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Released in 2007

Only Mama Knows

Written by Paul McCartney

Last updated on January 19, 2021

Album This song officially appears on the Memory Almost Full Official album.

Timeline This song was officially released in 2007

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interview

“Only Mama Knows” is a song from Paul McCartney’s 2007 album, “Memory Almost Full“.

This really is like a short story. I’ve done that in the past, not always writing from a personal perspective. It’s good, because you use your imagination more, and that’s something I enjoy. I wrote about Eleanor Rigby, but I don’t know a woman who picks up rice in a church, and nor do I know anyone stranded in the transit lounge of an airport, as in Only Mama Knows. But I like to get into those imaginary stories, then follow them through and become that character. The lead character in this song is someone who was left by his mother, doesn’t know why she left him and doesn’t know if he’ll ever see his father’s face. It’s interesting because it takes you out of yourself. You can become an alter ego. It doesn’t have to be Paul McCartney singing it – it can be this other guy singing. It’s good to do; it lets you have another vocal approach, another emotional approach.

Paul McCartney – interview with Mail On Sunday, May 12, 2008

Lyrics

Well I was found in the transit lounge

Of a dirty airport town

What was I doing on the road to ruin

Well my mama laid me down

My mama laid me down

Round my hand was a plastic band

With a picture of my face

I was crying left to die

This God forsaken place

This God forsaken place

Only Mama knows why she laid me down

In this God forsaken town

She was running to, what she ran from

Though I always wondered I never knew

Only Mama knows

Only Mama knows

I'm passing through, I'm on my way

I'm on the road, no ETA.

I'm passing through, no fixed abode

And that is why I need to try

To hold on. I've gotta hold on, gotta hold on

Was it planned as a one night stand

Or did she live in disgrace

Well I never will I ever see my father's face see

my father's face

Only Mama knows why she laid me down

In this God forsaken town

She was running to, what she ran from

Though I always wondered I never knew

Only Mama knows

Only Mama knows

Only Mama knows why she laid me down

In this God forsaken town

She was running to, what she ran from

Though I always wondered I never knew

Only Mama knows

Only Mama knows

I've gotta hold on. I've gotta hold on.

You've gotta hold on

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Only Mama Knows”

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Only Mama Knows”

Videos

Album Memory Almost Full

Album Amoeba Gig (Limited Edition - Clear Amber Vinyl)

Concert Dec 09, 2009 in Arnhem

Concert Dec 10, 2009 in Paris

Live performances

“Only Mama Knows” has been played in 30 concerts and 32 soundchecks.

Latest concerts where “Only Mama Knows” has been played

See all concerts where “Only Mama Knows” has been played

Going further

The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present

"Only Mama Knows" 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. 2) 1990-2012

This new book by Luca Perasi traces Paul McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1990 to 2012 in the form of 250 song entries, filled with details about the recordings, stories behind the sessions and musical analysis. His pop albums, his forays into classical and avant-garde music, his penchant for covering old standards: a complete book to discover how these languages cross-pollinate and influence each other.

The second volume in a series that has established itself as a unique guide to take the reader on a journey into the astonishing creativity of Paul McCartney.

Read our exclusive interview with Luca Perasi

Buy on Amazon

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