Satisfaction

The song is ambiguous in it's literal meaning, and yet, if we have faith in Mick Jagger, we can see the subtlety and nuance of this song. It is true that he feels he cannot get satisfaction. But what does he mean by satisfaction? Sexual gratification, erotic bliss, the day to day consistency of a happy relationship? There are many things to not feel satisfied about. But let us err on the side of caution and assume Mick simply can't get enough of the kind of sex he wants. But then we are plagued by a conundrum, because he then states he can't get satisfaction BECAUSE he tries. This could hint at the Buddhist principle of attachment, which reveals the more we are obsessed with a person/object/behavior, the more it eludes us. "Love is a rose but you better not pick it," as the song goes. So let us presume he is saying the more you want something, chase after it, desire it, the more it eludes you. So the reason for Mick not getting satisfaction is simply that he is trying too hard to achieve it, pun intended. And yet, there is an elaboration of the base sexual element into more complicated areas of dissatisfaction. That man on the radio feels meaningless boring. Mick can't relate to him, or to pop cultural norms in general, because he can see the inherent phoniness and mediocrity of it all, none of which inspires passion in him. And then the same man is on TV instead of the radio (an allusion into how new technology cannot change the rottenness of consumerist culture; it just repackages it in a new guise), only this time the same man is telling Mick that brainwashing social conformity is the status quo, which of course rebellious and counter culture Mick and the boys abhor. And then we must contend the juxtaposition of "the man" not only as a one-dimension spokesperson for cultural norms, but also as a denigrated symbol of masculinity, for Mick clearly tells him that he isn't a man, he cannot be a man, because the cigarettes Mick smokes are clearly unconventional and nonconformist, therefore real and true his fight for self-actualization in an uncaring world. Finally, we come to the end of this complicated odyssey, with lamenting about the weariness of being a rock superstar; the endless traveling and touring, the exhausting relationship with the manic, rabid fans, and that all that really matters to him in the end after everything is simply getting laid.