Album: Undercover (1983)

Charted: 11 9

License This Song 

• Hear the screams from Center 42
  Loud enough to bust your brains out
  The opposition's tongue is cut in two
  Keep off the streets 'cause you're in danger
  
  One hundred thousand disparos
  Lost in the jails in South America
  Curl up baby
  Curl up tight
  Curl up baby
  Keep it all out of sight
  Undercover
  Keep it all out of sight
  Undercover of the night
  
  The sex police are out there on the streets
  Make sure the past laws are not broken
  The race militia has got itchy fingers
  All the way from New York back to Africa
  
  Curl up baby
  Keep it all out of sight
  Curl up baby
  Sleep with all out of sight
  
  Curl up baby
  Keep it all out of sight
  Undercover
  Undercover
  Undercover
  Keep it all out of sight
  Undercover of the night
  
  All the young men they've rounded up
  Sent to camps back in the jungle
  And people whisper, people double-talk
  At once their fathers act so humble
  All the young girls they have got the blues
  They're heading on back to Center 42
  
  Keep it undercover
  Keep it out of sight
  Keep it undercover
  Keep it out of sight
  Undercover
  Keep it out of sight
  Undercover
  Keep it out of sight
  Undercover of the night
  
  Down in the bars, the girls are painted blue
  Done up in lace, done up in rubber
  The john's are jerky little G.I. Joe's
  On R&R from Cuba and Russia
  The smell of sex
  The smell of suicide
  All these things I just can't keep inside
  
  Undercover
  Keep it all out of sight
  Undercover of the night
  Undercover of the night
  Undercover of the night
  Undercover of the night
  Undercover
  Undercover, undercover the night Writer/s: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
  Publisher: Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, TuneCore Inc.
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 12

• Lek from PaThis is the only Rolling Stones song I love
• Danny from Your Town, IaThe video called for Keith Richards to shoot up a church, which he was reportedly thrilled about.
• Susan from Toronto, CanadaThe "disparos" Mick sings about were the "disappeared" in Argentina, who were those perceived as a political threat in the 1980's and taken without warning by government men from their homes at night, never to be seen from again.
• Jena from Leavenworth, KsI used to think it sounded like Mick
  Jagger was singing "Undercover I've been laid"
• Patrick from Greenville, ScI would have to agree with "Q" Magazine on this one. This is a terrible Stones song.
• Craig from Melbourne, AustraliaFantastic song! Charlie also plays tympani on this track. A tympani was left in the studio when the band went to record, and they decided to use it on this track - to great effect.
• Mike from Germantown, MdQ, a British music magazine, put this in their list of Terrible songs by Great Artists. They describe it as "The Stones get funky. And that's funky in the same way geography teachers are funky."
• David from Youngstown, OhThis is probably the best song on a very underrated Stones album. Sadly, it was also the last excellent record the band released.
• Johnny from Los Angeles, CaThis song really rocks. I wanna see the video.
• John from Millersville, MdThat he was, Josh, and played some exceptional piano. I was shocked to find out that the guy who pumped out that soulful blues music also played with the Stones and Allman brothers--it proves Leavell has decent range, just as Clapton does. Marvelous musician.
• Joshua from Twin Cities, MnChuck Leavell was also one of Eric Clapton's backing musicians on his "Unplugged" live album.
  
• Steph from Ottawa, CanadaOne of the coolest (and most action-packed) video's of early MTV. Really does the song justice - I like video's that have a story to them.

More Songfacts:

Just Can't Get EnoughThe Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas shot the video for "Just Can't Get Enough" in Japan just a week before a devastating earthquake hit the country.

Cigarettes And Chocolate MilkRufus Wainwright

"Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk" describes a time in Rufus Wainwright's life when he found himself hungover and pounding chocolate milk to feel better. It didn't work, so he smoked a cigarette, which is when he realized his addictive personality could be a problem.

Wrecking BallMiley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus didn't write "Wrecking Ball" but could very much relate to it. She was having problems in her relationship with Liam Hemsworth, so the theme of giving your love only to have it wrecked really resonated with her.

Why Can't We Be Friends?War

War got the idea for "Why Can't We Be Friends?" when they were traveling in Japan and found they had a kinship with the citizens even though they didn't speak the same language.

Opposites AttractPaula Abdul

MC Skat Kat was created for the remix of "Opposites Attract," which was released as the last single from Paula Abdul's Forever Your Girl album. The team that created the Kat also did a-ha's "Take On Me" video.

Don't You Want MeThe Human League

Phil Oakey of The Human League recorded his vocals for "Don't You Want Me" in the studio bathroom. The recording was disrupted by guitarist Jo Callis reaching through an open window from outside to repeatedly flush one of the toilets.

Editor's Picks

Carol KayeSongwriter Interviews

A top session musician, Carol played on hundreds of hits by The Beach Boys, The Monkees, Frank Sinatra and many others.

Corey HartSongwriter Interviews

The Canadian superstar talks about his sudden rise to fame, and tells the stories behind his hits "Sunglasses At Night," "Boy In The Box" and "Never Surrender."

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Rosanne CashSongwriter Interviews

Rosanne talks about the journey that inspired her songs on her album The River & the Thread, including a stop at the Tallahatchie Bridge.

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.