When you’ve got as many songs in your arsenal as Keith Richards, it’s only natural that favourites will develop over the years, and you have a more favourable relationship with some than others.
One of Richards’ all-time favourites is ‘Happy’, which despite the title’s suggestion, the song was written during a dark and traumatic period in the guitarist’s life. It was a bizarre period for the band because their status as tax exiles made them enemies of the general public, and Richards’ personal life was also troublesome.
Reportedly, Richards was struggling with heroin abuse at this point, losing sight of his true self as he succumbed to addiction. However, his guitar was there to save him during these moments of darkness and help bring him back into the light.
The lively track was recorded during the band’s notorious stay at Villa Nellcôte in Southern France, and it’s one of the easiest songs Richards has ever created. Rather than taking weeks to get right, ‘Happy’ was finished mere hours after the guitarist began work on the track, which helped lift him out of a rut.
