Lonely Road

Written by Paul McCartney

Album This song officially appears on the Driving Rain Official album.
Timeline This song has been officially released in 2001

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


Driving Rain

Official album • Released in 2001

3:16 • Studio versionA

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

Lonely Road

CD Single • Released in 2002

3:15 • Studio versionB


Lonely Road

CD Single • Released in 2002

3:16 • Studio versionA

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

Back In The U.S.

Official live • Released in 2002

3:12 • LiveL1

Paul McCartney :
Executive producer
Performed by :
Paul McCartneyRusty AndersonAbe Laboriel Jr.Paul WickensBrian Ray
David Kahne :
Producer
Michael Brauer :
Recording engineer
Ricardo Chavarria :
Assistant engineer

Concert From the concert in Ft. Lauderdale, USA on May 17, 2002


Back In The World

Official live • Released in 2003

3:12 • LiveL1

Paul McCartney :
Executive producer
Performed by :
Paul McCartneyRusty AndersonAbe Laboriel Jr.Paul WickensBrian Ray
David Kahne :
Producer
Michael Brauer :
Recording engineer
Ricardo Chavarria :
Assistant engineer

Concert From the concert in Ft. Lauderdale, USA on May 17, 2002


Motor Of Love

Official album • Released in 2005

3:12 • Studio versionA

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


Alone Together Vol.2

Unofficial album • Released in 2014

3:54 • Alternate take • Backing track


MoMac's Hidden Tracks Vol.27

Unofficial album

3:16 • Studio versionB • Remix early 2002





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