Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Francis X. Maier

By Francis X. Maier, The Catholic Thing, Aug. 2, 2024

Francis X. Maier is a senior fellow in Catholic studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He is the author of  True Confessions: Voices of Faith from a Life in the Church .

Here’s a fun fact: Keith Richards is 80. His bandmate, Sir Michael Philip “Mick” Jagger – yes, the baddest of Bad Boys was knighted in 2003, against the wishes of Queen Elizabeth II – is an overripe 81. Their prance and wriggle days on the world stage have largely passed though they’re still doing live performances. But a few of their tunes do stick in the memory. Theology, to put it kindly, was never the Rolling Stones’ strong suit; Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967) is an eminently freakish and forgettable album. And yet, for me at least, their song Sympathy for the Devil (1968) is as fresh as it was nearly 60 years ago. In fact, its lyrics could easily serve as the theme for our current cultural season.

Here’s a sample:

Just as every cop is a criminal,
and all the sinners saints;
as heads is tails
just call me Lucifer,
‘cause I’m in need of some restraint.

True, they’re not exactly words of genius. But whatever one thinks of octogenarian rock stars, the insight of those few lines is striking. …

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