The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter - Film Transcript lyrics

[Announcer] Everybody seems to be ready. Are you ready? [Crowd Cheering] For the first time in three years, the greatest rock 'n'roll band in the world, the Rolling Stones! - The Rolling Stones! - [Crowd Cheering] [Mick Jagger] We're gonna have a look at you. We're gonna see how beautiful you are. Whoo! All right! ## [Electric Guitars] Oh, New York City, you talk a lot. Let's have a look at you. Let's have a look at New York City. [Crowd Cheering] Whoo! Well, all right! [Cheering Continues] Welcome to the breakfast show. Whoo! Yeah! [Crowd Cheering] Thank you. Whoo! Thank you. We're just gonna wake up. [Cheering Continues] [Mick Jagger] Well, all right! Charlie's good tonight, isn't he? I think you really... you really dressed up tonight. Aren't they? We'd like to see how you look. Can we see how they look? Let's have a look how they look. Come on. Oh, wejust want to see how they look. Ohhh, we couldn't see you! We couldn't see you. It's really hard to see this together, isn't it? It will take time. - What? - Eight weeks. Eight weeks. Eight weeks. Do you think you can do it that quick? This gives us the freedom. All you guys watching us. We may only be on you for a minute, then go to almost anything. This is Stefan Ponek, KSAN Radio, San Francisco. Well, the Rolling Stones' tour of the United States is over. They wound it up with a free concert at the Altamont Speedway for more than 300,000 people. There were four births, four d**hs and an awful lot of scuffles reported. We received word that someone was stabbed to d**h... in front of the stage by a member of the Hell's Angels. Nothing's confirmed on that. We were there. We didn't see it, but we did see a lot. We want to know what you saw. Our phones are open. We'd like to hear from you. What was the Altamont free concert like? [Man] The Angels did as they saw best in the difficult situation. As far as I'm concerned, they were people who were here... who tried to help in their own way. - Right? You know? - Hmm. Right. If people didn't dig it, I'm sorry. [Ponek] That was Sam Cutler, one of the organizers of the free concert. I think we've got one of the Hell's Angels on the line. Sonny Barger. Have I got that right, Sonny? - Yeah. - Okay, what's up? [Sonny] I didn't go there to police nothing, man. I ain't no cop. I ain't never gonna pretend to be a cop. And this Mick Jagger, like... [Beeping] Put it all on the Angels, man. Like, he used us for dupes, man. And as far as I'm concerned, we were the biggest s**ers for that idiot that I can ever see. And you know what? They told me... if I could sit on the edge of the stage... so nobody would climb over me, you know, I could drink beer until the show was over. That's what I went there to do. But you know what? When they started messing over our bikes, they started it. I don't know if you think we pay $50 for them things... or steal them or pay a lot for them or what. Ain't nobody gonna kick my motorcycle. And they might think because they're in a crowd of 300,000 people... that they can do it and get away with it. But when you're standing there, looking at something that's your life, and everything you've got is invested in that thing, and you love that thing better than anything in the world, and you see a guy kick it, you know who he is. You're gonna get him. And you know what? They got got. I am not no peace creep by any sense of the word. And you can call them people flower children and this and that. Some of them people was loaded on some d**... that it's just too bad we wasn't loaded on... because they come running up the hill, yelling, "Aaaah," and jump on somebody. And it wasn't even always jumping on Angels. But when they jumped on an Angel, they got hurt. [Slams Down Phone] [Scoffs] Well done, Sonny. I think I remember him. Do you? No, I'm not certain. I don't really remember what he looked like. There was a couple of them before we went on. They were really very nice, you know? A couple of them guys. It's just, uh... I don't know. I mean, the way they cleared the path, for instance, was incredible. Were you there? Was you in the party that had to be led to the stage? - My goodness. - I saw what they did, yeah. That was insane. What did they do? Well, it's just the way they did it, you know? It's very, very... 