Lyric discussion by CeeJai 

Cover art for Sympathy for the Devil lyrics by Rolling Stones, The

i really think that the line about the troubadours is a metephore - the lost of young musicians to drugs, alcohol, ect. before they really meet their potential. and it is possible that everyone is just reading too much into it.

i set traps for the troubadors to get killed before they reach Bombay is obviously a reference to the Beatles going to India.