"Sweet Sounds of Heaven" is a song by The Rolling Stones. It served as the 2nd single from their 26th studio album Hackney Diamonds and is the 11th track on the album. It was released on September 28th, 2023. It features Lady Gaga's vocals.
Background
Lady Gaga and Mick Jagger perform at the Prudential Center on December 15th, 2012
Lady Gaga and the Rolling Stones have collaborated previously on December 15th, 2012, as part of the 50 & Counting tour. Together, they performed a rendition of the group's 1969 single "Gimme Shelter" from the album Let It Bleed (1969).
“Lady Gaga sings really sweet on [the new song] ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven,'” says Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. He made the statement in a live-streamed, sit-down interview with Jimmy Fallon on September 6th, 2023.
In an interview for the British Internet media company UNILAD , Mick Jagger told about the song and collaboration with Lady Gaga.
| “ | [...] We were doing this song that I wrote on the piano, this kind of gospel-y song and she was in the next door studio and she said, ‘Can I come down?’ and she joined in. And we sung together and we went in the next day and tidied up a few things up. | ” |
—Mick Jagger to UNILAD (Sept 6th, 2023) | ||
Release
Digital Release
|
Label: Polydor, Universal Format: Digital download, streaming Released: September 28, 2023 |
|---|
| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" (edit) | 5:06 |
Live Release
|
|
Label: Polydor, Universal Format: Digital download, streaming Released: December 28, 2023 |
|---|
| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" (Live at Racket, NYC) | 7:39 |
| 2. | "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" (edit) | 5:06 |
Physical releases
CD single
|
Label: Polydor, Universal Format: Jewel case Released: October 13, 2023 Catalog #: 00309 Barcode: 0602458122527 Photography: Paulina Almira Design: Studio Fury |
|---|
| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" | 07:22 |
Vinyl
|
Label: Polydor, Universal Format: 10" Vinyl (etching on b-side) Released: October 13, 2023 Barcode: 0602455464651 Photography: Paulina Almira Design: Studio Fury |
|---|
| # | Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" | 07:22 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Version(s) | Label | Catalog # | Barcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
September 28, 2023 | Digital download, streaming | Edit, original | Polydor, Universal | N/A | |
|
Radio airplay | Original | ||||
|
|
October 13, 2023 | CD Single | 0602458122527 | |||
| 10" Vinyl | 0602455464651 | |||||
| December 8, 2023 | Digital download, streaming | Live at Racket, NYC | N/A | |||
Performances
Dates
Location
City
Lyrics
I hear the sweet, sweet sounds of Heaven
Falling down, falling down to this earth
I hear the sweet, sweetest sounds of Heaven
Drifting down, drifting down to this earth
Bless the father, bless the son
Hear the sound of the drums as it echoes through the valley and it bursts
Let no woman or child go hungry tonight
Please protect us from the pain and the hurt
Yeah, I smell the sweet scents, the sweet scents of Heaven
Tumbling down, tumbling down to the earth
I hear the sweet sounds, sweet sounds of children
And they're praising the land of their birth
No, I'm not, not going to Hell in some dusty motel
And I'm not, not going down in the dirt
I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna cry
Eat the bread, drink the wine
'Cause I'm finally, finally quenching my thirst
You can't have a light without a little shadow
Always need a target for your bow and arrow
I want to be drenched in the rain of your heavenly love
Let the music play loud, let it burst through the clouds
And we all feel the heat of the sun
Yeah, let us sing, let us shout, let us all stand up proud
Let the old still believe that they're young
Sweet, sweet sound
Sounds so sweet
Sounds so sweet
Heaven, Heaven
Falling down to this earth
I hear the sweet, sweet sounds of Heaven
Coming down, falling down to the earth
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
Hear the gods laughing from above
Falling down, falling down to this earth
Let me lay down and sleep
Heaven, Heaven
I hear the sweet, sweet sounds of Heaven
Falling down, falling down to this earth
I hear the sweet, sweetest sounds of Heaven
Drifting down, drifting down to this earth
Bless the father, bless the son
Hear the sound of the drums as it echoes through the valley and it bursts
Let no woman or child go hungry tonight
Please protect us from the pain and the hurt
Yeah, I smell the sweet scents, the sweet scents of Heaven
Tumbling down, tumbling down to the earth
I hear the sweet sounds, sweet sounds of children
And they're praising the land of their birth
No, I'm not, not going to Hell in some dusty motel
And I'm not, not going down in the dirt
I'm gonna laugh, I'm gonna cry
Eat the bread, drink the wine
'Cause I'm finally, finally quenching my thirst
You can't have a light without a little shadow
Always need a target for your bow and arrow
I want to be drenched in the rain of your heavenly love
Let the music play loud, let it burst through the clouds
And we all feel the heat of the sun
Yeah, let us sing, let us shout, let us all stand up proud
Let the old still believe that they're young
Sweet, sweet sound
Sounds so sweet
Sounds so sweet
Heaven, Heaven
Falling down to this earth
I hear the sweet, sweet sounds of Heaven
Coming down, falling down to the earth
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah
Hear the gods laughing from above
Falling down, falling down to this earth
Let me lay down and sleep
Heaven, Heaven
Lyric Video
|
|
Merchandise
- Main article: Official Merchandise
Credits
| Written by | Mick Jagger and Keith Richards |
| Featuring | Lady Gaga on Vocals Stevie Wonder on Piano/Rhodes/Moog |
| Produced by | Andrew Watt |
| Track Participants | Drums — Steve Jordan B3 Organ — Matt Clifford Bass & Backing vocals — Andrew Watt Saxophone — James King Trumpet — Ron Blake |
| Recording engineers | Paul LaMalia, Marco Sonzini & Lars Fox Assisted by Joe Dougherty, Joe Brice, Barnabas Poffley, Kelsey Porter, Tommy Tumer & Rich Evatt |
| Studio assistants | Pierre de Beauport, Marc Van Gool & Brendan Morawski |
| Mixed by | Serban Ghenea at Mixstar Studios, Virginia Beach, VA  Assisted by Bryce Bordone |
| Mastered by | Matt Colton at Metropolis Studio, London, UK 
|