If you start it up
Kick on the starter give it all you got, you got, you got
I can’t compete with the riders in the other heats
If you rough it up
If you like it you can slide it up, slide it up
Don’t make a grown man cry
My eyes dilate, my lips go green
My hands are greasy
She’s a mean, mean machine
Start it up
If start me up
Give it all you got
You got to never, never, never stop
Never, never
Slide it up
You make a grown man cry
Ride like the wind at double speed
I’ll take you places that you’ve never, never seen
Start it up
Love the day when we will never stop, never stop
Never stop, never stop
Tough me up
Never stop, never stop, never stop
You, you, you make a grown man cry
You, you make a dead man cum
You, you make a dead man cum