Tug of War (Paul McCartney song)
| "Tug of War" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Get It" |
"Tug of War" is the title track from Paul McCartney’s 1982 album Tug of War.
Reception
Rolling Stone described the song as McCartney's equivalent to John Lennon's "Imagine".[1] To others, however, "Pipes of Peace" is. The song has a clear division between the verses featuring sad lyrics about the struggle to survive, the necessity of conflict (pushing and pulling) and the hopeful refrain, in which McCartney looks for a future where these struggles are no longer necessary.[2] The lyrics are seen[who?] as describing his complex relationship with Lennon, who was killed two years prior.
The single reached number 53 in the UK and number 53 in the US.[3][4]
The album version starts with the sounds of people grunting as part of a real tug of war- a popular sporting event since ancient times, before Paul goes into the song, and then at the end of the song, it fades into "Take It Away". The single version omits these factors.
Personnel
- Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, electric guitar, synthesizer
- Linda McCartney – backing vocals
- Eric Stewart – backing vocals, electric guitar
- Denny Laine – electric guitar
- Campbell Maloney – military snares
- Kenneth Sillito – orchestral arrangement
Track listing
- 7" single
- "Tug Of War"
- "Get It" (with Carl Perkins)
References
- ^ Holden, Stephen. "Review of Tug Of War". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
- ^ Tug of War Songfacts
- ^ "Paul McCartney singles". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
- ^ "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