'Cause before that, I didn't really think there was anything going on, you know? Really. I didn't hear anything 'cause we were right at the side. Oh, dear, what a shame! KSAN Radio here. The violence at Altamont was completely unexpected. The Rolling Stones had performed for overflow audiences... without incident in major cities across the United States. [Applause, Cheering] Okay, roll it. Whoo! Yeah! [Crowd Cheering] Thank you. Well, all right. Well, all right! Well, all right! Well, all right! - Whoo! - [Laughing] [Woman] Are you any more satisfied as far as your career goes? [Laughter] Do you mean s**ually or, or philosophically? - Both. - Yeah, we're more satisfied now s**ually, aren't... [Laughter, Chattering] How about philosophically and financially? Financially dissatisfied, uh, you know. Uh, s**ually satisfied, philosophically trying. - Rubbish. - There's a question here on the right. [Man] I read in one of the papers that you'll be giving... a free concert in San Francisco. We are doing a free concert in San Francisco. - When? - On December 6. And, uh, the location is not Golden Gate Park, unfortunately, but it's somewhere adjacent to it which is a bit larger. It's creating sort of a microcosmic society, you know, which sets the example to the rest of A merica... as to how one can behave in large gatherings. This is Mel Belli, the lawyer in San Francisco. Uh, I'm-I'm talking for the Rolling Stones. We've got their managers and their principals here. I've just heard that you've offered them your speedway... for their performance on Saturday, is that right? - [Man On Speaker Phone] That is correct. - This is an open phone so we can all talk on it. What I'm trying to find out is what we can do to do this concert. For the last 36 hours, I've stood my organization on its ear, Mr. Belli. I don't know anything about this. I'm coming in late and trying to straighten something out. So tell me exactly what it is without... Yeah. My first area of policy concern: I do not want this gesture... on the part of Mr. Jagger... to cost me five cents. If a blade of gra** is torn down, they are going to build it up again, you know? I was involved in Woodstock. I've represented rock groups, and I've been involved, both as an attorney and as an executive, with festivals. No matter what anybody tells you, they're a pain in the a**. [Belli] Don't turn me into a proctologist. Just tell me what I can do here. Well, somebody tell me why I should want to get this concert going. [Belli] Are you trying to make it so they can't do this? No, I want it to happen, but I'm not prepared to rebuild my goddamn racetrack. Will you come up and see if you can work with me on this thing? I'd love to work with you, Mr. Belli, but are you working with Mr. Jagger? I haven't met Mr. Jagger. I've only met these other people here. - Have you met Mr. Schneider? - Yes, he's right here in the office. All right, fine. He knows what happened at our meeting this afternoon. Then call me back and with the thought... see if you could come up tomorrow morning. - You and I can see what we can do with this damn thing. - Okay. All right, call me back. [Schneider] There's no way to do the concert except in that location. As it stands now, you're gonna have at least 100,000 kids there by Saturday. You don't have any alternative. The only thing you can do... is to do an affidavit, temporary restraining order and talk to one of the judges. So that brings us down to this. Um, I'll call one of the judges right now. That's your only chance of forcing these people to do it. Now, don't scare off from these people. If I were advising them, I'd tell them to hide out. [Chattering] Because right when they're coming out, you'll... sh-ta-boom! - Yeah, but it doesn't come in till the solo. - I know, I know. - What is that? - What? - Stickin'out of your pocket. - Cousin Minnie says, "How delicious!" [Laughter, Chattering] I'm taking it home for Robert. Y'all come back now, ya hear? That's one more song. [Recorder Rewinding] That should be it. I found it. I found it. Anybody in? Is my local groupie in? [Chattering] Hello, darling. How are you? When are the bags coming up, Ronnie? Stew's gotta get 46 pieces up. [Indistinct] [Applause, Cheering] [Mick Jagger] We're gonna do... We're gonna do a slow blues for you now, people. ## [Ends] [People Applauding] [Tape Rewinding] You like that? I like it. [Indistinct] This thing is going on. The Chronicle is coming out with a story that it's off. - This has been building up for a long time. - Well, it's off and on. - Everybody wants a piece of the pie. - [Chattering] All right, let's see if we can get some facts... to build together on an affidavit here. So we'll have that available and then a very short order to show cause. The sheriff wants to know who's going to go to the bathroom and where. They've got a nice little bucolic community there... They know practically when every john is flushed... and the orderly habits of the bathroom of all of their, uh, voters. [Woman On Speaker Phone] Dick