Music Blog

Sticks And Stones

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Written for Song Lyric Sunday –
“The Old Adage”
Here’s how the theme inspired me.

© IMDb

This week at Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday, the theme is “The Old Adage”. Our challenge is to write about a song that mentions bones, sticks, stones, or words.

The Zombies were formed in 1961 by students Rod Argent, Paul Atkinson, Hugh Grundy, Paul Arnold and Colin Blunstone as lead singer. The band began its musical career performing 1950s rock standards at various clubs, dances and other venues, which was common for young rock bands at the time. In 1963 they began recording for Decca Records. After hearing “She’s Not There”, a song written by Rod Argent, their producer strongly pushed for it to be released as the group’s first single. It became an immediate smash; it wasn’t long before the record shot to #1 on the US pop charts.

The second UK band following the Beatles to score a #1 hit in the US, the Zombies infiltrated the airwaves with the sophisticated melodies, breathy vocals, choral back-up harmonies and jazzy keyboard riffs of their hit singles “She’s Not There”, “Sticks and Stones”, and “Tell Her No”. Ironically, the group broke-up just prior to achieving their greatest success – the worldwide chart-topping single “Time of the Season”, from their swan-song album Odessey & Oracle, ranked #100 in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

Following the break-up of the original band, lead vocalist Colin Blunstone went on to develop an acclaimed solo career (including the hit “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted”) and keyboardist/songwriter Rod Argent rocked ‘70’s arenas with his eponymous band ARGENT (“Hold Your Head Up”, “God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll To You”), but the legend of the Zombies continued to take on a life of its own. By the start of the new millennium, Blunstone and Argent were inspired to resurrect the Zombies. The explosive 2015 release of Still Got That Hunger, their 6th studio album, proved that Zombies fever was stronger than ever and their 2019 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction marked a major triumph in their 5-decade career.

My featured song this week is from the Zombies’ debut album, Being Here, released in 1965. “Sticks and Stones” was written by Titus Turner, an American R&B singer and songwriter. The Zombies version was a live staple for the group, which was known for performing many American R&B songs early in its career. In the song “Sticks and Stones”, the narrator is resilient against gossip and public disapproval, using the traditional phrase to dismiss the hurtful words of others, though the lyrics also reveal a history of abuse that public criticism cannot touch. The song’s meaning is less about the simple phrase “sticks and stones” and more about using the saying as a form of defiance against a cruel or uncaring society and its history of verbally abusing the narrator. 


This is “Sticks and Stones” by the Zombies

LYRICS

People talk about breaking off
Can’t they let us be?
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But talk don’t bother me

People talk about breaking off
Scandalize my name
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But I’ll never be the same

I’ve been abused in my home
I’ve been abused
I’ve been abused right from the start, no

People talk about breaking off
Can’t they let us be?
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But talk don’t bother me, oh, oh, oh

I’ve been abused out of my home
I’ve been abused
I’ve been abused right from the start

People talk about breaking off
Can’t they let us be?
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But talk don’t bother me, oh, oh, oh

I’ve been abused in my home
I’ve been abused
I’ve been abused right from the start

People talk about breaking off
Can’t they let us be?
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But talk don’t bother me

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Titus Turner
Sticks and Stones lyrics © Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd., Imagem London Ltd., Tangerine Music Corp., Picadilly Music Corp.

The Old Adage

Big thanks to Jim Adams for hosting another great Song Lyric Sunday this week and every week. Be sure to follow the link and check out Jim’s site.

Thanks for stopping by for a look and a listen.

That’s all she wrote, kids. See you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2025

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not for use by anyone without permission. NAR©2017-present.

51 thoughts on “Sticks And Stones”

  9. Lovely choice, Nancy and it has been years since I listened to this tune. After the Zombies had broken up and Time of the Season became a big hit promoters wanted to take advantage of that, so they created several fake Zombies groups to sing their songs.

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    1. Imagine what the music scene would have been like if the Zombies didn’t break up just before “Time of the Season” was released. Still, for a group with a short life span, they left their mark and still have a loyal following. Thanks very much, Jim. I appreciate your comments and love participating in SLS every week.

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    1. There was a time back then when names like this were big … the Zombies, the Throggs, the Kinks, the Byrds, the Yardbirds, the Animals, the Beatles …. you get the idea. The combo of Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone was great; it’s really too bad they didn’t create more songs together! Thanks, Christine!

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    1. “Time of the Season” is a fabulous song from that album, isn’t it? Too bad the Zombies didn’t hang on until after its release. We’d be singing a different tune about them! Still, for a group that didn’t last very long, they certainly left their mark. Thanks for stopping by, Brian. I’m pleased to know you enjoyed the music today. 🧟‍♂️ 🎶

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  18. Nancy, this song is new to me and it is groovadelic. The way Colin sings it and the keyboards first, then the lead guitar. Perfect choice for the prompt. Colin sounds a lot like Mick Jagger to me (except when he hits the high notes he goes beyond.) I remember Argent Hold Your Head Up and how much I loved that song as a kid.

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    1. Great comments, Lisa! Mick Jagger, eh? At times I suppose he does but I never noticed it before. Gotta agree the keyboards and guitar are great but the drummer is really rocking this number. Great sticks! “Hold Your Head Up” was and still is a rock anthem, one of Argent’s greatest songs, IMO. If you were a kid back then, you’re still a kid compared to this dinosaur! Thanks Lisa! I’m delighted to know you enjoyed my post today.

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      1. Thanks, Nancy. Each ear is its own and all that. I am very happy you introduced me to this song. I have the O & O album but haven’t listened to it as much as it needs to be listened to. Another one to add to the musical to-do list 🙂

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    1. You’re still very young, CA, so it doesn’t surprise me that you’re not familiar with the Zombies. I’m very glad to know you enjoyed their song and that I had the chance to introduce their music to you. Thanks, CA! Always great to hear from you!

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