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Released in 1973

The Mess

Written by Paul McCartney • Linda McCartney

Last updated on May 29, 2020

Album This song officially appears on the My Love / The Mess 7" Single.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1973

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interview

From The Beatles Rarity:

By March [1972] the tour was finished and the band went to Los Angeles to begin sessions for the follow-up album to the Wings debut LP Wild Life. Paul intended for this to be a double album with the title Red Rose Speedway. The material would include some new songs they had recently tried out live such as “My Love,” “Henry’s Blues” and “The Mess,” along with a few leftovers from the ‘pre-Wings’ Ram album such as “Big Barn Bed,” “Get On The Right Thing” and “Little Lamb Dragonfly.” After a long string of sessions throughout the spring and early summer of 1972 however, the album was not ready, and they decided to hit the road again for a tour of Europe through July and August before finishing it up. The final sessions for the record took place after this tour, at Olympic Studios, London. Between the end of the sessions and the actual April 1973 release, Paul decided to cut it down to a single album omitting many of the tracks originally slated for the set. [The Mess was one of those out-takes]

The original working title of “The Mess” was “The Mess I’m In” and it was to appear as the last song on side 4 of the double Red Rose Speedway album.

The live at the Hague version of “The Mess” is released as a bonus track on the Red Rose Speedway CD but was not included on the original LP.

Lyrics

You sailed away one night in june

I heard you say you would be back soon

But since that day it's been on long loon

Oh - sweet darling the mess i'm in

I spoke to jimmy with the big tattoo

Said had he seen any sign of you

He looked at me and then laughed at you

See just wait a minute, oh darling what a mess i'm in

When i want ya do i get ya

All i needed your number

Will you give me your number

Oh sweet darling

Oh sweet darling

Oh - sweet darling what a mess i'm in

What a mess i'm in, since you left me

What a mess i'm in, oh yeah

Oh oh - oh oh wo - wo

Oh oh - oh wo,wo wo

When you're near me

Can you hear me

I can't see ya

I can feel ya

When you're near me

Can ya hear me

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “The Mess”

Live performances

“The Mess” has been played in 35 concerts and 1 soundchecks.

Latest concerts where “The Mess” has been played

See all concerts where “The Mess” 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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Michael Olsen • 8 years ago

I am confident that a live version of "The Mess" was released as the B-side to "My Love" -- in Canada, at least.

admin • 8 years ago

Hi Michael, you're perfectly right ! And it demonstrates how much work is still needed ! :) Thanks for your comment, I have implemented changes accordingly.

David Byrne • 5 years ago

Hi there, was there a studio recording of The Mess, and if so, what record was it released on, as opposed to the live at the Hague version which appears on the archive collection.

The PaulMcCartney Project • 5 years ago

Hi David,

There was indeed a studio recording of The Mess, available on various bootlegs, but made available officially on the Archive Collection released in 2018 (along with the live at La Hague). Recorded at Olympic Sound Studios, March 8, 1972

Scott San Filippo • 3 years ago

The released re-creation of the planned double album of Red Rose Speedway has « The Mess » sequenced as the last track on Side 2 – but you mention Side 4 here. The research they did for the Archive collection seemed pretty exhaustive – is there new information?

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