Carter's on the line. He's offering us the speedway at Altamont. Hello, Dick. This is Mel Belli for the Stones. If they were to perform in the speedway, is the speedway open so that they can be seen... from the people that can't get in? [Carter] I'm sure we can work something out. I want the publicity. You want the publicity? Well, you take the publicity. The Rolling Stones don't want any money. It's for charity. - So I'll take the money. - All right. [Laughs] All right. Well, why don't I do this? Why don't I talk with these people here... and then I'll get back with you... and then if we have to sign anything up... and if you need any insurance, which I'm sure you will want, and all the rest of that stuff, I'll work with you in the morning. - Okay. - I'll call you back later, after I talk with them, Dick. Bye. He's offered the Altamont Speedway. - There's not enough room. - There's not time to move it. We got to tear down a stage and the scaffolding. The phones are in. The generators are there. Everything is left to go. It's anticipated that the amount of kids now traveling across country... you may have anywhere from 5,000 to 20,000 kids... starting to arrive sometime tomorrow. They're all lining up at the airports from as far away as New York. - Now? You gotta be kidding. - You have no idea what goes on here. It's an amazing phenomenon. It's like the lemmings of the sea. - Mike Lang is on the line. - [Belli] Yeah, Mike? John says that he doesn't think you can make it over there at the Altamont Speedway. - Do you want to talk directly to Mike? - Yeah. [Schneider] Mike, I got the impression from everybody where you are... that there was no way of moving to that speedway. [Lang] We can do it. Nobody wants to, but if we have to, we can. Just a quick question. You were at Woodstock, and you've now been to Altamont? - Right. - How does it stack up? Do you have the room? I think we have the room, sure. I think we can hold as many people as want to come. Can you change locations that fast? We had a much bigger operation to change at Woodstock. I don't think we'll have much problem. We're just dealing with a free concert. That's what we want to present. And I think that's what the Stones are up to. They want to play here. Is this going to be Woodstock West? Well, it's going to be San Francisco. Do you have any special feelings about this kind of a concert? This spontaneous, free... Well, it's not so much... I don't think it's a complete concert. The concert is just... I think it's an excuse. You know, because, like, the thing is, it's just like everyone coming and having a good time. The concert's like the proscenium of a theater. It's like an excuse for everyone to just sort of, you know, get together... and, like, talk to each other and sleep with each other... ball each other and get very stoned... and just have a nice night out and a good day, you know? - I mean, do you understand? - I do. It's not just like getting up there and seeing... the Grateful Airplane and the Rolling, Rolling Dead. [Laughter] [Announcer] And now, Ike and Tina Turner. - [Crowd Cheering] - Thank you. [Woman] I don't know what they paid for them... the costumes... but is there any way... [Continues, Indistinct] [Chuckles] [Applause, Cheering] Good. It's nice to have a chick occasionally. [Applause, Cheering Continue] Far out. Sorry you had to wait. [Applause, Cheering] Whoo! Oh, yeah! Thank you kindly. I think I busted a bu*ton on my trousers. Hope they don't fall down. It's that jumping around. I'll have to do it up again. Whoo! You don't want my trousers to fall down now, do you? [Cheering Continues] We're gonna... We're gonna kiss you good-bye. And we leave you to kiss each other good-bye. - Hello? - Yes, Mel? - Yes, we still have you. - I got you in an echo. Think you can pick it up? I'm practicing. I'm going on first before the Rolling Stones. Can we get you to pick up the phone like before? Well, what it is now, we're waiting for Mr. Carter to come in. But I've just had a letter read to me... where he said that he very definitely... wants the Stones and the concert there. So, as of this minute, we're intending that the show go on. They have 200, and it's going to be quite a problem to get the thing set up at the Altamont Speedway. But it will be, and it will start at 10:00. Now, that's where we stand. I'm waiting for Mr. Carter now. Uh, let me ask and see. Are the Rolling Stones all in town? - Not Yet. They're coming tonight. - They're coming in tonight. But everybody's ready, and they're all set to go. That's where we are. Is this Mr. Carter? Sheriff, Mr. Carterjust came in. Now, could we talk a little bit? I can put this on the box so that we can all