Other message songs to John Lennon
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Song facts
If we exclude the 53 seconds of “Mumbo Link“, “Dear Friend” is the closing track of Wings’ first album “Wild Life” released in 1971. If “Wild Life” has often been considered as a low-point in Paul McCartney’s career, “Dear Friend” is usually recognized as one of the best tracks of the album (the other one being “Tomorrow“).
The song has been written about John Lennon, as Paul explained in a Club Sandwich interview, 1994:
“Dear Friend” was written about John, yes. I don’t like grief and arguments, they always bug me. Life is too precious, although we often find ourselves guilty of doing it. So after John had slagged me off in public I had to think of a response, and it was either going to be to slag him off in public — and some instinct stopped me, which I’m really glad about — or do something else. So I worked on my attitude and wrote “Dear Friend”, saying, in effect, let’s lay the guns down, let’s hang up our boxing gloves.
From paulmccartney.com, October 29, 2018:
And then with ‘Dear Friend’, that’s sort of me talking to John after we’d had all the sort of disputes about The Beatles break up. I find it very emotional when I listen to it now. I have to sort of choke it back. I’m not going to cry in front of all you lot though! [Paul gestures to the five of us in the room sitting on the edge of our seats, captivated by the story!] But, for me, it is a bit like that. I remember when I heard the song recently, listening to the roughs [remastering works-in-progress] in the car. And I thought, ‘Oh God’. That lyric: ‘Really truly, young and newly wed’. Listening to that was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s true!’ I’m trying to say to John, ‘Look, you know, it’s all cool. Have a glass of wine. Let’s be cool.’ And luckily we did get it back together, which was like a great source of joy because it would have been terrible if he’d been killed as things were at that point and I’d never got to straighten it out with him. This was me reaching out. So, I think it’s very powerful in some very simple way. But it was certainly heartfelt.
Some have seen this song as an answer to John Lennon’s “How Do You Sleep“, featured on the “Imagine” album. It seems however unlikely as “Imagine” was published in September 1971, while “Dear Friend” has been recorded in July 1971.
Last updated on November 2, 2018
Lyrics
Dear friend, what's the time
Is this really the borderline
Does it really mean so much to you
Are you afraid, or is it true
Dear friend, throw the wine
I'm in love with a friend of mine
Really truly, young and newly wed
Are you a fool, or is it true
Are you afraid, or is it true?
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1971
5:59 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney:
- Bass, Piano, Vibraphone (?), Vocals
- Denny Seiwell:
- Drums, Trumpet (?)
- Richard Hewson:
- Orchestration
- Tony Clark:
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Alan Parsons:
- Mixing engineer assistant
- Chris Blair:
- Recording engineer assistant
- Session Recording:
- Jul 24, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 05, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Orchestra overdubs:
- Oct 16, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
5:59 • Studio version • R1993
- Paul McCartney:
- Bass, Piano, Vibraphone (?), Vocals
- Denny Seiwell:
- Drums, Trumpet (?)
- Richard Hewson:
- Orchestration
- Tony Clark:
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Alan Parsons:
- Mixing engineer assistant
- Peter Mew:
- Remastering
- Chris Blair:
- Recording engineer assistant
- Session Recording:
- Jul 24, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 05, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Orchestra overdubs:
- Oct 16, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2018
5:49 • Studio version • R2018 • 2018 Remaster
- Paul McCartney:
- Bass, Piano, Vibraphone (?), Vocals
- Denny Seiwell:
- Drums, Trumpet (?)
- Richard Hewson:
- Orchestration
- Tony Clark:
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Alan Parsons:
- Mixing engineer assistant
- Alex Wharton:
- Remastering
- Chris Blair:
- Recording engineer assistant
- Steve Orchard:
- Remastering
- Session Recording:
- Jul 24, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Oct 05, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Orchestra overdubs:
- Oct 16, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2018
5:53 • Rough mix • B
- Paul McCartney:
- Bass, Piano, Vibraphone (?), Vocals
- Denny Seiwell:
- Drums, Trumpet (?)
- Tony Clark:
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Alan Parsons:
- Mixing engineer assistant
- Alex Wharton:
- Mastering
- Chris Blair:
- Recording engineer assistant
- Session Recording:
- Jul 24, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
- Session Mixing:
- Aug 06, 1971
- Studio:
- EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2018
4:49 • Demo • Home Recording I
- Performed by:
- Paul McCartney
- Paul McCartney:
- Producer
- Alex Wharton:
- Mastering
- Session Recording:
- Circa 1970 ?
- Studio:
- Campbeltown, Scotland
Official album • Released in 2018
2:02 • Demo • Home Recording II
- Performed by:
- Paul McCartney
- Paul McCartney:
- Producer
- Alex Wharton:
- Mastering
- Session Recording:
- Circa 1970 ?
- Studio:
- Campbeltown, Scotland
Bootlegs
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
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[…] “I don’t like grief and arguments; they always bug me,” McCartney told Club Sandwich in 1994. “Life is too precious, although we often find ourselves guilty of doing it. So, […]