"Band On The Run" - Song Review

Title: Band On The Run
Artist: Paul McCartney & Wings
From the album: Band On The Run
Release year: 1973

Hello! Welcome to my first SpaceHey music review. Today, I am going to review a song which is a song that I will say, right off the bat, is truly a song of all time. Released in 1973, the song "Band On The Run" has been a timeless rocker which employs intriguing musical techniques which are reminiscent of some of the greats from when Paul McCartney was playing with the Fab Four. Let's take a closer look.

First, some important history

The Beatles broke up in 1970 and initially, Paul was initially unsure about what to do. But after the success of his 1970 debut, particularly with the single "Maybe I'm Amazed", he was back on track. This was thanks to his wife, Linda Eastman, who he had married in 1969. Most of the songs Paul had written around this time were about Linda, so he knew Linda was the key to music. In 1971, Paul and Linda compiled some music they made together and released "Ram". Also on this album was Denny Seiwell sitting in on drums. Seiwell ended up sticking with the McCartneys and this would bring in Northern Irish guitarist Henry McCullough into this collaborative circle, though he didn't officially join the group until 1972. Finally, Paul's friend Denny Laine, best known as a former member of the Moody Blues, joined the group. And in 1971, they released "Wild Life" under a new name, Wings. Wild Life achieved mild success, but this would later be overshadowed by the second Wings LP, "Red Rose Speedway" in 1973, best known for containing the James Bond theme "Live and Let Die", which you may also know from the recent "Paul McCartney explodes" memes. Following this success, Wings knew they needed to keep the momentum going, and this would come with the release of "Band On The Run" in November 1973. 

"Band On The Run" had only three members of Wings contributing on it, the core trio if you will, Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney and Denny Laine. The original idea came from a quote from George Harrison, in which he compared an Apple Records meeting to being in prison. Paul used this idea for the idea of "Band On The Run". He also built on the Western image of cowboys escaping jail, an idea inspired by The Byrds and The Eagles. The idea of criminals certainly was solidified after recording a tape of the song in Lagos, some locals ended up stealing the recording material from the McCartneys. When re-recording the song, this inspired the first verse. To this day, these tape thieves remain unknown.

Whoo, that was a lot. Now let's talk about the song itself!

The strange composition

"Band On The Run" is a quintessential example of what is called episodic structure, also known as a rhapsody. Similar to past Beatles tracks like "A Day In The Life" and the Abbey Road Medley, "Band On The Run" can be split into three distinct musical sections. The episodic structure is used to reflect the story of "Band On The Run", which I will get into when we talk about the lyrics. Overall, I think each section is a good song in its own right.

First section (0:00 - 1:19)

"Band On The Run" starts with a soft desert rock sound, reminiscent to that of The Eagles. It is played in the key D Major with a tempo of 80bpm. This section is dominated by Denny's beautiful guitar motifs, with Paul playing the drums based around a repeating ride and bass drum rhythm. In my opinion, the cherry on top of this section are Linda's keyboard licks. This addition is small, but very progressive and could easily be used and work in a new wave song 10 years later. Paul's vocals come in around 38 seconds in. The main thing I love about this section is how it perfectly sets the scene of a prison. It sounds pessimistic, but at the same time, there is a shimmer of hope that potentially, there's a chance of escape.

Second section (1:19 - 2:06)

The second section does keep the skeleton of the first section, but there are some noteworthy changes. Firstly, the key changes to A Minor. While this may seem like a further dive into the pessimism as seen in the first section, I think it's the opposite. I think it's expanding on the hope instead. Denny Laine's guitar going from disjointed licks to a repeating riff to me feels like the prisoners feeling confident and hopeful, ready to make their escape. This is affirmed with Paul's repetition of the phrase "If we ever get out of here". Before the vocals, there is a short synth solo which to me is very progressive for 1973 as it easily sounds like a synth solo which would be utilised in synthpop songs of the 80s. I believe these synths are double tracked, meaning both Paul and Linda play the synths in this section, but I can't confirm this. But the real kicker of this section is following the vocals and the transition into the third section, but it's not just a transition. This transition is led by Denny's guitar, but it is also being supported by brass instruments, such as trumpets and tubas. I think this reflects the prisoners going from hoping for an escape to feeling confident enough to escape. This transition ramps up tension, similar to the orchestral crescendos seen on "A Day In The Life".

Third section (2:06 - 5:13)

The third section of the song is everyone's favourite part, mine too, and it's obvious why. It's like we're listening to a whole different song with different energy and influence and feel. Firstly, once again the key of the song changes. This time, switching to C Major, a relatively common key. However, the tempo changes this time, ramping up from a slow 80bpm to a far faster 125bpm. The instrumentation also changes. For the past two sections, electric guitars and synthesisers dominated, but now, we are into a good old-fashioned acoustic rock jam. But despite this, it manages to maintain the apprehension, tension and excitement posed from the second section. The third section symbolises the prisoners escaping from their captors, becoming the titular band on the run, while their captors (who Paul refers to as "the jailer man" and "Sailor Sam", love that) attempt to chase them down. It's kind of reminiscent of Robin Hood escaping the Sheriff of Nottingham. Paul really takes the reins for this section, playing the acoustic guitar, the drums, the bass and providing vocals. Denny occasionally adds a guitar lick in there, particularly at the "band on the run, band on the run" bridge. Linda's contributions to this section are sparse, but I still think her contributions to the first two sections proved her importance to Wings. Of course, in true Paul McCartney fashion, the final chorus of the song changes, instead referring to a county judge who will never find the escaped prisoners. Speaking of that, the progression of the verses creates a plot, like a lite version to an epic plot reminiscent of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" or The Who's "Tommy". The verses tell us about the band's escape and being seeked out, then a town's bell signifying their escape, but in the end, they'll never be found. There is so much to say about this section, but I can't say it all obviously! But what I can say is that this is quintessential Paul McCartney. The fact he plays most of the instruments in this section is a perfect example of his greatness as a songwriter. He had to prove to Beatles fans that he had as much chops as John Lennon and he did with this song.

