Mick Jagger recruited Dave Grohl for "Eazy Sleazy," a hard-hitting and partly satirical new song that explores the absurdity and anxiety of pandemic-era life.

Throughout the stripped-down track, the Rolling Stones singer documents a music industry full of canceled tours and virtual premieres ("I've got nothing left to wear"), the monotony of lockdown life (Zoom, "way too much TV," dishes piling up in the kitchen sink) and a culture where grim COVID-19 numbers have become the new norm.

The singer also slips in some overt jabs at conspiracy theorists: "Shooting the vaccine; Bill Gates is in my bloodstream," he sings over the gritty riffs. "It's mind control; the earth is flat and cold." (In a new Rolling Stone interview, he calls the lyrics a "piss take" on those ideas.)

But the ultimate theme is hopeful: On the chorus, he sings about an eventual "escape from these prison walls," adding, "Soon it'll be a memory you're trying to remember to forget."

The duo paired the single with a remote performance video featuring Jagger on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, with Grohl adding drums, bass and lead guitar. You can watch the clip below.

"It’s a song that I wrote about coming out of lockdown, with some much needed optimism," Jagger said in a statement, noting, "It was a lot of fun working with [Grohl]." In the Rolling Stone interview, Jagger called the track "a reflection on the last year; the physical and mental strains put on society."

Grohl added, "It’s hard to put into words what recording this song with Sir Mick means to me. It’s beyond a dream come true. Just when I thought life couldn’t get any crazier ... and it’s the song of the summer, without a doubt!”

In October, Jagger released a teaser video of a new tune called "Pride Before a Fall."

 

Mick Jagger Year by Year

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