A "
beast of burden" is an animal, usually
domesticated, that labours for the benefit of man, such as an ox or horse. The music and some lyrics were primarily written by
Keith Richards. In the liner notes to the 1993 compilation disc
Jump Back, Richards said "Beast of Burden" "was another one where
Mick (Jagger) just filled in the verses. With the Stones, you take a long song, play it and see if there are any takers. Sometimes, they ignore it; sometimes, they grab it and record it. After all the faster numbers of
Some Girls, everybody settled down and enjoyed the slow one." In those same notes, Jagger says, "Lyrically, this wasn't particularly heartfelt in a personal way. It's a soul-begging song, an attitude song. It was one of those where you get one melodic lick, break it down and work it up; there are two parts here which are basically the same." The song can be seen as
allegorical, with Richards saying in 2003, "When I returned to the fold after closing down the laboratory [referring to his drug problems throughout the 1970s], I came back into the studio with Mick ... to say, 'Thanks, man, for shouldering the burden' - that's why I wrote 'Beast of Burden' for him, I realise in retrospect." "Beast of Burden" was recorded between October and December 1977. Although some of the original lyrics were written before the Stones entered the studio, a lot of the verses were
improvised by Jagger during the sessions to match the smooth guitar riffs created by Richards and
Ronnie Wood. Characteristically, Richards and Wood trade off rolling, fluid licks. Neither of them is playing
lead or
rhythm guitar exclusively, as they both complement each other by alternating between high and low harmony lines. By then, they had made a habit of slipping in and out of playing lead and rhythm, resulting in a cohesive sound greater than the sum of its parts. The song is another
Some Girls song that features each band member playing his respective instrument without any outside performers; both Richards and Wood play acoustic and electric guitars, with Wood performing the solo. ==Personnel==