- Album This song officially appears on the Press To Play Official album.
- Timeline This song has been written (or started being written) in 1985 (Paul McCartney was 43 years old)
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
October 1st - December 6th 1985
April 14th-18th 1986
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Song facts
From Wikipedia:
“Only Love Remains” is the fourth single from Paul McCartney’s 1986 album, Press to Play. The song reached number 34 on the UK singles chart.
The song was released as a 7″ single and a 12″ maxi single. The single version of “Only Love Remains” is a remix by Jim Boyer and is different from the album version. The 12″ version of the single featured two more remixes of the songs from Press to Play.
People ask if I feel an album’s incomplete without a ballad, and I do think that a little bit. I know there are people who like them who will inevitably gravitate towards that track… People who’ve heard the album say ‘That’s the McCartney I like’. So I sorta put it on for them, and for myself, because I’m pretty romantic by nature. It’s not so much the feeling ‘Now we must do the compulsory ballad’, it’s more that I can write them, and I like them. I like the quiet moment, and this song is that reflective moment – and it comes at the end of side one, so if you’re not in that mood, you can always take it off !
Paul McCartney, about “Only Love Remains”, from the Press To Play press kit
“People who’ve heard the album say ‘That’s the McCartney I like’. So I sorta put it on for them, and for myself, because I’m pretty romantic by nature… I like the quiet moment, and this song is that reflective moment“. John Bradbury leads the orchestra in Tony Visconti’s arrangement and Paul reasserts the oldest cure for most of life’s problems: “Find the right boy or the right girl.“
Last updated on May 2, 2020
Lyrics
And if you take your love away from me,
I'm only going to want it back.
I'll probably pretend I didn't see,
But knowing me, I'll want you back again, and again,
'Til the word has lost it's meaning,
And love is all that stays. Only love remains.
If you should ever feel that something's wrong,
I'm going to want to put it right,
To bring a happy ending to our song,
I'll carry on believing in a love.
If your love was to trickle through my fingers,
What would it leave me with?
Only love remains. Only love remains…
Old enough and strong enough to stretch across the world.
Taking the sand inside an oyster, changing it into a pearl.
Making another magic transformation,
Find the right boy for the right girl.
When all our friends have gone and we're alone,
There's nothing left to shout about,
Together we'll explore the great unknown.
I'd say we won't be going out tonight,
Let tonight be the one that we remember,
When love is all that stays,
Only love remains… Only love remains…
Officially appears on
Official album • Released in 1986
4:16 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Classical guitar, Piano, Producer, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Acoustic guitar (?), Backing vocals
- Trevor Jones :
- Assistant engineer (?)
- Eddie Klein :
- Assistant engineer (?)
- Tony Clark :
- Assistant engineer (?)
- Matt Butler :
- Assistant engineer (?)
- Jon Kelly :
- Assistant engineer (?)
- Ray Cooper :
- Marimba, Shaker (?), Tambourine (?)
- Kate Robbins :
- Backing vocals
- Ruby James :
- Backing vocals
- John Hammel :
- Assistant engineer (?)
- Matt Howe :
- Assistant engineer (?)
- Graham Ward :
- Drums
- Simon Chamberlain :
- Synth bass
- John Bradbury :
- Violin
- Hugh Padgham :
- Engineering, Mixing engineer, Producer
- Peter Mew :
- Assistant engineer (?)
- Haydn Bendall :
- Assistant engineer (?)
- Session Recording:
- October 1st - December 6th 1985
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
- Session Mixing:
- April 14th-18th 1986
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Only Love Remains / Tough On A Tightrope
7" Single • Released in 1986
4:11 • Studio version • A1 • Remix by Jim Boyer
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Classical guitar, Piano, Producer, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Acoustic guitar (?), Backing vocals
- Ray Cooper :
- Marimba, Shaker (?), Tambourine (?)
- Kate Robbins :
- Backing vocals
- Ruby James :
- Backing vocals
- Graham Ward :
- Drums
- Simon Chamberlain :
- Synth bass
- John Bradbury :
- Violin
- Hugh Padgham :
- Engineering, Mixing engineer, Producer
- Jim Boyer :
- Remixing
- Session Recording:
- October 1st - December 6th 1985
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
- Session Mixing:
- April 14th-18th 1986
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Only Love Remains / Tough On A Tightrope
12" Single • Released in 1986
4:11 • Studio version • A1 • Remix by Jim Boyer
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Classical guitar, Piano, Producer, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Acoustic guitar (?), Backing vocals
- Ray Cooper :
- Marimba, Shaker (?), Tambourine (?)
