Take It So Hard

Keith Richards

About Take It So Hard

"Take It So Hard" is the first single from Keith Richards' first solo record, Talk Is Cheap. The long-time Rolling Stones guitarist recorded the record after band mate Mick Jagger refused to tour in 1986 in support of the album Dirty Work. The second song of the eleven track record, it is a powerful example of vocal rock harmonies and rhythmic guitar, piano and percussion syncopation, with an overlay of vocal tracks that bury the lyrics within the push and pull of the music. It received heavy airplay on US rock radio, reaching #3 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks. Richards described writing and recording Talk is Cheap as a bit by bit accumulation of song threads and recording sessions. Except for "Make No Mistake", which he said came to him all at once, "Take It So Hard" like other songs was put together through several recording sessions in 1987 and 1988. The song was reviewed in Rolling Stone magazine positively, but Richards never explained the lyrics. The song was discussed in the Wall Street Journal's weekly music column, week of March 25th 2019, by Keith Richards and Steve Jordan. The song started with a guitar riff, as is usual for Keith Richards, and he quickly came up with the refrain. The rest of the lyrics developed from a vowel exercise that Keith Richards has also used on other songs, to see what fits the music, and once he had vowels he came up with words to go with the vowels. 


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Giving up lovin', easy to do
People so pitiful
They never come through
Honey, honey, honey I ain't that way

You want a little bit, once in a while
Come on and get a bit

You shouldn't take it so hard, yeah
You shouldn't take it
You shouldn't take it so hard, yeah

Take a look around you, tell me, what do you see?
People with little bits
Try, tryin' to smile
Most of what you've gotten is free, yeah

You shouldn't take it so hard, yeah
You shouldn't take it
You shouldn't take it so hard, yeah

Yank it up, baby
Or get yourself a new name
You want a little bit once in a while
Yeah, you got a taste for it

You shouldn't take it so hard, yeah
You shouldn't take it
You shouldn't take it so hard, yeah

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Keith Richards

Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter and founding member of an English rock band The Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs," ranking him 4th on its list of 100 best guitarists. Fourteen songs Richards wrote with the Rolling Stones' lead vocalist Mick Jagger are listed among Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." Richards's notoriety for illicit drug use stems in part from several drug busts during the late 1960s and 1970s and his candor regarding his addiction to, and eventual abstinence from, heroin. more »

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Written by: KEITH (GB) RICHARDS, STEPHEN K. JORDAN

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Artist Details
"Take It So Hard" is a song by Keith Richards, an acclaimed British musician best known as the guitarist and founding member of the iconic rock band, The Rolling Stones.
Song Release
"Take It So Hard" was released as the lead single from Keith Richards' first ever solo album, "Talk Is Cheap", in 1988.
Album Success
The album "Talk Is Cheap", which features "Take It So Hard", peaked at number 24 on the Billboard 200 chart, reflecting its success in the U.S.
Song Genre
The genre of "Take It So Hard" is hard rock, a derivative form of rock music characterized by amplified instruments, especially electric guitar and drums.
Song Writing
"Take It So Hard" was written by Keith Richards and Steve Jordan. Jordan is a versatile musician primarily known as a drummer, who also co-produced "Talk Is Cheap" with Richards.
Live Performance
Richard selected "Take It So Hard" to be the soundtrack of his solo live shows. It was performed regularly on Richards' three solo concert tours, in 1988, 1992-93, and 1997–98.
Music Video
The music video for "Take It So Hard" reflects the raw authenticity of Richard's solo work, featuring live footage and behind-the-scenes glimpse of Richards. Directed by Julien Temple, a noted British film, documentary and music video director, the video is black and white, adding to the grittier, more personal feel of Richard's solo work.
Critical Reception
"Take It So Hard" was generally well received by critics. Some praised its stripped-back, direct approach to hard rock, seeing it as a refreshing contrast to The Rolling Stones' more polished sound.
Recording Details
"Take It So Hard" was recorded at Le Studio in Morin Heights, Quebec Canada, The Hit Factory in New York City, and Bermuda Sound in Bermuda.
Song Position
"Take It So Hard" only reached number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it did considerably better on the Mainstream Rock chart, climbing to position 1 and holding it for three weeks.

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