2000 Light Years from Home

2000 Light Years from Home

The Rolling Stones

“2000 Light Years From Home” is a song from The Rolling Stones' 1967 psychedelic rock album Their Satanic Majesties Request. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it also appeared as the B-side to the US single “She’s a Rainbow”, and charted as a single in Germany. Jagger reportedly wrote the lyrics in Brixton prison following his conviction on drug charges in June 1967. The working title of the instrumental backing was “Toffee Apple”. The prominent string part is played by Brian Jones on mellotron. The sound effects at the beginning of the song before the melody starts was played by him on a piano. He played two tracks of several dissonant and unorthodox chords, then one track was reversed.

The number was regularly featured during the Stones' 1989-90 Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tours; until 1997, when “She’s a Rainbow” was also added to the band’s stage repertoire, it was the only track from Satanic Majesties that the band had performed in concert.

The song is used in the film Men in Black 3.