Start Me Up

'Start Me Up' is a song by The Rolling Stones featured on the 1981. album "Tattoo You" and is often used to open the Stones' concerts. The song opens with what has since become a trademark riff for Keith Richards. It is this, coupled with Charlie Watts' steady backbeat and Bill Wyman's echoing bass, that comprises most of the song. Lead guitarist Ronnie Wood can clearly be heard playing a layered variation of Richards' main riff. Often live versions of the song are lengthened by giving Wood a solo near the middle of the song, pieces of which can be heard throughout the original recording. 'Start Me Up' peaked at No. 7 on the UK Singles Charts in August 1981., where it remains a significant single as the Stones have not been back into the UK Top 10 since. In Australia, the song reached No. 1 in November 1981. In the United States, 'Start Me Up' spent three weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard Top Tracks chart.

[Intro] If you start me up If you start me up, I'll never stop If you start me up If you start me up, I'll never stop [Verse 1] I've been running hot You got me ticking, now don't blow my top If you start me up If you start me up, I'll never stop Never stop, never stop, never stop [Chorus] You make a grown man cry You make a grown man cry You make a grown man cry Spread out the oil, the gasoline I walk smooth, ride in a mean, mean machine Start it up [Verse 2] If you start it up Kick on the starter, give it all you got You got to, you got to I can't compete with the riders in the other heats If you rough it up If you like it, I can slide it up Slide it up, slide it up, slide it up [Chorus] Don't make a grown man cry Don't make a grown man cry Don't make a grown man cry My eyes dilate, my lips go green My hands are greasy, she's a mean, mean machine Start it up [Verse 3] Start me up Ah, ah, give it all you've got You've got to never, never, never stop Slide it up, whoo! Ah rev it up to start it up Start it up, start it up, start it up Never, never, never [Chorus] You make a grown man cry You make a grown man cry You make a grown man cry Ride like the wind at double speed I'll take you places that you've never, never seen Hey, hey [Verse 4] If you start it up Love the day and we will never stop, never stop Never, never, never stop Start me up Never stop, never stop [Chorus] You, you, you make a grown man cry You, you make a dead man cum You, you make a dead man cum