hear. And I think, to start, Mr. Carter has expressed... his willingness to have this on his private property over there. But the question is of this narrow road to come in there. Do you foresee any problems on that? Well, that basically is the Highway Patrol's problem, and they foresee problems. How many cars can Mr. Carter park on his property? - How many? - 150 times 80. - 12,000. - 12,000 automobiles. Well, up in Tallalamee County, they estimated they had 80,000 cars. What are we going to do with them? There's much open area around there. I can probably arrange with other landowners. There's one adjoining me that has 2,000 acres. Yes, well, we have some of the adjoining landowners complaining before it's even granted. If there's 50,000 cars that Mr. Carter can't park, we're in trouble. This is Frank Terry, and let me repeat: The Rolling Stones' free concert is going to be on tomorrow at Altamont Speedway. Apparently, it's one of the most difficult things to give a free concert. As you all know, the concert was originally scheduled for Golden Gate Park... and then at the Sears Point Raceway. Many, many volunteers went out to Sears Point... in trucks, cars, trailers, everything, packed up all the gear out there and took it to the Altamont Speedway... where they are right now, in the cold, 30-degree weather, setting up the stage, setting up the generators... the sound equipment and the facilities for the people. We're gonna end it now. Good-bye. Yeah! Well, all right! We got to go! We got to go! We got to go! We got to go! [Radio Chatter, Indistinct] [Girls Squealing] [Chattering] [Man] They hit Mick. Somebody hit him. - Come on over. - I hate you! [Chattering Continues] Keith! Do you think he'll be coming out? Oh, Mickey, Mickey, Mickey, Mickey. [Laughter] I can't function. I've been on the scaffolding almost all night. I can't close my hands. They're formed to the shape of the scaffolding. You people that are hanging on that scaffolding, you're rendering that scaffold unsafe by climbing on it. Those scaffoldings are not built to take very heavy weight. So if we could have some sort of reason, whatever that might be, we'd be very pleased. Arthur, in between moving around, always turn that off. Turn it off and turn it on. Look, you've got to be very cool with that little thing. Even though it's supposed to be electrically correct, man, you got to really think right around it. Are you gonna hear some music today? [Girl] Hey, you want me to just leave this in here? No. [Indistinct] [Chattering Continues] [Man] Hashish. [Whistles] Hashish. L.S.D. Psilocybin. Hashish. [Chattering Continues] Make them comfortable. Even this parking situation back here, it's all wrong, but that's the way the kids park. For once, we're just gonna let it happen. For experimental purposes. You know what I mean? So be as easy on this as we can. It won't hurt the Stones in any way. [Hysterical Laughing] Wow! Wow, but I wanna be smart, but you're just so far out. [Laughter] Because... yeah! [Muttering] [Sighs] They should be back when they discover we're not with them. Since we've got the beer and the food, they'll find us. Well, a guy's freaking out over at the tent there... So, tough sh**. What do you mean, tough sh**? The guy's really freaking out. Keep-Keep your... No, I don't mean tough sh**. What I mean is that... if you lay successive numbers of bums on this crowd, by the time 6:00 comes around, they're gonna be in a real mood. I'm not prepared to stand here laying bum trips... Up at Woodstock this was done, and you were there, and you know. And announcements were made. [Laughing] We're just sort of getting there, basically. If we make it. [Laughing] I've been falling a lot lately. [Sniffing] Let's go this way. Whoa! When did this happen? There's already a doctor over there. A chick's having a baby. She's having a baby. Contributions to Panther Defense Fund. Contributions to the Panther Defense Fund. They're trying to either wipe out the Panther party... by jailing all the members and wiping them out economically, financially, or violently through k**ing them. After all, they're just... they're just Negroes, you know? [Speaker Testing] Need that cannon Ypretty bad. [Man] We just had our first baby born at Carter's Altamont Speedway. Yeah, right, yes. - Just had our first baby born. - Oh, wow. Okay so far. Everything's all right. - We have a helicopter standing by. - Can we get a mike? If the press will push this: Dick Carter's Altamont Speedway, not just Altamont Speedway. This cat right over here. He just told me to do it, man. No, well, I'm sorry. Nobody else goes there except me. I'd really like you to get off the stage, baby, please. Okay, well, I can