Put It There

Song facts

From Wikipedia:

“Put It There” is a 1990 single from Paul McCartney’s 1989 album, Flowers in the Dirt. The song reached number 32 on the UK singles chart. The lyrics were inspired by an expression of friendship that McCartney learned from his father, “Put it there [handshake] if it weighs a ton.“

Like other songs from Flowers in the Dirt, despite the song’s chart modest chart success, to date it has not been included on any McCartney compilation album.

The 7″ single also included a Wings song, “Mama’s Little Girl“, that had been originally recorded in 1972 but had been remixed and produced in its current version in 1987 by McCartney and Chris Thomas. The 12” single included a second Wings song, “Same Time Next Year“, which had been recorded on 5 and 6 May 1978 at RAK Studios, as a possible theme for the movie of the same name that had also been remixed and produced in 1987 by McCartney and Thomas.

This song was released as a 7″ single, a 12″ maxi-single, and a CD single.

Paul McCartney in “Club Sandwich 52, Summer 1989“:

“Put it there’…was an expression my Dad used to say when we were kids. He used to hold his hand out and say, ‘Put it there if it weighs a ton’… My Dad died over ten years ago now, but you remember those things with affec-tion, you know. And so I wrote a song about that, which I think will become one of my favourites.

From paulmccartney.com, February 28, 2017:

“Is the song ‘Put It There’ about your father, brother and you, or is it about your relationship with your children?”

Paul said, “[…] The song was originally inspired by my dad who used the expression regularly. ‘Put it there, if it weighs a ton,’ he would say. Growing up I heard this expression a lot when he was shaking hands with anyone! So I have an affection for the phrase. When we were doing the video I explained this to the filmmakers, and so it really is to do with me and my dad. But then the next generation is me and my kids. So it’s to do with family. It’s to do with parents and kids. Or just anyone who wants to shake hands.”

Paul McCartney, in People Music, March 24, 2017:

McCartney once again laid down the rhythm on the track, but with an unusual twist. 

“There’s a little hand-slappy thing. That’s something we first heard on Buddy Holly’s record, a great old favorite of ours when we were growing up. He does a record called ‘Everyday.’ It’s a cute little song, a great little song, and there’s this tapping on it [demonstrates]. The story was that it was him tapping on his jeans. And if you ever do that and want to get that effect, don’t wear sweatpants or regular trousers. Jeans are what you need, they’ve got the right tone. That’s just a hint for you and your readers, should you ever be called on to a thigh-slapping session.”

Last updated on July 31, 2023

Lyrics