Shattered

The Rolling Stones

Uh huh shattered, uh huh shattered
Love and hope and sex and dreams
Are still surviving on the street
Look at me, I'm in tatters!
I'm a shattered
Shattered

Friends are so alarming
My lover's never charming
Life's just a cocktail party on the street
Big Apple
People dressed in plastic bags
Directing traffic
Some kind of fashion
Shattered

Laughter, joy, and loneliness and sex and sex and sex and sex
Look at me, I'm in tatters
I'm a shattered
Shattered

All this chitter-chatter, chitter-chatter, chitter-chatter 'bout
Shmatta, shmatta, shmatta, I can't give it away on 7th Avenue
This town's been wearing tatters (shattered, sha ooobie shattered)

Work and work for love and sex
Ain't you hungry for success, success, success, success
Does it matter? (shattered)
Does it matter?

Ah look at me
I'm shattered
I'm shattered
Look at me, I'm a shattered, yeah (shattered)

Pride and joy and greed and sex
That's what makes our town the best
Pride and joy and dirty dreams and still surviving on the street
And look at me, I'm in tatters, yeah
I've been battered, what does it matter
Does it matter, uh-huh
Does it matter, uh-huh, I'm a shattered

Mmm, I'm shattered, unh
Sha oobie, shattered, unh
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered, shattered

Don't you know the crime rate is going up, up, up, up, up
To live in this town you must be tough, tough, tough, tough, tough!
You got rats on the West Side
Bed bugs uptown
What a mess this town's in tatters, I've been shattered
My brain's been battered, splattered all over Manhattan

Sha oobie, shattered, shattered, what say
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered
Sha oobie, shattered

Uh-huh, this town's full of money grabbers
Go ahead, bite the Big Apple, don't mind the maggots, huh
Sha oobie, my brain's been battered
My friends they come around they
Flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter
Pile it up, pile it up, pile high on the platter


Lyrics submitted by spliphstar, edited by holybias11

Shattered Lyrics as written by Mick Jagger Keith Richards

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Shattered song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

26 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General Comment

    well yea...actually new york is a pretty sexy place....

    sweetave426on September 30, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song was the Stones' response to the Punk Rock sound of the late 70's. Of course, they adapted to the changing scene in rock music and the Stones wound up with one of the best punk songs ever. typical Stones -- they would bend with the times and then become masters of new music trends. Jagger and Richards loved N.Y. City even if it did have this dirty underbelly they sing of.

    Dynomiteon July 05, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    What?? No comments? Song is obviously about New York City....anyway...it's a true original, a sound all it's own.....they came up with another good song!

    happylittldittyon March 08, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    yes...i live about 45 min away from the Big Apple! I'm surprised there arent more comments about this song, because it is sooo good.

    aquarianarchiston November 06, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    gets the feel of fiscally and morally bankrupt NYC in the late 70's back when it was synonomous with getting mugged.

    The Stones are good about writing what a pain it is to be a rock star without making you dislike them. Shmatta, shmatta, shmatta indeed.

    Hilario_Bruthzooon March 16, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    today you are in more danger from rent than a mugger in nyc

    coo2kachooon April 13, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Its about life in the city, the hardships and lifestyles of the people. It, like most stones stuff has a faantastic tune and beat, you either love it or hate, it put my friend off the secound disc of forty licks, which I find hilarious. Its a brillliant song, specially from their 80s stuff. "Pride and Joy and Greed and Sex, thats what makes our town the best!"

    productofthe80son December 12, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    rolling stones = extreeeeme love to the 387356 power

    My friends they come around they Flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter, flatter Pile it up, pile it high on the platter.

    sup, BS?! BRILLIANT. fake people are dumbbb.

    shejustwantstorockon February 09, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I remember listening to Howard Stern list songs that were recommened to not be played on the radio after 9/11. This wasn't one of them but maybe it should have if you consider the brains splattered all over Manhattan line. Just an observation---I would never make light of what happened that day. Anyways--a great song.

    JumpyJackon May 28, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    great song SHADOOBEE...I kept singing that to this girl and she got really annoyed

    heyjude55on May 01, 2006   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.