- Album This song officially appears on the Memory Almost Full Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
"Memory Almost Full" first sessions
End of February 2004
Related interviews
David Kahne talks about Memory Almost Full
Jun 01, 2007
Interview with The Onion/A.V. Club
Jun 27, 2007 • From The Onion/A.V. Club
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Song facts
“You Tell Me” is a song from Paul McCartney’s 2007 album, “Memory Almost Full“.
I started off just remembering summers: ‘Were we really there?’ ‘Was it real?’ Sometimes, for a lot of people, memories – particularly childhood memories – seem so golden and you think, ‘Did it really not rain all summer or am I just imagining the sunny bits?’ And then the phrase ‘You tell me’ began to be the theme of the song. I wrote it out in Long Island, during one of those summers. I was looking at a red cardinal – and for someone English that is kind of magical, seeing a bright red bird coming out of a tree – so he appeared in the lyric. A lot of what’s in the lyric was there as I was writing. It became a tribute to golden summers.
Paul McCartney – interview with Mail On Sunday, May 12, 2008
Interview with David Khane, from Mix Online, October 1, 2007:
“‘You Tell Me’ is maybe the saddest song he’s ever written,” Kahne says. McCartney wrote the song in Long Island, and is, as he describes, “a tribute to golden summers.” The mostly acoustic number opens with some forward and backward organ, along with Laboriel playing a drum pad triggering some drum samples. McCartney’s vocal was recorded in a single pass, joined by beautiful vocals from the bandmembers. The backward/forward organ, used to create a mood, is followed by a quiet count-in from McCartney. “I was really happy he let me include the count-in. It’s iconic.”
Last updated on January 18, 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.
"You Tell Me" is one of the 154 songs covered.
Lyrics
When was that summer when the skies were blue?
The bright red cardinal flew down from
his tree
You tell me
When was that summer when it never rained?
The air was buzzin' with the sweet old honey bee
Let's see
You tell me
Were we there, was it real?
Is it truly how I feel?
Maybe
You tell me
Were we there, is it true?
Was I really there with you?
Let's see
You tell me
When was that summer of a dozen words?
The butterflies and hummingbirds flew free
Let's see
You tell me
Let's see
You tell me
Officially appears on
Memory Almost Full - 2CD limited edition bonus disc
Official album • Released in 2007
3:16 • Studio version • A
Official album • Released in 2007
3:16 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Bass, Vocals
- Rusty Anderson :
- Backing vocals, Electric guitar
- Abe Laboriel Jr. :
- Backing vocals, Drums
- David Kahne :
- Mixing engineer, Producer
- Paul Wickens :
- Backing vocals, Electric piano
- Brian Ray :
- Backing vocals
- Andy Wallace :
- Mixing engineer
- Session Recording:
- End of February 2004
- Studio :
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
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
Memory Almost Full - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
3:14 • Studio version • A
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
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No matter what, this song is about dementia. It is such a sad song. Like the title of this masterpiece album, it beautifully and compassionately describes what a dementia person goes through. “Was I there, was it real?” are sentiments I’m asked of my poor mother. As a caregiver, this song gives me much comfort. It is perfect. It is my go-to “in times of trouble”.