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Released in 1973

Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five

Written by Paul McCartneyLinda Eastman / McCartney

Last updated on March 19, 2022


Album This song officially appears on the Band On The Run (UK version) Official album.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1973

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1973, when Paul McCartney was 31 years old)

Master albums

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

From Wikipedia:

“Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five” (sometimes written as “1985”) is a song by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released as the final track on their 1973 album Band on the Run. It has been featured on the 2001 documentary DVD Wingspan and Paul McCartney and Wings’ 1974 TV special One Hand Clapping. A 2016 remix of the song was nominated for a Grammy Award. The song was referenced in Brett Easton Ellis’s novel Glamorama, driving a group of fictional supermodels to extreme terrorist acts.

Lyrics and music

Paul McCartney has said that the song originated with just the first line.

“With a lot of songs I do, the first line is it. It’s all in the first line, and then you have to go on and write the second line. With ‘Eleanor Rigby’ I had ‘picks up the rice in the church where the wedding has been.’ that was the one big line that started me off on it. With this one it was ‘No one ever left alive in nineteen hundred and eighty-five.’ That’s all I had of that song for months. ‘No one ever left alive in nineteen hundred and eighty… six?’ It wouldn’t have worked!”

The tune is the climactic track from the album Band on the Run. It continues the album’s theme of escape by describing the singer achieving artistic freedom through love. Author Andrew Grant Jackson calls the lyrics “gibberish” and mere placeholders for the excitement and “cinematic purpose” of the music.”

The song has a grandiose ending with a full orchestra and the band. Other instrumentation includes mellotron, organ and horns. The album version ends with an excerpt of the opening song’s chorus. This song is featured on several episodes of Trigger Happy TV. In its early life, it was simply titled “Piano Thing”. […]

Live performances

“Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five” was never performed live by Wings. McCartney performed the song live for the first time ever during his 2010–2011 Up and Coming Tour. He played the song live again during his 2011–2012 On the Run Tour, his 2013–2015 Out There Tour, his 2016–2017 One on One Tour, his performance on 26 July 2018 in the Liverpool Cavern Club, his 2018–2019 Freshen Up tour and at 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief.

Cover versions

[…] In 2016, German producer Timo Maas and Canadian DJ James Teej released a remix of the track with McCartney’s approval. Their version received a Grammy nomination for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. […]

This was originally a little thing I couldn’t get words to, except for the first phrase. But the words just came to me the day we were due to record, and I think it’s turned out quite well.

Paul McCartney – From interview with Disc Magazine, 1973

Lyrics

Oh no one ever left alive in 1985, will ever do

She may be right

She may be fine

She may get love but she won't get mine

‘Cos I got you


Oh I Oh I

Well I just can't enough of that sweet stuff

My little lady gets behind


INTERLUDE


Oh my mama said the time would come when I

would find myself in love with you

I didn't think

I never dreamed

That I would be around to see it all come true


Woh I Oh I


Well I just can't enough of that sweet stuff

My little lady gets behind.


INTERLUDE


Oh no one ever left alive in 1985 . . .


FINALE

Variations

  • A Album version
  • A1993 1993 remaster
  • A1999 1999 remaster
  • A2010 2010 remaster
  • A2024
  • B DTS Mix / Quadraphonic version
  • C "One Hand Clapping" version • From "Band On The Run - Archive Collection"
  • D 2016 remix by Timo Maas & James Teej - Original mix
  • D1 2016 remix by Timo Maas & James Teej - Radio edit
  • E 2016 remix by Timo Maas & James Teej - Club mix
  • F 2016 remix - Paul Woolford Rework
  • G 2016 remix - Kerri Chandler Kaoz 623 Again Vocal Mix
  • H 2016 remix - Tim Green Remix
  • I "One Hand Clapping" version. 2024 mix • From "One Hand Clapping"
  • J "One Hand Clapping" version. 2024 Dolby Atmos mix • From "One Hand Clapping (Dolby Atmos)"

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five

Bootlegs

Related films

Videos

Live performances

Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five” has been played in 351 concerts and 16 soundchecks.

Latest concerts where “Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five” has been played


Going further

The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present

"Nineteen Hundred And Eighty-Five" is one of the songs featured in the book "The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present," published in 2021. The book explores Paul McCartney's early Liverpool days, his time with the Beatles, Wings, and his solo career. It pairs the lyrics of 154 of his songs with his first-person commentary on the circumstances of their creation, the inspirations behind them, and his current thoughts on them.

Buy on Amazon

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.

Buy on Amazon

Paul McCartney writing

Talk more talk, chat more chat

Notice any inaccuracies on this page? Have additional insights or ideas for new content? Or just want to share your thoughts? We value your feedback! Please use the form below to get in touch with us.

turbanguy4k • 4 years ago

Where is the mellotron in this song?


bill • 3 years ago

In the verse section, some kind of flute-like keyboard doubles the descending piano riff. I couldn't say if it's mellotron or synth, but it sounds mellotron-like.


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