Paul McCartney – Take It Away

That simple bass guitar riff hooks me when it comes in during the drum intro.

A good pop song from Paul McCartney in the 1980s. This was on an album called Tug of War which peaked at #1 in the Billboard album charts. The highlight to me is another McCartney bass line. The song peaked at #10 in the Billboard 100 in 1982.

Paul played bass, Ringo played drums, and George Martin played electric piano. Eric Stewart from 10cc influenced the layered backup vocals.

Paul McCartney:

“Well, there were a couple of songs that we ended up recording which Ringo asked me to write at a certain period. I was writing some songs for Ringo and “Take It Away” was in amongst those songs. I thought it would suit me better the way it went into the chorus and stuff; I didn’t think it was very Ringo.”

“I mean, the chorus I think, was Ringo, the other bits… but that’s how that comes to be that kind of track I think, I was right in that sort of direction with Ringo in mind actually.”

 

Take It Away

Take it away
Want to hear you play
Till the lights go down
Take it away
Don’t you want to stay
Till there’s no one else around?

Take it away
Want to hear you play
Till the lights go down
Take it away
Don’t you want to stay
Till there’s no one else around?

Lonely driver
Out on the road
With a hundred miles to go
Sole survivor
Carrying the load
Switches on his radio

Take it away
Want to hear you play
Till the lights go down (down down)
Take it away
Don’t you want to stay
Till there’s no one else around?

Take it away
Want to hear you play
Till the lights go down (down down)
Take it away
Don’t you want to stay
Till there’s no one else around?

In the audience
Watching the show
With a paper in his hand
(In his hand, in his hand)
Some important impresario
Has a message for the band

Oh
Take it away
Want to hear you play
Till the lights go down (down down)
Take it away
Don’t you want to stay
Till there’s no one else around?

You never know who may be
Listening to you
Never know who may be
Listening to you
You never know who may be
Listening to you
Take it away, take it away

After hours
Late in the bar
By a darkened corner seat
Faded flowers wait in the jar
Till the evening is complete

Ah
Ah
Ah
Ah

 

 

 

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

38 thoughts on “Paul McCartney – Take It Away”

    1. Good call man… I do agree.

      Speaking of the Wilburys… I wonder why more aging rockers don’t combine and make more Wilbury type groups.

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      2. Yes you are right…Waylon was in that…

        Plus no other supergroup will have Bob as a writer. They had two aces up their sleeve. Bob and Roy Orbison singing. Two that cannot be matched.

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      3. Every song on that 1st album is excellent. I would put that album into my top ten favorites. Despite it’s brevity, Volume 1 encapsulates so potently the wondrous talents of each artist. Also, as you mentioned when a record combines Bob’s writing and Orbison’s singing, it would be difficult to end up with anything short of a masterpiece. But my understanding is that George was the real driving force behind that record.

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      4. Yes George wanted to belong to a band again…what a band. Tweeter and the Monkey Man is great. That is the song I kept playing over and over again.
        On the second album…it had many flaws but I loved the Dylan song “If You Belonged to Me” and the way he sang it. It was heart-wrenching in a way.

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      5. I like that sentiment, ‘George wanted to belong to a band again’. He was a dear soul that guy. Yes, I loved Tweeter too. Well I loved all of them and play them regularly. When I was in my teens, my family was nuts about that record. I remember my Mom taking the piss out of Dylan singing ‘Congratulations’. My geography teacher who lived next door got us onto to that record. I think ‘If You Belong to me’ is my favourite on the Volume 3. I don’t think Volume 3 holds a light up to Volume 1, but it’s got some good songs. Of course Roy was sorely missed.

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      6. George seemed like the most down to earth Beatle…and yes that includes Ringo.
        Love Congratualtions…now I have to hear it again. You mom has a lot of company lol.

        I read where Tom Petty called his mom and told her…Mom you won’t believe this…I’m in a band with Roy Orbinson and Bob Dylan!

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      7. Yes George seemed a very genuine down to earth guy.
        I hadn’t heard of that Tom Petty story. I can understand his elation. I would have liked to have been a fly in his wall to see his mother’s reaction.

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    1. I personally think it’s the most catchiest song… this and Ballroom Dancing off the album.
      I agree with you.

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  7. Hearing this is a pleasant reminder of the song, forgotten until today. Cool hearing it was a collaboration with Ringo. It starts out almost jazzy and then it takes a turn.

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    1. It is forgotten for being a hit… Ebony and Ivory was released before this one…I liked this one and Ballroom Dancing off of the album

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    1. I know…I thought the same thing when I saw him again in it.
      It was right after Ebony and Ivory and I like this one a lot better.

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  10. Under-rated song this – the lush verse is gorgeous, love it, the chorus is fine – it’s more in the tradition of Macca’s “patchwork” songs like Band On The Run made up of differing styles. I always thought the chorus gave the impression it was more throwaway than it deserved…

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    1. I didn’t know it was originally written for Ringo in mind. I see what you are saying…one of those build up songs to others.

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