Item #60 Handwritten Manuscript Lyrics of War Baby. Mick Jagger.

Handwritten Manuscript Lyrics of War Baby

Hilversum and St. Phillip: Columbia, 1987. Original handwritten manuscript for War Baby. 37 lines, 233 words of neatly written lyrics (the whole song), in pencil, all in Mick Jagger’s handwriting, on 3 sheets of 8” X 10” lined paper (rectos only). Titled at the top, the verse and bridge notations in the left margin. This is a recording session draft, 1987, for his second solo album, Primitive Cool (his 1993 biography was also titled Primitive Cool). War Baby was the last song on the album. Jagger did the vocals and also played guitar, percussion, autoharp, and harmonica. The band featured polished supporting performances from 20 musicians including, Dave Stewart, Vernon Reed, G. E. Smith, and Jeff Beck. Left edge minutely trimmed (1/8” with no loss), 4 inconsequential staple holes at the upper left, blank corner, otherwise fine condition and rare. fine. Item #60

We have been selling these rock & roll manuscripts for 40 years and Jagger lyrics are mystifyingly uncommon (he told me keeps them). Other than a group of routine letters that happened to contain rewritten lyrics for Monkey Man (Sotheby’s, $234,500 on Dec. 12, 2012), Jagger’s manuscript lyrics that are complete, recorded, performed, published, and for sale, are apparitions, and I have not heard of any authentic ones (not one) at auction or in the trade, making them rarer than the manuscript lyrics of all his analogous contemporaries. And this song is his shot at an antiwar message, not quite Give Peace a Chance or Blowin’ in the Wind, but we have sold 22 manuscripts by various Beatles, and more than that by Dylan, yet this is the only Jagger manuscript we have seen. And though Jagger could have retired long ago he keeps working, because every time he saw a safe harbor, he tacked north, bought himself a little more ocean, and kept on sailing. I guess he wants to stay on top. As if the world has a top.

Price: $45,000.00

Item Sold

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