"Gimme Shelter" is a song by The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling. Greil Marcus, writing in Rolling Stone magazine at the time of its release, said of it, "The Stones have never done anything better." The song features female vocals by Merry Clayton. "Gimme Shelter" was written by the Rolling Stones' lead vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, the band's primary songwriting team. Richards began working on the song's signature opening riff in London whilst Jagger was away filming Performance. As released, the song begins with Richards performing a guitar intro, soon joined by Jagger's harmonica and subsequent lead vocal. Of Let It Bleed's bleak world view, Jagger said in a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone: "Well, it's a very rough, very violent era. The Vietnam War. Violence on the screens, pillage and burning. And Vietnam was not war as we knew it in the conventional sense. The thing about Vietnam was that it wasn't like World War II, and it wasn't like Korea, and it wasn't like the Gulf War. It was a real nasty war, and people didn't like it. People objected, and people didn't want to fight it..." As for the song itself, he concluded, "That's a kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It's apocalypse; the whole record's like that." Similarly, on NPR in 2012: "It was a very moody piece about the world closing in on you a bit...When it was recorded, early '69 or something, it was a time of war and tension, so that's reflected in this tune. It's still wheeled out when big storms happen, as they did the other week [during Hurricane Sandy]. It's been used a lot to evoke natural disaster." Puddle of Mudd covered the song on their 2011 Album Re: (disc)overed.
Oh, a storm is threatning
My very life today
If I don't get some shelter
Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Ooh, see the fire is sweepin'
Our very street today
Burns like a red coal carpet
Mad bull lost its way
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Rape, murder!
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Rape, murder!
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Rape, murder!
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Rape, murder!
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Rape, murder!
It's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
War, children, it's just a shot away
It's just a shot away
Just a little shot away
it's just a shot away
it's just a shot away
The song was written during the Vietnam War and so it's very much about the awareness that war is always present; it was very present in life at that point. Mary Clayton who did the backing vocals, was a background singer who was known to one of the producers. Jagger says, Suddenly, we wanted someone to sing in the middle of the night. And she was around. She came with her curlers in, straight from bed, and had to sing this really odd lyric. For her it was a little odd - for anyone, in the middle of the night, to sing this one verse I would have been odd. She was great." The song "Give Me Shelter" is about the political and social unrest at the time. There was the war in Vietnam, race riots, and Charles Manson. Mick Jagger sings of needing shelter from this "Storm." The bible passage today is found in Isaiah 25:4. Isaiah is calling out that God himself has been a shelter from the storm.
My thoughts and comments today are about “shelter in a storm.”
Weather forecasting has become quite a science. Satellites, meteorology science, computer imaging, and an accumulated history of weather patterns allow fairly accurate predictive warnings of dangerous storms, though the best meteorologists still cannot prevent the storms they predict.
These are not the only unpredictable storms that come to us in live. There are different kind of storms that intrude into lives that you can neither predict nor prevent; these storms occur in the realm of emotional, mental, financial, physical, relational, or spiritual upheaval. You cannot predict when such storms will impose themselves into your life, but you can certainly predict that they will. How foolish to live as though your life will be immune from such disturbing times.
You should prepare for storms you or others can neither predict nor prevent. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV. People more often quote that than reference His important preface to those words, “In Me, you may have peace.” Before the storm comes, know where you will find safe refuge. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’ . . For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His tabernacle.” Psalm 91:1-4/ 27:5 NIV.
Better late than never, but the midst of the storm is the worst time to begin your search for shelter. Isaiah wrote, “O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness, You have done marvelous things . . You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.” Isaiah 25:1/4 NIV. Distress, storm, or heat – whatever the description of your circumstance, God Himself is your sufficiency – refuge, shelter, and shade. God does more than just provide you shelter; He becomes your shelter. God and His Word are a safe refuge when storms rage whatever their origin. Proverbs 18:10 NKJV/Matthew 7:24-27 NLT.
Matthew, a disciple of Jesus, recalls a frightening storm, alarming enough to make fisherman fear for their lives. “Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.”Read Matthew 8:23-27 NIV. With just a word from Jesus, the wind and seas calmed, leaving the fearful disciples amazed and asking,“Who is this that even the wind and waves obey Him?” Yes, the wind and waves that may threaten and frighten you must obey His command. Solomon observed, ”When the storm has swept by . . the righteous stand firm forever.” Proverbs 10:25 NIV.
As spring the winter does succeed,
And leaves the naked trees do dress,
The earth all black is clothed in green;
At sunshine each their joy express.
My sun’s returned with healing wings.
My soul and body do rejoice;
My heart exults and praises sings
To You who heard my wailing voice.
My winter’s past, my storms are gone,
And former clouds now seem all fled;
But, if they must eclipse again,
I’ll run where I was amply fed.
I have a shelter from the storm,
A shadow from the fainting heat;
I have access unto Your throne
You who are God so wondrous great.
(Anne Bradstreet)
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