Day After Day #162: Band on the Run

Day After Day is an ambitious attempt to write about a song every day in 2024 (starting on Jan. 4). 

Band on the Run (1973)

It must be tough to be an ex-Beatle. Everything you've done since 1970 has been compared to the greatness that came before. By 1973, Paul McCartney had already released four albums either solo or with Wings, but his most recent albums, Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway, hadn't performed well. 

Wings had just finished a U.K. tour in July '73 and McCartney decided he wanted to record somewhere overseas. He made the questionable choice of Lagos, Nigeria, where EMI had a studio, thinking it would be an exotic locale where the band could play during the day and record at night. Right before the band was to leave, after rehearsing in Scotland, guitarist Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Seiwell both quit the band. That left McCartney, his wife Linda and guitarist Denny Laine to record as a trio.

Unfortunately, when they got to Lagos, they realized it was under military rule and in pretty rough shape. The studio was a mess, with only one tape machine. One night, Paul and Linda were out walking and were robbed at knifepoint; among other possessions, the thieves made off with a bag containing lyrics and cassettes with demos. McCartney played bass, drums and lead guitar, with Laine playing rhythm guitar and Linda on keyboards.

Some of the songs on the album Band on the Run were about freedom and escape, including the title track, which was inspired by a comment George Harrison made during one of the Beatles' many business meetings because of problems with their Apple Records label. Harrison said the band were prisoners, so McCartney's song has a band escaping from prison and living on the run. McCartney has also said the song was a commentary on getting in trouble for pot possession.

The song, at 5 minutes one of McCartney's longer singles, has three distinct sections, starting with a slow lament.

"Stuck inside these four walls/Sent inside forever/Never seeing no one nice again/Like you/Mama, you/Mama, you." 

Then it kicks into gear.

"If I ever get out of here/Thought of giving it all away/To a registered charity/All I need is a pint a day/If I ever get out of here/If we ever get out of here."

The third part introduces the chorus.

"Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash/As we fell into the sun/And the first one said to the second one there/"I hope you're having fun."/Band on the run/Band on the run/And the jailer man and Sailor Sam/Were searching everyone/For the band on the run/Band on the run."

The song was released as a single in April 1974 and in the U.K. in June. It topped the U.S. charts and sold over 1 million copies, while it hit #3 on the U.K. Singles chart. The album was also a big hit, going to #1 in the U.S. and U.K.

It was some validation for McCartney, but of course his career would go through its ups and downs over the next 50 years (!). He's continued to tour and put on amazing shows; I finally saw him two years and it was awesome.