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Released in 1982

Take It Away

Written by Paul McCartney

Last updated on July 17, 2024

Album This song officially appears on the Tug Of War Official album.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1982

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1980, when Paul McCartney was 38 years old)

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

From Wikipedia:

“Take It Away” is a single by Paul McCartney from his 1982 album Tug of War. The single spent sixteen weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, reaching #10 It reached #15 in the UK. The music video, directed by John Makenzie, features former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and long-time producer George Martin, both of whom played on the track, as well as actor John Hurt.

Although there is a segue from “Tug of War” into this song on the album, the single version instead starts cleanly but fades out earlier at the end.

From Something Else Reviews:

Celebrated at the time as a partial Beatles reunion, Paul McCartney’s “Take it Away” certainly starts that way, with an off-kilter rhythm courtesy of Ringo Starr and all of the tasteful hallmarks of a George Martin production — right down to the stoic piano accompaniment. But there was more to this standout track from Tug of War,released in April 1982.

The song’s most interesting new element, really, comes from 10cc alum Eric Stewart, whose presence clearly sparked Paul McCartney to dabble in some of that group’s now-famous layering of background vocals. “Take It Away” ends with a soaring loop of wordless sighs from a thousand Pauls, Erics and Lindas. A darker undertone surrounds the album, too, no matter how high that coda rises. That had more to do with the Beatle who wasn’t there, rather than the ones who were. […]

From an interview with Club Sandwich, 1982:

Andy Mackay – “Take It Away” seems a fairly straight forward, a very straight McCartneyish track, very cheerful, but that is one of the songs that sounds very British, funnily enough.

Paul – Well, there were a couple of songs that we ended up recording which Ringo asked me to write at a certain period. I was writing some songs for Ringo and “Take It Away” was in amongst those songs. I thought it would suit me better the way it went into the chorus and stuff; I didn’t think it was very Ringo.

Andy – I like it.

Paul – I mean, the chorus I think, was Ringo, the other bits… but that’s how that comes to be that kind of track I think, I was right in that sort of direction with Ringo in mind actually.

From puremccartney.com – PAUL, AIR STUDIOS, MONTSERRAT, 1981. IN THE PHOTO USED ON THE COVER OF SINGLE ‘TAKE IT AWAY’
Paul’s handwritten lyrics for Take It Away – From the “Tug Of War Archive Collection” @ 2015 MPL Communications Inc

Lyrics

Take it away

Want to hear you play

Till the lights go down

Take it away

Don't you want to stay

Till there's no one else around!

Take it away

Want to hear you play

Till the lights go down

Take it away

Don't you want to stay

Till there's no one else around?

Lonely driver

Out on the road

With a hundred miles to go

Sole survivor

Carrying the load,

Switches on his radio

Take it away

Want to hear you play

Till the lights go down (down down)

Take it away

Don't you want to stay

Till there's no one else around?

REPEAT

In the audience,

Watching the show

With a paper in his hand

(In his hand, in his hand)

Some important impresario

Has a message for the band

Take it away

Want to hear you play

Till the lights go down (down down)

Take it away

Don't you want to stay

Till there's no one else around?

You never know who may be

Listening to you

You never know who may be

Listening to you

Take it away - take it away

After hours

Late in the bar

By a darkened corner seat

Faded flowers wait in the jar

Till the evening is complete

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Take It Away”

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Take It Away”

Related film

  • Take it Away

    1982 • For Paul McCartney • Directed by John MacKenzie

Videos

Album Tug Of War (1993)

Album Take It Away / I'll Give You A Ring

Album 2015 exclusive downloads

Live performances

“Take It Away” has been played in 1 concerts.

Latest concerts where “Take It 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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Paul McCartney writing

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