- Album This song officially appears on the Pipes Of Peace Official album.
- Timeline This song has been written (or started being written) in 1982 (Paul McCartney was 40 years old)
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Sep 10, 1982
Jun 30, 1983
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Song facts
“Pipes Of Peace” is the eponym track from 1983 album “Pipes Of Peace“.
On the title track of “Pipes Of Peace”, Paul sings for the children: “Let them learn/Songs of joy, instead of burn, baby, burn,” which characterises the theme of peace which pervades the album. Paul: “For me, it’s really, you realise that when you do songs that people hear, even in Russia, and places like that, that maybe you’ve got… some kind of power. So occasionally, I think wouldn’t it be nice to be able to suggest to a few people to play ‘The Pipes Of Peace’ or ‘Ebony and Ivory’… So the idea for ‘Pipes Of Peace’ came, and it started being a kind of peacenik song, and also I’d been asked to write some songs for an international children’s society, so it was a bit of a children’s song too. So I was really trying to do just something very simple, that would remind people about how peace is the aim, actually! Although we don’t look like we’re doing too well ever, but it really is the aim. Maybe it’s a bit of a far off hope but somewhere down the road it will happen. I don’t know, you get the artists through the years asking for it, and then Alexander the Great coming and bopping everyone on the head! I’m not sure if it’s a practical possibility, but I can’t refrain from mentioning it occasionally.“
From Club Sandwich N° 31, 1983
George Melly wrote to me and said, ‘There’s this children’s organization and they want a peaceful song for children, a hopeful song for the future. Would you be interested in doing it?’ So I set about trying to do it – then it became a song for me. If you can do an anti-war song that doesn’t feel too cloying, then it’s really good if you’re an anti-war person, as I am. You feel you’ve done something worthwhile.
Paul McCartney, from Club Sandwich N°47/48, Spring 1988
Last updated on December 31, 2021
The book "The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present", published in 2021, covers Paul McCartney's early Liverpool days, the Beatles, Wings, and solo careers, by pairing the lyrics of 154 of his songs with first-person commentaries of the circumstances in which they were written, the people and places that inspired them, and what he thinks of them now.
"Pipes Of Peace" is one of the 154 songs covered.
Lyrics
I light a candle to our love
In love our problems disappear
But all in all we soon discover
That one and one is all we long to hear
All 'round the world
Little children being born to the world
Got to give them all we can ‘til the war is won
Then will the work be done
Help them to learn songs of joy instead of
Burn baby burn, let us show them how to play
The pipes of peace, play the pipes of peace
Help me to learn songs of joy instead of
Burn baby burn, won't you show me how to play
The pipes of peace, play the pipes of peace
What do you say? Will the human race
be run in a day? Or will someone save
This planet we're playing on?
Is it the only one? (What are we going to do?)
Help them to see that the people here
Are like you and me, let us show them how to play
The pipes of peace, the pipes of peace
I light a candle to our love
In love our problems disappear
But all in all we soon discover
That one and one is all we long to hear
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1983
3:56 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums (?), Piano, Shaker (?), Synthesizer (?), Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Adrian Brett :
- Pan flute
- James Kippen :
- Tabla
- Pestalozzi's Children Choir :
- Choir
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- Sep 10, 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Overdubs :
- October 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Jun 30, 1983
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
7" Single • Released in 1983
3:56 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums (?), Piano, Shaker (?), Synthesizer (?), Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Adrian Brett :
- Pan flute
- James Kippen :
- Tabla
- Pestalozzi's Children Choir :
- Choir
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- Sep 10, 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Overdubs :
- October 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Jun 30, 1983
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1987
3:25 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums (?), Piano, Shaker (?), Synthesizer (?), Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Adrian Brett :
- Pan flute
- James Kippen :
- Tabla
- Pestalozzi's Children Choir :
- Choir
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- Sep 10, 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Overdubs :
- October 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Jun 30, 1983
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
Studio version • A • 1993 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums (?), Piano, Shaker (?), Synthesizer (?), Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Adrian Brett :
- Pan flute
- James Kippen :
- Tabla
- Pestalozzi's Children Choir :
- Choir
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- Sep 10, 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Overdubs :
- October 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Jun 30, 1983
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Wingspan Hits And History (US version)
Official album • Released in 2001
3:27 • Studio version • A2001 • 2001 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums (?), Piano, Shaker (?), Synthesizer (?), Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer, Remastering
- Jon Jacobs :
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Adrian Brett :
- Pan flute
- James Kippen :
- Tabla
- Pestalozzi's Children Choir :
- Choir
- Peter Mew :
- Remastering
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- Sep 10, 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Overdubs :
- October 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Jun 30, 1983
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Wingspan Hits And History (Japanese version)
Official album • Released in 2001
3:27 • Studio version • A2001 • 2001 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums (?), Piano, Shaker (?), Synthesizer (?), Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer, Remastering
- Jon Jacobs :
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Adrian Brett :
- Pan flute
- James Kippen :
- Tabla
- Pestalozzi's Children Choir :
- Choir
- Peter Mew :
- Remastering
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- Sep 10, 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Overdubs :
- October 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Jun 30, 1983
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2001
3:27 • Studio version • A2001 • 2001 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums (?), Piano, Shaker (?), Synthesizer (?), Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer, Remastering
- Jon Jacobs :
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Adrian Brett :
- Pan flute
- James Kippen :
- Tabla
- Pestalozzi's Children Choir :
- Choir
- Peter Mew :
- Remastering
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- Sep 10, 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Overdubs :
- October 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Jun 30, 1983
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Pipes Of Peace - Archive Collection
Official album • Released in 2015
3:56 • Studio version • A2015 • 2015 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Arrangement, Backing vocals, Bass, Drums (?), Piano, Shaker (?), Synthesizer (?), Tambourine (?), Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Adrian Brett :
- Pan flute
- James Kippen :
- Tabla
- Pestalozzi's Children Choir :
- Choir
- Sam Okell :
- Remastering
- Alex Wharton :
- Remastering
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Horns, Strings
- Session Recording:
- Sep 10, 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Overdubs :
- October 1982
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Jun 30, 1983
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Bootlegs
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
Going further
Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989
With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.
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