Back To Zero by The Rolling Stones

Album: Dirty Work (1986)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Mick Jagger wrote this song about his fear of a nuclear war.
This is the only Rolling Stones song Chuck Leavell got a writing credit for. Formerly with the Allman Brothers Band, he played keyboards with The Stones through the '80s.
Along with "Winning Ugly," "Back To Zero" was one of two songs Mick Jagger wrote for Dirty Work. This was the first time in Jagger's career that The Stones weren't his priority: He was fed up with the band and focused on his promoting his 1985 solo album, She's The Boss.

Comments: 7

Alastair from Stranraer, United KingdomIn Canada 'Back to Zero' was released as a B-side to the single, 'Winning Ugly'. Housed in an attractive cartoon picture sleeve.
Alastair from Stranraer, United KingdomThe foretelling of catastrophe is one reading ot the lyrics but if we think Jagger may be using coded metaphors for his own life and the band's present condition, the line "Back To Zero that's where we're heading" could be read as a cleaning of the slate and starting again. The track contains Stones references in lines such as "It's a monkey living on my back" and "I'm the fly inside the spider's web" (a volte-face from the Jagger of 1965 who was the predatory spider in the web).
Juan from Buenos Aires, ArgentinaSWEET NEOCON,GUNFACE AND ANYBODY SEEN MY BABY ARE THE WORST SONGS TO ME. AND THE LYRICS OF WINNING UGLY ARE REALLY UGLY. BACK TO ZERO IS NOT MY FAVOURITE BUT FAR BETER THAN SWEET NEOCON.
Boris Müller from Zürich, Switzerlandneil is right: back to zero is top 5 of worst stones songs ever. winning ugly probably too.
also horrible: suck on the jagular and sweet neocon...
Neil from Liverpool, U.k., Englandback to zero and winning ugly are the 2 worst things the stones ever released. I've heard better outtakes.
Ethan from Portland, Orworst stones song ever. what a "coincidence" that chuck helped write it.
Roddy from Southampton, EnglandLeavell also played keyboards in Eric Clapton's MTV unplugged and Train's Drops of Jupiter.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Me And Julio Down By The SchoolyardPaul Simon

Mickey Mantle and John Madden both appear in the video for "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard" by Paul Simon. Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane do a rap intro.

Cake By The OceanDNCE

The song title "Cake By The Ocean" originated from DNCE's Swedish producers using the wrong name for the drink "Sex on the Beach."

The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)Betty Everett

After Cher revived "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)" in 1990, Salt-N-Pepa released "Shoop" and Whitney Houston had a #1 hit with "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)."

GypsyFleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac's "Gypsy" is about Stevie Nicks' best friend, who died of leukemia.

She BangsRicky Martin

The Ricky Martin song "She Bangs" found new life when William Hung performed it so horribly on a 2004 episode of American Idol that it went viral.

MMMbopHanson

Hanson's megahit "MMMbop," released when they were teenagers, is surprisingly profound. Zac Hanson told Songfacts it "represents a frame of time or the futility of life."