dig that. - Thanks very much. - Uh-huh. [Man On P.A.] The American Red Cross has asked us to secure these supplies. If anyone has any of these things to contribute. We need Ace bandages. Ace bandages, gauze and sponges. If you have any of that equipment, please bring it to the medical tent... or to the Golden Gate Chapter Disaster Service Red Cross truck. Excuse me. Which way is the stage? Around the corner? You mean that way? I think we're in pretty good shape, though, right now. We're in chaos backstage. We'll never get... That's gonna have to be cleared, 'cause the group's gotta come in. What we need to do is start getting some blokes together... The essence of it, as far as I'm concerned, is this is where the work has gotta go. - Right. - Sling them all out. No f**ing about. We've had enough of being polite. Get out, go away. - I've asked. I know. - So if you could help us, that would be groovy. - Sure. - All these people, you know? I want to see Mick Jagger, goddamn it. No! Can I say just one thing before you take her off? - Just let me say one thing. - I will not! [Woman Shouting] Hey, before you go away, man. Don't tell me what to say, okay? You look after your job, baby, and I'll look after mine. You're trying to stop me. I'm trying to ask you... Will you ask all these people that are milling around if they'd move to the side, man. [Chattering Continues] [Laughter] [Woman] He wants to listen to you. - You want a bong? - She wants to get f**ed. That's the way! [Whistling] You don't belong here, man. - Let me have some of that. - I wanna get up on stage. The organizers, who number about 20 people, would really like to thank the hundreds of people who came out here last night... and worked all night to get this on. Thanks to everybody who helped. And I'd like to point out to everybody here... that this can be the greatest party of 1969 that we've had. [Cheering Continues] Let's have a party, and let's have a good time. The Flying Burrito Brothers! [Gram Parsons] Please stop hurting each other. Please stop hurting each other. - You don't have to. - [Crowd Shouting] [Man] Take him out the other side! Take him out the other side! Hey, man, quit crowding. Just back off. [Man On P.A.] We need a doctor under the left-hand scaffold... as soon as possible, please. They're not gonna play music till we get a doctor. Somebody help. Somebody's hurt! [Chattering Continues] Marianne Faithfull is here. You feel like signing a few albums? Let me have that album. Where's that album? Thank you. Well, I'm not stepping outside. - I don't blame you. - I am. I want to. - Just sign this. - But I can't get very far. Sign this, please. Sign this one too. [Man] Hey, what about the free records and all the rest of the sh**? There are a number of people on and around this stage who should not be here. Consequently... Consequently, the musicians on this stage... are playing with something like Now, can I please ask that everyone leaves the stage... and, as I say, we'll go back to playing music and nothing else. TheJefferson Airplane. Jefferson Airplane. [Grace Slick] Easy! Easy! Easy. Easy. Easy. Easy. Easy. [Chattering Continues] Easy. Please be quiet. Please be quiet. Please be quiet. - [Crowd Shouting] - Please be quiet. Yeah, it's all right. It's kind of weird up here. Hey, man, I'd like to mention that the Hell's Angels... just smashed Marty Balin in the face and knocked him out for a bit. I'd like to thank you for that. [Grace Slick] There's other ways... [Man] Hey, wait. Is this on? - You're talkin'to me, I'm gonna talk to you. - I'm not talking to you. You're talking to my people. Let me tell you what's happenin'. - You is what happenin'! - [Indistinct] Hey! Oh! - No! No! - Watch it. Hold it. [Shouting Continues] - No, stop it! - You know what's happening? - What's happening? - We're partying like you. [Screaming] No! No! Um, you know, that's really stupid. Hey, man, you guys don't have to stay on the stage. They're not gonna ha**le us. - Hey. - They're not really that... That's really not worth it. You don't ha**le with anybody in particular. You gotta keep your bodies off each other unless you intend love. People get weird, and you need people like the Angels to keep people in line. But the Angels also... You know, you don't bust people in the head for nothing. So both sides are, uh, f**ing up temporarily. Let's not keep f**in'up! [Woman Whistles] [Chattering] - Oh, that's what the story is here? - Yeah. - Oh, bummer. - Really bad. I mean, like, it's scary. - Who's doing all the beating? - Hell's Angels. - Hell's Angels are beating on musicians? - Marty got beat up. - A fight on the stage. - Doesn't seem right, man. It's really weird, man. It's