Little T&A

Infobox Song
Name = Little T&A
Artist = The Rolling Stones
Album = Tattoo You
Released= August 24, 1981


track_no = 4
Recorded = January-February 1979, April-June 1981
Genre = Rock
Length = 3m:23s
Writer = Jagger/Richards
Label = Rolling Stones/Virgin
Producer = The Glimmer Twins
[ Chart position = ]

prev = "Slave"
prev_no = 3
next = "Black Limousine"
next_no = 5

"Little T&A" is the fourth song on rock and roll band the Rolling Stones' 1981 album "Tattoo You". The song is sung by guitarist Keith Richards.

Credited to usual Stones scribes Mick Jagger and Richards, "Little T&A" was largely a Richards composition. Richards originally began writing the song in the early months of 1979 with the intention of having the song featured on 1980's "Emotional Rescue". Left off that album it re-emerged for "Tattoo You" two years later. The band began reworking the track in mid-1981.

The song is a straight forward rocker, although Richards claims to have been influenced by rockabilly in his guitar performance. The song opens with a trademark riff from Richards, who performs bass and electric guitars along with Ron Wood. Ian Stewart performs pianos for the song and Jagger provides backing vocals along with Richards and Wood. Charlie Watts performs drums.

The lyrics of "Little T&A" were described by Richards at the time as being about, "...every good time I've had with somebody I'd met for a night or two and never seen again. And also about the shit that sometimes goes down when you just sort of bump into people unknowingly, and not knowing the scene you're walking in on, you know? You pick up a chick and end up spending the night in the tank, you know?" [ "Keith Richards – Interview". "Rolling Stone" (magazine) November 12, 1981.] The lyrics see Richards bemoan that lifestyle;

The song has a distinctive ending featuring a breakdown of song's riff and beat. While the title of the song is never sung, a frequently repeated chorus "She's my little rock & roll; Her tits and ass with soul, baby" is featured throughout.

Performed throughout American Tour 1981, Richards only recently reinstated it to the band's setlist during the 2006 leg of the Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour. A live performance captured for the documentary "Shine a Light" was included on the soundtrack of the same name. As evident on many bootleg recordings, the song was played frequently on Richards 1988 and 1992 tours with the X-Pensive Winos in support of "Talk is Cheap" and "Main Offender" records.

Keith Richards has played Little T&A frequently on "The Bigger Bang Tour", and it is also captured live on disc 1 of "The Biggest Bang" DVD, which includes performances from USA, Brazil, Japan, Argentina & China.

Notes