Heart of the Country
"Heart of the Country" | ||||
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Single by Paul and Linda McCartney | ||||
from the album Ram | ||||
A-side | "The Back Seat of My Car" | |||
Released | 13 August 1971 | |||
Recorded | 16 November 1970 | |||
Genre | Folk rock, country folk | |||
Length | 2:21 | |||
Label | Apple | |||
Songwriter(s) | Paul and Linda McCartney | |||
Producer(s) | Paul and Linda McCartney | |||
Paul and Linda McCartney singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Heart of the Country" on YouTube | ||||
"Heart of the Country" is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney from their album Ram released in 1971.
Origins
The song has simple acoustic tune with a heavy bass chorus, and an unusually mellow sound to the acoustic guitar that was achieved by tuning all of the strings a full step lower than standard pitch. The song is about a man searching for a farm in the middle of nowhere. The song reflects Paul's heading for the Scottish countryside to escape the headaches associated with the Beatles' break-up at the time.[1]
Composition
The song is played in the key of D Minor at a tempo of 172.
Personnel
- Paul McCartney – lead vocals, bass guitar, guitar
- Linda McCartney – backing vocals
- Hugh McCracken – guitar
- Denny Seiwell – drums (with brushes)
Reception
In a contemporary review for Ram, Jon Landau of Rolling Stone gave "Heart of the Country" a negative review, calling it the album's "lowest point", and the song that "most clearly indicates [Ram's] failures".[2] Landau described the song as "an evenly paced, finger-picking styled tune, with very light jazz overtones, obviously intended as Paul's idea of "mellow."".[2] However, Landau believed McCartney's lyrics about the country "ring false".[2]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described the song as "an effortless folk-pop tune that ranks among [McCartney's] very best songs".[3] Erlewine also praises its "imaginative and gorgeous arrangement".[4] In 2013, Rolling Stone rated "Heart of the Country" at number 26 in its list of Paul McCartney's best post-Beatles songs.[1]
Aftermath
McCartney and Elvis Costello re-recorded the song, with Mark Ronson producing, in 2013 for a commercial featuring his late wife Linda's vegetarian recipe book.[5]
It was also included on The 7" Singles Box in 2022.[6]
References
- ^ a b "Paul's 40 Greatest Solo Songs". Special Collector's Edition: Paul McCartney. Rolling Stone. 2013. p. 89.
- ^ a b c Landau, Jon (8 July 1971). "Ram". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
- ^ Erlewine, S.T. "Wingspan". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
- ^ Erlewine, S.T. "Ram". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-12-25.
- ^ "Paul McCartney tunes up with song for Linda's vegetarian food range". The Guardian. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
- ^ "'The 7" Singles Box' – Out 2 December 2022". PaulMcCartney.com. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
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- "Another Day" / "Oh Woman, Oh Why" (with Linda McCartney)
- "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" / "Too Many People" (with Linda McCartney)
- "The Back Seat of My Car" / "Heart of the Country" (with Linda McCartney)
- "Eat at Home" / "Smile Away" (with Linda McCartney)
- "Wonderful Christmastime"
- "Coming Up"
- "Waterfalls"
- "Temporary Secretary"
- "Ebony and Ivory" (with Stevie Wonder)
- "Take It Away"
- "Tug of War"
- "The Girl Is Mine" (with Michael Jackson)
- "Say Say Say" (with Michael Jackson)
- "Pipes of Peace"/""So Bad"
- "No More Lonely Nights"
- "We All Stand Together"
- "Spies Like Us"
- "Press"
- "Pretty Little Head"
- "Stranglehold"
- "Only Love Remains"
- "Once Upon a Long Ago"
- "Ferry Cross the Mersey"
- "My Brave Face" / "Flying to My Home"
- "This One"
- "Figure of Eight"
- "Put It There" / "Mama's Little Girl" (with Wings)
- "Birthday" (live) / "Good Day Sunshine" (live)
- "All My Trials" (live)
- "Hope of Deliverance"
- "C'Mon People"
- "Off the Ground"
- "Biker Like an Icon" / "Things We Said Today"
- "A Leaf" (with Anya Alexeyev)
- "Come Together" (The Smokin' Mojo Filters)
- "Young Boy"
- "The World Tonight"
- "Beautiful Night"
- "No Other Baby" / "Brown Eyed Handsome Man"
- "Run Devil Run" (promo)
- "From a Lover to a Friend"
- "Freedom" / "From a Lover to a Friend"
- "Hello Goodbye" (promo)
- "Tropic Island Hum" / "We All Stand Together"
- "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (with U2)
- "Fine Line"
- "Jenny Wren"
- "Really Love You" (Twin Freaks)
- "This Never Happened Before" (promo)
- "Dance Tonight" / "Nod Your Head"
- "Ever Present Past"
- "Heal the Pain" (with George Michael)
- "Walk with You" (with Ringo Starr)
- "(I Want to) Come Home"
- "My Valentine"
- "Only Our Hearts"
- Christmas Kisses: "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" / "Wonderful Christmastime"
- "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (The Justice Collective)
- "New"
- "Queenie Eye"
- "Only One" (with Kanye West)
- "FourFiveSeconds" (with Rihanna & Kanye West)
- "All Day" (with Kanye West)
- "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five" (with Timo Maas & James Teej)
- "I Don't Know" / "Come On to Me"
- "Fuh You"
- "Who Cares"
- "Back in Brazil"
- "Get Enough"
- "Home Tonight / In a Hurry"
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