Wen kümmert's, ob Keith Richards schnarcht? : "(I can't get no) satisfaction " und die Pophistoriographie

Since its release in 1965, "(I Can'Get No) Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones, one of the classics of popular music, has been provided with numerous anecdotes about its origin which stem mostly from interviews conducted with the two band leaders, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Because these anecdotes are presented in the literature as historical facts, this paper tries to undertake a critique of how such historical knowledge emerges. In a thick description of the interview statements, it can be shown how their concomitant circumstances have influenced the content and the mode of expression of the statements. There is evidence that some of the anecdotes are based on the notion of the pop musician as a genius-like artist as it emerged in the late 1960s, which bears strong similarities to topoi of 19th-century idealistic aesthetics. Moreover, and in contrast to its 'timeless' status as a classic, it can be shown how "Satisfaction" is generally rooted in the popular music of its time, and in particular was probably modeled on the Motown song "Nowhere to Run" by Martha and the Vandellas.