October–December 1977 .A song about a gay prostitute who works the streets of New York, this is about the closest The Stones came to punk rock. Another song on the album, "Shattered," also presents the seedy side of New York City.
--Written ENTIRELY by Mick Jagger, the Stones frontman said: "I don't know why I wrote it. Maybe I came out of the closet (laughs). It's about an imaginary person who comes from L.A. to New York and becomes a garbage collector."
----Mick Jagger on the song's homosexual nature (1978): "There is one song that's a straight gay song - 'When the Whip Comes Down' - but I have no idea why I wrote it. It's strange - the Rolling Stones have always attracted a lot of men (laughs). That sounds funny, but they're not all gay. And, of course, I have a lot of gay friends, but I suppose everyone does in New York City, and what's that have to do with the price of eggs?... I sure hope the radio stations will play 'When the Whip Comes Down.'"
-----The song has an interesting title considering what Keith Richards was going through at the time. He had been busted in Canada with enough drugs to face trafficking charges, and was waiting for his sentence. This was a huge distraction while they were making this album, as Richards faced significant jail time and The Stones had to think about what to do without him. After the album was released, Richards got his sentence and was very happy to hear that he would be put on probation and ordered to play a concert for the blind.
------A live version recorded in Memphis in 1978 is on the Sucking In The Seventies greatest hits compilation.
-Mick joins Keith and Woody on electric guitar on this track.

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