- Album This song officially appears on the Driving Rain Official album.
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
Feb 16, 2001
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Song facts
“Lonely Road” is the opening track of Paul McCartney’s 2001 album “Driving Rain“.
Recorded on 16th February 2001 onto 16-track analogue tape, then loaded into Logic audio for overdubs. Paul played Hofner bass and sang a live vocal some of which was used then overdubbed Martin acoustic, Epiphone electric guitar and another vocal. Abe played drums and overdubbed tambourine. Rusty played Gibson SG electric guitar, then overdubbed Pedal steel guitar and Gibson acoustic guitar, Gabe played Wurlitzer electric piano. David overdubbed Roland Organ.
From the liner notes of the album, and from paulmccartney.com
‘Lonely Road’ was also written in Goa, where I was enjoying the beach and the sea and generally chilling out in the new century. Again, I had a few moments in the afternoon, which is always a good time for me, a quiet spell when it’s always cool for me to go off and fondle my guitar. The songs basically wrote itself in about an hour. It is what it is, this song, you can make of it what you want to make of it. To me it’s not particularly about anything other than not wanting to be brought down. It’s a sort of anti-being brought down song, which is for anyone and everyone. It’s ‘don’t want to get brought down again, don’t want to walk that lonely road’, it’s symbolic for anyone who’s been through any sort of problems. It’s a defiant song against loneliness, written in a hotel room in Goa. – Paul McCartney, 2001
Paul McCartney – From “The Driving Rain interview” published on paulmccartney.com, November 2001
Paul McCartney in "Conversations With McCartney", by Paul Du Noyer:
‘Lonely Road’ was written in India, and that’s a bit… I don’t really know what I’m doing, just blues longing. I say I tried to go somewhere ‘old’, that’s India. ‘To search for my pot of gold’, well I wasn’t, I was on holiday. So it’s half imagination, half reality. If I’m looking for a rhyme for old, and pot of gold comes into my mind, then I don’t resist. ‘I try to go somewhere old cos I no longer need a pot of gold?’ Fuck that. Let’s go somewhere old to search for a pot of gold seems more like a song.
Last updated on June 3, 2022
Lyrics
I tried to get over you
I tried to find something new
But all I could ever do
Was fill, my time
With thoughts, of you
I tried to go somewhere old
To search for my pot of gold
But all I could ever hold
Inside, my mind
Were thoughts, of you
I hear your music
And it's driving me wild
Familiar rhythms
In a different style
I hear your music
And it's driving me wild again
Don't want to let you take me down
Don't want to get hurt second time around
Don't want to walk that lonely road again
I hear your music
And it's driving me wild
Familiar rhythms
In a different style
I hear your music
And it's driving me wild again
Don't want to let you take me down
Don't want to get hurt second time around
Don't want to walk that lonely road again
Don't want to let you take me down
Don't want to get hurt second time around
Don't want to walk that lonely road again
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 2001
3:16 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Bass, Electric guitar, Executive producer, Vocals
- Rusty Anderson :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar, Pedal steel guitar
- Abe Laboriel Jr. :
- Drums, Tambourine
- Gabe Dixon :
- Electric piano
- David Kahne :
- Mixing engineer, Organ, Producer
- Mark Dearnley :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jaime Sickora :
- Assistant engineer
- Kevin Mills :
- Second assistant engineer
- Session Recording:
- Feb 16, 2001
- Studio :
- Henson Recording Studio, Los Angeles
CD Single • Released in 2002
3:16 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Bass, Electric guitar, Executive producer, Vocals
- Rusty Anderson :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar, Pedal steel guitar
- Abe Laboriel Jr. :
- Drums, Tambourine
- Gabe Dixon :
- Electric piano
- David Kahne :
- Mixing engineer, Organ, Producer
- Mark Dearnley :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jaime Sickora :
- Assistant engineer
- Kevin Mills :
- Second assistant engineer
- Session Recording:
- Feb 16, 2001
- Studio :
- Henson Recording Studio, Los Angeles
Official live • Released in 2002
3:12 • Live • L1
- Paul McCartney :
- Executive producer
- Performed by :
- Paul McCartney • Rusty Anderson • Abe Laboriel Jr. • Paul Wickens • Brian Ray
- David Kahne :
- Producer
- Michael Brauer :
- Recording engineer
- Ricardo Chavarria :
- Assistant engineer
Concert From the concert in Ft. Lauderdale, USA on May 17, 2002
Official live • Released in 2003
3:12 • Live • L1
- Paul McCartney :
- Executive producer
- Performed by :
- Paul McCartney • Rusty Anderson • Abe Laboriel Jr. • Paul Wickens • Brian Ray
- David Kahne :
- Producer
- Michael Brauer :
- Recording engineer
- Ricardo Chavarria :
- Assistant engineer
Concert From the concert in Ft. Lauderdale, USA on May 17, 2002
Official album • Released in 2005
3:12 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Acoustic guitar, Bass, Electric guitar, Executive producer, Vocals
- Rusty Anderson :
- Acoustic guitar, Electric guitar, Pedal steel guitar
- Abe Laboriel Jr. :
- Drums, Tambourine
- Gabe Dixon :
- Electric piano
- David Kahne :
- Mixing engineer, Organ, Producer
- Mark Dearnley :
- Mixing engineer, Recording engineer
- Jaime Sickora :
- Assistant engineer
- Kevin Mills :
- Second assistant engineer
- Session Recording:
- Feb 16, 2001
- Studio :
- Henson Recording Studio, Los Angeles
Bootlegs
Driving USA Super Tree Volume 13 - Uniondale, NY 21 April 2002
Unofficial live
4:08 • Live
Concert From the concert in Uniondale, USA on Apr 21, 2002
Live at The Palace - Auburn Hills, Detroit MI May 1, 2002
Unofficial live
4:12 • Live
Concert From the concert in Detroit, USA on May 01, 2002
Stockholm Globe Arena, May 4, 2003
Unofficial live
4:41 • Live
Concert From the concert in Stockholm, Sweden on May 04, 2003
Films
2001 • For Paul McCartney
2001 • For Paul McCartney
Live performances
“Lonely Road” has been played in 67 concerts.
Latest concerts where Lonely Road has been played
Liverpool • King's Dock • United Kingdom
Jun 01, 2003 • Part of Back in the World tour
May 27, 2003 • Part of Back in the World tour
May 24, 2003 • Part of Back in the World tour
Stockholm • The Globe • Sweden
May 04, 2003 • Part of Back in the World tour
London • Earls Court • United Kingdom
Apr 18, 2003 • Part of Back in the World tour
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At the beginning of "Song fact" section, there's a mistake. It is written "She's given up talking" instead of "Lonely road". The song which this page is talking about.
Love your site!
Thanks Diego, I've fixed this !
On IMDB, McCartney is listed as the only cast member. Yet, there is radio announcer voice and a bunch of women being overly sexual or violent. Not sure what that was about. Any idea who all the cast members were?