Keith Richards ripped right into Mick Jagger's decision to accept a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II.

"I don't want to step out onstage with someone wearing a coronet and sporting the old ermine," Richards told British music magazine Uncut.

Describing it as a "paltry honor", he said the investiture isn't what The Rolling Stones are about. Jagger will join Paul McCartney, Cliff Richard and Elton John as an official Sir compared to the rest of us good folk.

"I thought it was ludicrous to take one of those gongs from the establishment when they did their very best to throw us in jail," Richards said.

Richards and Jagger were famously imprisoned in 1967 for drug offences, but their sentences were overturned on appeal. Their arrests were seen by many as a deliberate attempt by those in power to keep the radical rockers under the thumb.

Jagger said he only accepted the honor after British Prime Minister Tony Blair insisted. Richards was contemptuous of Jagger's "excuse".

Not surprisingly, old Keef doesn't think he'll ever get offered a gong "because they know what I would've said... they knew I'd tell them where they could put it."

LINKS:

Alive and kicking

'K' for Keith Richards? He wouldn't thank you

Rolling over to the other side

The Official Keith Richards Web Site

Mick's official site