really weird. - Oh, man! Really? - There's lots of people. [Crowd Shouting] [Man] Get that cleared! Let's get it! [Chattering Continues] [Crowd Cheering] Oh, babies. There's so many of you. Just be cool down in front and don't push around. ## [Guitar] Just keep still. Keep together. Oh, yeah. [Crowd Shouting] [Shouting Continues] Hey! Hey! Hey, Keith, Keith, Keith! Keith, will you cool it, and I'll try and stop it. - ## [Stops] - Hey, hey, people. Sisters. Brothers and sisters. Brothers and sisters, come on now. That means everybody just cool out! Will you cool out, everybody? - A fight broke out. - I know. I'm hip. Everybody be cool now. Come on. All right? How are we doing over there? All right? Can we still make it down the front? Is there anyone there that's hurt? Huh? Everyone all right? Okay? All right, I think we are cool. We can do... We're always having... Something very funny happens when we start that number. [Crowd Shouting] [Shouting Continues] I need to get down with it now. [Shouting Continues] All right! Uh, people, who's fighting, what for? Who's fighting, and what for? Why are we fighting? Why are we fighting? We don't want to fight. Come on! Do we want... Who wants to fight? Who is it? [Crowd Chattering] Hey, you know, I mean... Every other scene has been cool. Let... Look, that guy there, if he doesn't stop it, man... Listen, either those cats cool it, or we don't play. - Come on. - You gonna stop? [Crowd Shouting] [Man] We need a doctor! If you don't cool it, you ain't gonna hear no music! Now, you wanna all go home or what? [Shouting Continues] We need doctors down here now, please. Can we have a doctor down here now to the front? L-I cannot see what's going on. I just know that every time... we get to a number, something happens. I don't know what's going on, who's doing what. It's just a scuffle. All I can ask you, San Francisco, is like the whole thing. Like, this could be the most beautiful evening... we've had for this winter, you know, and we've really... Why don't... Don't f** it up, man. Come on, let's get it together. I can't do any more than just ask you, beg you, just to keep it together. You can do it. It's within your power. Everyone, Hell's Angels, everybody, let's just keep ourselves together. You know, if we are all one, let's show we're all one. - Preach it, brother! - Up on the scaffold. Urgently, man. There's one thing horrible that we need. Sam, we need an ambulance. We need a doctor by that scaffold there. If there's a doctor, can he get to there? Okay, here we go. We're gonna... I don't know what we're doing. When we get to really the end and we all want to go absolutely crazy, and, like, jump on each other, then we'll stand up again. You know what I mean? Everyone keep... sit down. I mean, just keep cool, and let's just relax. Let's just get into the groove. Come on, we can get it together. Come on. Sit down. [Woman Screams, Crowd Shouting] Hey, man, look. We're splitting. If those cats can't... If you people... We're splitting if those cats don't stop beating everybody up in sight. I want them out of the way, man. I don't like you... A guy's got a gun out here, and he's shooting at the stage. - It's one guy. - He's got a gun. Hey, people. Hey, people. Come on, let's be cool. People, please. There's no reason to ha**le anybody. Please don't permit it. If you move back and sit down, we can continue and we will continue. Can you roll back on that, David? Sure. Did you see what was happening there? No, you couldn't see anything. Well, it was another scuffle. There's the Angel right there, with a knife. - Where's the gun? - I'll roll it back. You'll see it against the girl's crocheted dress. Right there, isn't it? Oh, it's so horrible. Is there an officer? Is there a policeman here? - What happened here, anyway? - Man, he pulled out a gun. - He did? - Yes, the Hell's Angels took the gun away from him. One of them has it now. He showed it to me. And they proceeded to put him down on the ground and started kicking him. And he has a couple of stab wounds in his back and one over his ear. We tried to keep him alive, but when we got here, the doctor checked him out and that was it. We pronounced him dead at about 6:20. [Man On Radio] We have a request from the state police. - I don't want him to die! Don't let him die, please! - He won't die! Now, they're gonna do everything in their power. - But they can't hear his heart. - Now, don't worry about it. - [Sobbing] - Don't worry about it. - They're gonna put him in this whirlybird and take... - I have to go with him. Get back, please. Yeah! Whoo! Bye, bye, bye, bye! Bye, bye, bye, bye! Oh, yeah! Come on in! [Sighs] All right. See you all. All right.