Lyric discussion by velmaxcorgan 

Cover art for Soul Survivor lyrics by Rolling Stones, The

is the bell bottom blues line a reference to the song of the same name by Derek & The Dominos?

@velmaxcorgan I'm pretty sure it's a reference to old-fashioned (sailing era) sailor pants which were cut wide in the lower leg to facilitate rolling them up. Sailors commonly rolled up their pant legs in hot weather, or to keep them dry when performing wet chores like swabbing the decks. This song is filled with sailor metaphors, and I think this is just one more.

OTOH Clapton's song Bell Bottom Blues was released less than 2 years before Soul Survivor was recorded. The Stones were surely aware of it. Clapton's song was about Pattie Boyd, who was George...