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Released in 1971

Heart Of The Country

Written by Paul McCartney • Linda McCartney

Last updated on July 6, 2024

Album This song officially appears on the Ram LP.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1971

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1970, when Paul McCartney was 28 years old)

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

Related articles

“Heart Of The Country” is a song from 1971 album “Ram” credited to Paul & Linda McCartney. From Wikipedia:

[…] The song is a simple acoustic tune with a heavy bass chorus, and an unusually mellow sound to the acoustic guitar that was achieved by tuning all of the strings a full step lower than standard pitch. The song is about a man searching for a farm in the middle of nowhere. The song reflects Paul’s heading for the Scottish countryside to escape the headaches associated with the Beatles’ break-up at the time. […]

In a contemporary review for Ram, Jon Landau of Rolling Stone gave “Heart of the Country” a negative review, calling it the album’s “lowest point“, and the song that “most clearly indicates [Ram’s] failures“. Landau described the song as “an evenly paced, finger-picking styled tune, with very light jazz overtones, obviously intended as Paul’s idea of “mellow.”“. However, Landau believed McCartney’s lyrics about the country “ring false“.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described the song as “an effortless folk-pop tune that ranks among [McCartney’s] very best songs“. Erlewine also praises its “imaginative and gorgeous arrangement“. In 2013, Rolling Stone rated “Heart of the Country” at number 26 in its list of Paul McCartney’s best post-Beatles songs.

The scat is something he wrote while he was recording the song, and, of course, it can be heard traditionally within jazz records. Great song, love it!

Engineer Eirik Wangberg, interviewed by Claudio Dirani, 2005

In June 1971, Paul & Linda McCartney filmed a promotional video for “Heart Of The Country” and “3 Legs“, another song from “Ram“, in their Scottish farm.

Still images from promotional videos for “Heart Of The Country”

In 1973, Paul McCartney performed a small rendition of “Heart Of The Country“, part of a medley with “Blackbird“, “Bluebird” and “Michelle“, for the TV special “James Paul McCartney“.

In 1991, “Heart Of The Country” was rehearsed in anticipation of the “Unplugged” TV program, but was finally excluded.

Paul re-recorded ‘Heart Of The Country‘ at the tail-end of 2012 for a new Linda McCartney Foods advert promoting their new chilled range. Only a fragment of 44 seconds has been released.

Lyrics

I look high, I look low

I look in everywhere I go

Looking for a home

In the heart of the country

I'm gonna move, l'm gonna go,

I'm gonna tell everyone I know

Looking for a home

In the heart of the country

Heart of the country

Where the holy people grow

Heart of the country

Smell the grass in the meadow

Whoa whoa whoa whoa

Horse, I wanna sheep,

I wanna get me a good night's sleep

Living in a home

In the heart of the country

I'm gonna move, l'm gonna go

I'm gonna tell everyone I know

Living in a home

In the heart of the country

In the heart of the country

Horse, I got a sheep

Give me a good night's sleep

Uh hu

Heart of the country

Where the holy people grow

Heart of the country

Smell the grass in the meadow

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Heart Of The Country”

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Heart Of The Country”

Related films

Videos

Album RAM (by DCC Compact Classics)

Album Ram - Archive Collection

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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