Some of the best classic rock songs are downright painful to hear at times. For example, Marianne Faithfull’s “As Tears Go By” is especially difficult to listen to now. Faithfull had positive things to say about the song, even if she seemed a little lukewarm about the famous rockers who wrote it.

Marianne Faithfull’s ‘As Tears Go By’ is the opposite of a Rolling Stones song

During the 1960s, The Rolling Stones earned a reputation for edgy rock songs like “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” and “Under My Thumb.” However, The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards took a break from provocation to write a ballad called “As Tears Go By.” The song is a beautiful baroque pop ballad. Its lyrics are devastating.

“As Tears Go By” is about someone watching children play. She realizes that she will never be able to feel their youthful joy again. She cries as the children smile, oblivious to her pain. While rock ‘n’ roll is supposed to valorize youth, “As Tears Go By” is an empathetic, sad portrayal of aging. It’s almost the polar opposite of The Rolling Stones’ “Mother’s Little Helper,” a much bigger hit that paints older women in a very unflattering light.

“As Tears Go By” was a difficult song to listen to a few days ago. Now, Faithfull has died. Therefore, listening to her signature track could be too hard, even for some fans. Sadly, her youth and her life are over. Regardless, she will remain a legend in the history of the British Invasion for many decades to come.

Why the song remained part of the singer’s set list even when she thought of retiring it

In the 2013 book 50 Licks: Myths and Stories from Half a Century of The Rolling Stones, Faithfull had some nice things to say about “As Tears Go By.” She thanked Jagger and Richards for writing it for her, referring to both as them as “friends.” “What a beautiful song,” he said. “And how wonderful it is for the audience. 

“There are moments I can tell you where I’d like to retire it,” she said. “But there are certain songs that I have to sing, and “As Tears Go By” is definitely one of them … If you are going to have a song slung around your neck for life, you could do a lot worse … What if my hit song was ‘Wooly Bully?’” For context, “Wooly Bully” is a nonsensical novelty song by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. 

Why Marianne Faithfull didn’t want to talk about The Rolling Stones anymore

Jagger and Richards also co-wrote her other signature song: “Sister Morphine.” Despite The Rolling Stones’ pivotal role in Faithfull’s career, she seemed to have mixed feelings about them. “I don’t talk about the Stones anymore,” she explained. “Proud as I am of having been in that generation and having been around The Rolling Stones at such a wonderful moment, and being so grateful for ‘As Tears Go By,’ and also writing ‘Sister Morphine’ and just being around them because they’re great, I really can’t go on like that, it’s finished. It kind of diminishes me so forget it.”

“As Tears Go By” remains Faithfull’s masterpiece — even if you need a few dozen hankeys to get through it.