Robbed at knifepoint, they relinquished the demos, only recovering the songs through memory. The original demo recording for 'Band on the Run', as well as multiple other tracks from the album, was stolen from the McCartneys while Paul McCartney and Wings were recording in Lagos, Nigeria. Music critic Robert Christgau characterized the lyrical content of the song as 'about the oppression of rock musicians by cannabis-crazed bureaucrats'. The lyrics of the entire song, however, are related: all based on the general theme of freedom and escape. AllMusic writer Stewart Mason described the last and longest section as 'an effortless mélange of acoustic rhythm guitars, country-ish slide fills, and three-part harmonies on the chorus' and compared its sound to that of California rock group Eagles. 'Band on the Run' is a three-part medley: the first section is a slow ballad, the second a funk-rock-style piece, and the finale a country-esque section. ' Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five', the closing track of the Band on the Run album, concludes with a brief excerpt of the chorus. '' Īccording to Mojo contributor Tom Doyle, the song's lyrics, recalled through memory following the robbery of the band's demo tapes for the Band on the Run album, were altered to reflect on the band's then-current status, 'stuck inside the four walls of the small, cell-like studio, faced with grim uncertainty.' So I just made up a story about people breaking out of prison. McCartney, who had been having legal trouble involving pot possession, said, 'We were being outlawed for pot … And our argument on was 'Don't put us on the wrong side … We're not criminals, we don't want to be. In a 1988 interview with Musician magazine, McCartney noted the drug busts experienced by musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s as an inspiration for the 'Band on the Run', also referencing the 'desperado' image he attributed to bands like the Byrds and the Eagles as an influence. Band on the run – escaping, freedom, criminals. McCartney recalled: 'He was saying that we were all prisoners in some way … I thought it would be a nice way to start an album.' McCartney added, referring to his inspiration for 'Band on the Run': 'It's a million things … all put together. In a 1973 interview with Paul Gambaccini, McCartney stated that the lyric 'if we ever get out of here' was inspired by a remark made by George Harrison during one of the Beatles' many business meetings. – Paul McCartney, to Clash Music in 2010 But then, you know, as it went on it became business meetings and all of that … So there was a feeling of 'if we ever get out of here', yeah. It was symbolic: 'If we ever get out of here … All I need is a pint a day' … we'd started off as just kids really, who loved our music and wanted to earn a bob or two so we could get a guitar and get a nice car. With the band reduced to a trio consisting of McCartney, his wife Linda, and Denny Laine, 'Band on the Run' was recorded at EMI's Lagos studio and completed at AIR Studios in London. The original demos for this and other tracks on Band on the Run were stolen shortly after Wings arrived in Lagos, Nigeria, to begin recording the album. The song-wide theme is one of freedom and escape, and its creation coincided with Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr having parted with manager Allen Klein in March 1973, leading to improved relations between McCartney and his fellow ex-Beatles. The song was partly inspired by a comment that George Harrison had made during a meeting of the Beatles' Apple record label. It has since become one of the band's most famous songs.Ī medley of three distinct musical passages that vary in style from folk rock to funk, 'Band on the Run' is one of McCartney's longest singles at 5:09. The single sold over one million copies in 1974 in America.

The song topped the charts in the United States, also reaching number 3 in the United Kingdom. The song was released as a single in April 1974 in the US and in June 1974 in the UK, following the success of ' Jet', and became an international chart success. ' Band on the Run' is a song by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released as the title track to their 1973 album Band on the Run. Spanish cover with 'Zoo Gang' on the B-side

Paul mccartney band on the run