- Kate Robbins :
- Backing vocals
- Ruby James :
- Backing vocals
- Graham Ward :
- Drums
- Simon Chamberlain :
- Synth bass
- John Bradbury :
- Violin
- Hugh Padgham :
- Engineering, Mixing engineer, Producer
- Jim Boyer :
- Remixing
- Session Recording:
- October 1st - December 6th 1985
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
- Session Mixing:
- April 14th-18th 1986
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1986
4:16 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Classical guitar, Piano, Producer, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Acoustic guitar (?), Backing vocals
- Ray Cooper :
- Marimba, Shaker (?), Tambourine (?)
- Kate Robbins :
- Backing vocals
- Ruby James :
- Backing vocals
- Graham Ward :
- Drums
- Simon Chamberlain :
- Synth bass
- John Bradbury :
- Violin
- Hugh Padgham :
- Engineering, Mixing engineer, Producer
- Session Recording:
- October 1st - December 6th 1985
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
- Session Mixing:
- April 14th-18th 1986
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
4:16 • Studio version • A • 1993 remaster
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Classical guitar, Piano, Producer, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Acoustic guitar (?), Backing vocals
- Ray Cooper :
- Marimba, Shaker (?), Tambourine (?)
- Kate Robbins :
- Backing vocals
- Ruby James :
- Backing vocals
- Graham Ward :
- Drums
- Simon Chamberlain :
- Synth bass
- John Bradbury :
- Violin
- Hugh Padgham :
- Engineering, Mixing engineer, Producer
- Session Recording:
- October 1st - December 6th 1985
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
- Session Mixing:
- April 14th-18th 1986
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Bootlegs
Unofficial album • Released in 2016
4:29 • Live • L1
Concert From "Royal Variety Performance" in London, United Kingdom on Nov 24, 1986
Live Archives Vol. 1 (1984-1990)
Unofficial live • Released in 2017
4:29 • Live • L1
Concert From "Royal Variety Performance" in London, United Kingdom on Nov 24, 1986
Live Archives Vol. 1 (1984-1990)
Unofficial live • Released in 2017
4:15 • Live • L2
Concert From "The Tube" in Newcastle, United Kingdom on Dec 12, 1986
Unofficial album
4:10 • Studio version • A1 • Remix by Jim Boyer
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Classical guitar, Piano, Producer, Synthesizers, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Eric Stewart :
- Acoustic guitar (?), Backing vocals
- Ray Cooper :
- Marimba, Shaker (?), Tambourine (?)
- Kate Robbins :
- Backing vocals
- Ruby James :
- Backing vocals
- Graham Ward :
- Drums
- Simon Chamberlain :
- Synth bass
- John Bradbury :
- Violin
- Hugh Padgham :
- Engineering, Mixing engineer, Producer
- Jim Boyer :
- Remixing
- Session Recording:
- October 1st - December 6th 1985
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
- Session Mixing:
- April 14th-18th 1986
- Studio :
- AIR Studios, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Recording Sessions (1969-2013) on Amazon
Unofficial album
4:28 • Live • L1
Concert From "Royal Variety Performance" in London, United Kingdom on Nov 24, 1986
Live performances
“Only Love Remains” has been played in 2 concerts.
Latest concerts where Only Love Remains has been played
Dec 12, 1986 • United Kingdom • Newcastle • Tyne Tees Television • TV show
Nov 24, 1986 • United Kingdom • London • Theatre Royal
Contribute!
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The version on Pizza and Fairytales is a live version , recorded on November 24, 1986, during the Royal Variety Show. You can hear the introduction to 'Talk More Talk': "If you don't mind, this time you could just keep the noise of the jewelry down"
The band was: Paul (piano), Linda and Tessa Niles (bg vocals), Eric Stewart (acoustic guitar), Jamie Talbot (sax), Graham Ward (drums), Preston Heymen and Nick Glennie-Smith (percussion).
Futhermore, Paul played the song live on the British TV-show The Tube, on December 11, 1986 with only Jamie Talbot on sax and Linda and Tessa Niles on backing vocals.
Hi Peerke, many thanks for this - I didn't know about this concert !!
Also played live on the UK TV show "The Tube": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd2hrLzglhY
Thanks very much Lon Pinko, will add that !!