“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”

“You can’t always get what you want” is a sentence that many parents tell their children. Parents want their children to know that life isn’t always easy, and that they shouldn’t demand the things that they want. Parents want their children to be humble. However, what if the one thing the child wants is their family back together. Well, you can’t always get what you want. But, maybe that is a good thing after all.
“But if you try sometime you find you get what you need”. This song by The Rolling Stones was released in 1969. The song was written by band members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It was a change from the band’s usual classic rock. The London Bach Choir, who were invited onto the track almost humorously, added a gospel tone to the song. Although the lyrics seem to express a melancholy message, the upbeat rhythm and tone create a feeling of hopefulness and salvation. The message seems quite obvious. It is that we might not always get what we want, but we still have everything we need. However, it is not that simple. The lyrics show that the song isn’t just about being humble, it is trying to get across that what you want isn’t always what is good for you.
In the first line of the song they sing, “I saw her there at the reception” (The Rolling Stones, 1969). From this line we can infer that the narrator has a woman that he wants. A couple lines after he says, “I knew she would find her connection” (The Rolling Stones, 1969). From this we see that the narrator will not get he wants. He wants this woman but she will make a ‘connection’ with another man. However, at the end of the song he sings, “ I saw her today at the reception… She was practiced at the art of deception, Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands.” (The Rolling Stones, 1969). The narrator realized that she was an deceptive, evil woman. He ended up not getting what he wanted, but what he wanted wasn’t what he needed. He was better off not getting what he wanted.
When I was ten years old all I wanted was my family to be a family again. At least this is what I thought I wanted. I was heartbroken during this time, and because of that I don’t remember much. However I do remember hating my mom for leaving (although I now see it as the strongest thing anyone in my life has ever done). I refused to go see her, and I cried everyday, not understanding like any other child. Everyday I thought this would all be fixed if it went back to the way it was before. That is not what I wanted. What I really wanted was to not feel like everything I knew was now gone forever. What I really wanted was for there to be less conflict in my life. And what I wanted the most was for my family to be happy.
It turns out that my parents splitting up was exactly what I needed. Everything I knew was still there. My parents still loved me and would do anything for me and my sister. There was a lot less conflict in my life. And most importantly, my family was going to be happier. From then my life has changed immensely, and while I will forever cherish my amazing childhood, I now have so many more people and places in my life I wouldn’t have had if I had gotten what I thought I wanted. My stepparents, step-grandparents, step-cousins, step-aunts and uncles. Plus, and extra home, an extra place where I can truly be myself. I did not get what I wanted. Instead I got exactly what I needed.