About the Song
Alright, let’s shift gears and get a little funky with Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show’s satirical masterpiece, “The Cover of the Rolling Stone.” Released in 1972, this song isn’t just a catchy tune – it’s a hilarious and insightful commentary on the music industry and the fleeting nature of fame.
Imagine this: a group of successful rock stars, living the high life, with groupies, a guru, and a chauffeur-driven limousine. Yet, there’s one thing missing – the ultimate symbol of rock and roll validation: being on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
The song is a mockumentary-style monologue delivered by a band member, riddled with self-deprecating humor and a touch of cynicism. He details their extravagant lifestyle – cocaine-loving grandmothers embroidering their jeans, expensive cars driven by their dads – but emphasizes the emptiness it brings. They have everything money can buy, but true recognition eludes them.
The constant refrain, “I wanna see my picture on the cover of the Rolling Stone,” becomes both a desperate plea and a hilarious running gag. It exposes the shallow side of fame and the insatiable desire for validation, even amidst a life of luxury.
“The Cover of the Rolling Stone” is more than just a silly song, though. It’s a clever critique of the music industry’s obsession with image and commercial success. It reminds us that true artistic fulfillment can’t be bought or measured by magazine covers.
The song’s enduring appeal lies in its humor and relatability. Even if you’re not a rock star, the desire for recognition and validation is a universal human experience. Dr. Hook takes that desire, throws it into a blender with rock and roll excess, and serves it up with a side of sarcasm, making us laugh while holding a mirror to our own aspirations.
So, the next time you hear “The Cover of the Rolling Stone,” tap your foot, chuckle along, and appreciate its clever satire and its timeless message about the true meaning of success.
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Lyrics: “The Cover Of ‘Rolling Stone'”
[Talking]
Ha ha ha, I don’t believe it
Da, da, ah, ah don’t touch it
Hey, Ray, hey, Sugar, tell them who we are…Well, we’re big rock singers
We got golden fingers
And we’re loved everywhere we go…(That sounds like us)
We sing about beauty and we sing about truth
At ten thousand dollars a show…(Right)
We take all kinds of pills that give us all kind of thrills
But the thrill we’ve never known
Is the thrill that’ll getcha when you get your picture
On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone(Rollin’ Stone…) Wanna see my picture on the cover
(Stone…) Wanna buy five copies for my mother…(Yes)
(Stone…) Wanna see my smilin’ face
On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone…(That’s a very very good idea)I got a freaky ole lady name a Cocaine Katy
Who embroiders on my jeans
I got my poor ole grey haired daddy
Drivin’ my limousine
Now it’s all designed to blow our minds
But our minds won’t really be blown
Like the blow that’ll gitcha when you get your picture
On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone(Rollin’ Stone…) Wanna see our pictures on the cover
(Stone…) Wanna buy five copies for our mothers…(Yeah)
(Stone…) Wanna see my smilin face
On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone[Talking]
Hey, I know how
Rock and roll…[Instrumental]
Ah, that’s beautiful
We got a lot of little teenage blue eyed groupies
Who do anything we say
We got a genu-wine Indian Guru
Who’s teaching us a better way
We got all the friends that money can buy
So we never have to be alone
And we keep gettin’ richer but we can’t get our picture
On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone(Rollin’ Stone…) Wanna see my picture on the cover
(Stone…) Wanna buy five copies for my mother…(Wa wa)
(Stone…) Wanna see my smilin’ face
On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone
On the cover of the Rollin’…
(Stone…) Wanna see my picture on the cover[Talking]
I don’t know why we ain’t on the cover, baby…(Stone…) Wanna buy five copies for my mother
[Talking]
We’re beautiful subjects…(Stone…) Wanna see my smilin’ face
[Talking]
I ain’t kiddin’, we would make a beautiful cover…On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone…
[Talking]
Fresh shot, right up front, man…
I can see it now, we’ll be up in the front…
Smilin’, man…
Ahh, beautiful…