- Album This song officially appears on the Pipes Of Peace Official album.
- Timeline This song has been written (or started being written) in 1980 (Paul McCartney was 38 years old)
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
August 1980
Oct 30, 1980
Recording "Ode To A Koala Bear", "Keep Under Cover"
Nov 30, Dec 7, Dec 8, 1980
Tug Of War sessions at AIR Studios, London
December 1980
Feb 11, 1981
Mar 23, 1981
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Song facts
“Keep Under Cover” is a track from 1983 album “Pipes Of Peace“. Along with “Average Person” and “Sweetest Little Show“, this song has been written in 1980, 3 years before the release of “Pipes Of Peace“. It was demoed with Wings in late 1980 during one of their latest sessions together, and recorded during the Montserrat sessions in February 1981.
Last updated on April 14, 2021
Lyrics
Love, I'm going to pick you up in the morning
Love, I'm going to take you out on a journey
I don't know where I'm going to
But I know what I've been going through
Without you by my side
What good is butter if you haven't got bread?
What good is art when it hurts your head?
Might as well be in bed
Keep under cover 'til the battle has ceased
Keep out of trouble 'til the prisoners are released
What good's a puzzle when you haven't a clue?
What good is me when I'm not with you?
Might as well stay in bed
Keep under cover 'til the clouds disappear
Keep out of trouble 'til the weather is bright and clear
Love, I'm gonna pick you up
I'm gonna take you out
I don't know what I'm going to do
But I know what I've been going through
Without you by my side
Without you by my side
What good is tennis when there isn't a ball?
What good's a curtain without a call?
Might as well be in bed
Keep under cover 'til the battle has ceased
Keep out of trouble 'til the prisoners are released
Love, I'm gonna pick you up
I'm gonna take you out
I don't know what I'm going to do
But I know what I've been going through
Without you by my side
Without you by my side
Keep under cover
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1983
3:06 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Arrangement, Backing vocals, Drums (?), Electric guitar, Piano, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Tambourine (?)
- Denny Laine :
- Acoustic guitar (?), Electric guitar (?)
- Stanley Clarke :
- Bass
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Strings
- Session Recording:
- Nov 30, Dec 7, Dec 8, 1980
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Feb 11, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, Montserrat
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 23, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Jan 25, 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
3:06 • Studio version • A1993 • 1993 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Arrangement, Backing vocals, Drums (?), Electric guitar, Piano, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Tambourine (?)
- Denny Laine :
- Acoustic guitar (?), Electric guitar (?)
- Stanley Clarke :
- Bass
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Strings
- Session Recording:
- Nov 30, Dec 7, Dec 8, 1980
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Feb 11, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, Montserrat
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 23, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Jan 25, 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
3:06 • Studio version • A2015 • 2015 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Arrangement, Backing vocals, Drums (?), Electric guitar, Piano, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Tambourine (?)
- Denny Laine :
- Acoustic guitar (?), Electric guitar (?)
- Stanley Clarke :
- Bass
- Eric Stewart :
- Backing vocals
- George Martin :
- Arrangement, Producer
- Geoff Emerick :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer, Recording engineer
- Jon Jacobs :
- Mixing engineer assistant, Recording engineer assistant
- Sam Okell :
- Remastering
- Alex Wharton :
- Remastering
- Unknown musician(s) :
- Strings
- Session Recording:
- Nov 30, Dec 7, Dec 8, 1980
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Overdubs:
- Feb 11, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, Montserrat
- Session Overdubs:
- Mar 23, 1981
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
- Session Mixing:
- Jan 25, 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
3:43 • Demo • B
- Paul McCartney :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Performed by :
- Paul McCartney
- Alex Wharton :
- Mastering
- Session Recording:
- August 1980
- Studio :
- Rude Studio, Campbeltown, Scotland
Bootlegs
Unofficial album
Unofficial album
Unofficial album
Unofficial album
Unofficial album
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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Was the first or one of the first songs to use Holophonics?