Lonely Road (Paul McCartney song)
| "Lonely Road" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Promotional CD single cover | ||||
| Promotional single by Paul McCartney | ||||
| from the album Driving Rain | ||||
| Released | 1 March 2002[1] | |||
| Recorded | 16 February 2001[2] | |||
| Studio | Henson Recording Studio (Los Angeles)[1] | |||
| Length | 3:16 | |||
| Label | Parlophone | |||
| Songwriter | Paul McCartney | |||
| Producer | David Kahne | |||
| Paul McCartney promotional singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Lonely Road" on YouTube | ||||
"Lonely Road" is a song by Paul McCartney, released as a promotional single from his album Driving Rain in 2002.[3] It had a music video made for it that was directed by Jonas Åkerlund.
Background and composition
McCartney wrote the song on a beach vacation in India,[4] which he states that "I don't really know what i'm doing, just blues longing".[5] The song itself is about a woman that still admires the singer's attempts at showing his love for her even after she rejects him.[6] The track may be best known for its debuts of McCartney's current touring guitarist and drummer, Rusty Anderson and Abe Laboriel Jr.[4] Paul later stated on his website that "You can make of it what you want to make of [the track]. To me, it's not particularly about anything other than not wanting to be brought down."[4] The song was recorded on 16 February 2001 onto a 16-track analogue tape then loaded into Logic for overdubs.[2]
Release and reception
In a ranking of every Paul McCartney album opener, Nick DeRiso placed it at number 23, stating that it "very much retains that vibe" of it being written in India.[4] In an E! Online review, the site called it, alongside "It Must Have Been Magic," "Your Way" and "Back in the Sunshine" "redemption songs, not exercises in self-pity".[7] Billboard stated it "is not only mundane, but McCartney's voice is processed to the point that one has to wonder if perhaps it's time to sit out a round and let the new kids on the block have their turn at the mike [sic]", noting that "there comes a time when it's best to herald the past and enjoy the honor that comes with being a living legend" concluding by noting that "This 'Road' simply goes nowhere."[8] A live version appears on the 2002 live album Back in the U.S.: Live 2002.[9]
Credits and personnel
According to the Paul McCartney Project and Beatles Bible:[1][2]
- Paul McCartney – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar
- Rusty Anderson – acoustic and electric guitars, pedal steel guitar
- Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums, tambourine
- Gabe Dixon – electric piano
- David Kahne – organ
References
- ^ a b c "Lonely Road (album)". The Paul McCartney project. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
- ^ a b c "Lonely Road". The Beatles Bible. 9 August 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ Benitez, Vincent Perez (2007). The Words and Music of Paul McCartney: The Solo Years. Internet Archive. Praeger. p. 258. ISBN 978-0-313-34969-0.
- ^ a b c d DeRiso, Nick (25 May 2025). "Paul McCartney Album Opening Songs Ranked". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ Du Noyer, Paul (2015). Conversations with McCartney. Internet Archive. Hodder & Stoughton. p. 202. ISBN 978-1-4736-0902-0.
- ^ Benitez, Vincent Perez (2010). The Words and Music of Paul McCartney: The Solo Years. Internet Archive. Santa Barbara, Calif. : Praeger. p. 156. ISBN 978-0-313-34969-0.
- ^ "E! Online - Music - Paul McCartney "Driving Rain"". www.eonline.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2001. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
- ^ Taylor, Chuck (27 April 2002). "Review and Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 33. Retrieved 14 March 2026 – via World Radio History.
- ^ Back in the U.S. - Paul McCartney | Album | AllMusic, retrieved 15 March 2026