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Released in 1971

Smile Away

Written by Paul McCartney

Last updated on June 5, 2020

Album This song officially appears on the Ram LP.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1971

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1970, when Paul McCartney was 28 years old)

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

Related articles

“Smile Away” is the second song of Paul and Linda McCartney’s 1971 album “Ram“. From Beatles Bible:

[…] The words have been interpreted by some as a commentary on the other Beatles and Allen Klein. And while it is tempting to dismiss Smile Away as meaningless nonsense, there could indeed be a degree of autobiography in the words.

McCartney was known to be depressed following the break-up of The Beatles, and found solace in music and the love of Linda. The chorus – a repetition of the title – was McCartney with his head held high, finding positivity in spite of the insults of his various friends.

Musically, Smile Away harked back to the rock ‘n’ roll years of the late 1950s and early 60s, featuring a swing beat, overdriven guitars and harmony vocals. Ram was intended to be a step away from the underproduced homemade sound of 1970’s McCartney, yet Smile Away was a live-sounding ensemble performance, a step away from the intricate production elsewhere on the album. […]

From mixing engineering Eirik Wangberg:

To tell you the truth, there were eight bass tracks recorded for this song! When we started to record Smile Away, I thought the bass track didn’t sound good at all. Then I told Paul: “Should it really be like this?” He answered “Can you give me more of it?” We then both did our best to distort the heck out of the sound by different means, but the sound had to be “streamlined”. In the mix I push them like crazy.

This is the first time since “I Saw Her Standing There” (Beatles) Paul inserted the 1, 2, 3, 4 counting into a song. Of course, I left the bit in, and it’s so great to hear that kind of thing, I must admit.

Engineer Eirik Wangberg, interviewed by Claudio Dirani, 2005

In several countries, with the notable exclusion of UK and US, “Eat At Home” was released as a single, with “Smile Away” as the B-side. The single version was edited to remove the cross-face from “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey“.

Lyrics

Smile away, smile away, yeah smile away,

Smile away, smile away, smile away, yeah smile away.

I was walking down the street the other day,

‘Ah, who did you meet?'

‘I met a friend of mine and he did say'

‘Man I can smell your feet a mile away!'

Smile away, smile away,

‘Man I can smell your breath a mile away'

Smile away, smile away, smile away, yeah smile away,

Smile away

‘Oh smile away sweetly now'

‘Come on now – ooh, sweetly, smile away.'

‘Yes sir – smile away'

‘Now smile away quietly now'

‘Smile away, horribly now'

Smile away,

‘Man I can smell your teeth a mile away'

Smile away

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Smile Away”

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Smile Away”

Live performances

“Smile Away” has been played in 20 concerts.

Latest concerts where “Smile Away” has been played

See all concerts where “Smile Away” has been played

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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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.

Andrew Lynch • 4 years ago

Hi, Smile Away was also the b-side to Eat At Home in several countries.

The PaulMcCartney Project • 4 years ago

Thanks @andrew ! Will look into this.

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