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- Album This song officially appears on the The Anti-Heroin Project: It's A Live-In World Official album.
- Timeline This song has been written (or started being written) in 1986 (Paul McCartney was 44 years old)
Related sessions
This song has been recorded during the following studio sessions
February 1986
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Song facts
A demo entitled “Simple As That” has been recorded in August 1980 and officially released on the “Pipes Of Peace Archive Collection“, but has nothing to do with this 1986 song.
Last updated on April 18, 2020
Lyrics
I know it isn't easy to refuse
A lot of thoughts are flying thru' your head
Tell me this before you have to choose
Would you rather be alive or dead?
It's as simple as that
Would you rather be alive or dead
It's as simple as that, it's so simple
It makes you wanna cry
They ask you if you wanna join in
You linger for a minute or so
Well now's a perfect time to begin
Are you gonna say yes or no?
It's as simple as that
Are you gonna say yes or no?
If s as simple as that, it's so simple
It makes you wanna cry
And if you love your life
Everybody will love you too
Yes if you love your life
Everybody will love you too
It's harder when you start to get round
I want you to remember what I said
I know you never like to let them down
But would you rather be alive or dead?…
Officially appears on
The Anti-Heroin Project: It's A Live-In World
Official album • Released in 1986
4:15 • Studio version • A
- Paul McCartney :
- Backing vocals, Bass, Drums (?), Electric guitar (?), Keyboards (?), Producer, Vocals
- Linda McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- James McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Mary McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Stella McCartney :
- Backing vocals
- Session Recording:
- February 1986
- Studio :
- Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • Buy Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989 on Amazon
Bootlegs
Press To Play - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
4:17 • Studio version • A
Live performances
Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.
Going further
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.
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