- Album This song officially appears on the Wide Prairie Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
March 1998
Recording "The Light Comes from Within"
Mar 18, 1998
Editing "The Light Comes From Within"
Jan 22, 1999
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Song facts
The Light Comes From Within – recorded on March 18, 1998, by Paul, Linda and James and released on October 26, 1998 on Linda’s posthumous album Wide Prairie and in January 1999 also as a single.
The Light Comes From Within – ‘censored version’, released in January 1999 on a UK 1-track promoonly CD-R acetate.
From Wide Prairie liner notes:
If I Got Up showed Linda’s strong opposition to oppression, then The Light took it a few steps further. During the last couple of years of her life, we were required to make many trips ‘up to London’ for one treatment or another. We always tried to put the journey time to good use. She and I talked a lot about this album, and the lyrics to this song were finished during one such trip. When we came to record the vocal, which was sadly to be her last, I said half-jokingly, “you can’t sing this”. She looked at me with a sparkle in her eye and said “You wanna bet?”
It was her answer to all the people who had ever put her down and that whole dumb male chauvinist attitude that to her had caused so much harm in our society. God bless her… my little baby literally had the last word. She also loved the idea of our son James playing guitar on it.
Paul McCartney
Last updated on November 10, 2020
Lyrics
You say I'm lazy
You say I don't fit
Yakes one to know one
You make me sick
You say I'm simple
You say I'm a hick
You're fucking no one
You stupid dick
Oppression won't win
The light comes from within
I need a sense of cause
I wanna smell the flowers
You need complete control
You wanna build more towers
You try to change me if you could
I see the trees, you saw the wood
You say I'm different
You say we don't click
I say you're crazy
You make me sick
I say you're greedy because you scheme
You say I'm foolish because I dream
Oppression won't win
The light comes from within
I need a sense of cause
I wanna smell the flowers
You need complete control
You wanna build more towers
I say you're greedy because you scheme
You say I'm foolish because I dream
Oppression won't win
The light comes from within
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1998
2:59 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar, Electric piano, Hofner bass, Piano, Producer, Wurlitzer
- Linda McCartney :
- Electric piano, Lead vocals
- James McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Keith Smith :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Mar 18, 1998
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
The Light Comes From Within / I Got Up / Seaside Woman
CD Single • Released in 1999
2:57 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar, Electric piano, Hofner bass, Piano, Producer, Wurlitzer
- Linda McCartney :
- Electric piano, Lead vocals
- James McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Keith Smith :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Mar 18, 1998
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
CD Single • Released in 1999
2:56 • Studio version • A1
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar, Electric piano, Hofner bass, Piano, Producer, Wurlitzer
- Linda McCartney :
- Electric piano, Lead vocals
- James McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Keith Smith :
- Recording engineer
- Gregg Baggott :
- Editing
- Session Recording:
- Mar 18, 1998
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
- Session Editing:
- Jan 22, 1999
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2019
2:59 • Studio version • A2019 • 2019 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar, Electric piano, Hofner bass, Piano, Producer, Wurlitzer
- Linda McCartney :
- Electric piano, Lead vocals
- James McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Keith Smith :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Mar 18, 1998
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Bootlegs
Flaming Pie - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
2:59 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar, Electric piano, Hofner bass, Piano, Producer, Wurlitzer
- Linda McCartney :
- Electric piano, Lead vocals
- James McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Keith Smith :
- Recording engineer
- Session Recording:
- Mar 18, 1998
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Flaming Pie - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
2:56 • Studio version • A1 • Censored version
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar, Electric piano, Hofner bass, Piano, Producer, Wurlitzer
- Linda McCartney :
- Electric piano, Lead vocals
- James McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar
- Geoff Emerick :
- Recording engineer
- Keith Smith :
- Recording engineer
- Gregg Baggott :
- Editing
- Session Recording:
- Mar 18, 1998
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
- Session Editing:
- Jan 22, 1999
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
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