Get Me Out Of Here

Song facts

“Get Me Out Of Here” is a song from the Deluxe edition of 2013 “NEW” album. On it, Paul plays a Ngoni, an African instrument he was given when performing with Africa Express on September 2012. From Wikipedia:

The ngoni or “n’goni” is a string instrument originating in West Africa. Its body is made of wood or calabash with dried animal (often goat) skin head stretched over it. The ngoni, which can produce fast melodies, appears to be closely related to the akonting and the xalam. This is called a jeli ngoni as it is played by griots at celebrations and special occasions in traditional songs called fasas in Mandingo. Another larger type, believed to have originated among the donso (a hunter and storyteller caste of the Wasulu people) is called the donso ngoni. This is still largely reserved for ceremonial purposes. The donso ngoni, or “hunter’s harp” has six strings. It is often accompanies singing along with the karagnan, a serrated metal tube scraped with a metal stick. The Donso Ngoni was mentioned by Richard Jobson in the 1620s, describing it as the most commonly used instrument in the Gambra(Gambia). He described it as an instrument with a great gourd for a belly at the bottom of a long neck with six strings. The smaller kamale ngoni has entered popular musical styles such as Wassoulou music. […]

So I took it in the studio the next day. We had this track and I used this instrument. It made this great (rhythmic) noise. Luckily the strings on it fitted exactly with the bass part. Well, it became the bass part. Yeah, that was just one of those things. It just fitted really nicely – from Africa Express through Damon [Albarn singer of the band Blur], through a tribe in Africa to the studio.

Paul McCartney, MPL documentary “Something New“, 2013

Last updated on May 26, 2019

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