The lyrics

"Band On The Run" is an instrumentally intriguing song, bringing in so many elements into a 5 minute space, but do the lyrics hold up as well? Personally, I think so. What's even better is you can view the lyrics in a more literal sense, but also there is a deeper meaning too.

Let's talk about the literal meaning. If we take the lyrics for "Band On The Run" at face value, we get it's a song with a story straight out of a Spaghetti Western (Italian Western films which were popular in the late 60s and early 70s). In the first section, we are introduced to a band of prisoners. We don't know why these prisoners have been locked up, but it's clear they aren't happy. They are stuck in there for a long time ("sent inside forever") and they are presumably isolated ("never seeing no one"). They are clearly very pessimistic, but there is hope, as shown in the second section, where the prisoners begin dreaming of their escape. We are shown these prisoners aren't bad people, as they suggest giving their money away "to a registered charity" while enjoying a "pint a day". Then we segway into the third section, where they make their escape. At first it's seemingly hard, with the rain "exploding with a mighty crash". Their captors, presumably law enforcement, are on their tails as they try to escape. Now out, they don't turn back, the village bell is ringing, which to me, is being used by the captors potentially to get people in the village to either stay out of the way, or aid them. Finally, we learn the band have truly escaped and they "never will be found". We are also told about a county judge who will never forget the escape and constantly try to search for them to no avail. This analysis of the lyrics is simple, but it's still very charming. Paul really knows how to right a captivating story. I'm surprised no one's made a movie around this story.

Although, I do find the deeper meaning slightly more interesting. Again, lyrics are subjective and can mean anything to anyone, but this is my theory, a theory I share with various others. I think "Band On The Run" is a reflection of Paul's time in the Beatles in the late 60s, a time of turmoil and creative differences for the group. I can see parallels between this song and Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain". It's a story as old as rock music. A member is unhappy to be in a band and feels like they aren't getting anything out of it. The jail in this song represents the pressure to keep the band together, with the prisoners representing the band members and they want to get out. I believe this because during the recording of the White Album, Ringo Starr briefly left the Beatles, but ended up returning after pressure from producer George Martin. Similarly in 1969, during the "Let It Be" sessions, George Harrison has also left the Beatles, funny enough, over his feelings that Paul's songwriting efforts on the album were not as good as ideas George had. George would return for the "Abbey Road" sessions however. Referring to the point of Paul's songwriting, Paul wrote many of the Beatles' greatest hits, like "Eleanor Rigby", "Penny Lane", "Blackbird" and most famously, "Hey Jude". However, Paul felt underappreciated as these songs were credited to "Lennon-McCartney", with many people often viewing John Lennon as the better songwriter. Paul did try to veto this in the 80s to get songs he mainly wrote to be written as "McCartney-Lennon" or just "Paul McCartney", but this was vetoed by Yoko Ono. To Paul, "Band On The Run" was not just an escape song, it was Paul proving himself. He had proved himself with "Live and Let Die", but he wanted to prove it wasn't a fluke. Paul wanted to show he wasn't riding on John's coat tails, and to me, he succeeded. This song is rich in terms of deep meanings and can be seen as a look into Paul's psyche. And honestly, I'm glad I could join in for the ride.

Anecdote time!

I first heard "Band On The Run" in the midst of revising for exams and this was a particularly hard time for me, and like Paul McCartney, I wanted to escape. This song allowed me to do so. After a huge amount of revising, I'd put the books away, go outside, and listen to this song. It honestly got me through the whole process and I think it would've been a whole lot more stressful if I didn't have my music, and I'm glad "Band On The Run" was there to be one of the songs I enjoyed.

Miscellaneous thoughts

"Band On The Run" is a song which I think is very progressive for its time. I did mention this before, but you have to remember when this song was out. This song came out in 1973. The same year as "The Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd. Honestly, I think this song is good enough to stand against tracks on Dark Side like "Time" or "Us and Them". I also love how this song can be enticing to non-Beatles fans. I've played this song to non-Beatles fans and they do vibe with it just like a Beatles fan would. There's so much to appreciate with this song that I can't do it full justice without writing an entire 20-page report on it. (Probably not something you'd want to read) This song also opens the album of the same name too. I think this is a double edged sword though. On one hand, this is a great opener to this album, or any album as a matter of fact, because it is just so anthemic and is just an epic start to any album. But it being at the start of the album means the best song on the album is at the start. As a vinyl listener, it kind of annoys me when the best song is the first track of the album as it means the best part is gone, and I am not saying the other songs on the "Band On The Run" album are bad by any means, they are really good, but the fact that the best song on the album kind of makes my expectations of the album really high and the other songs don't meet those standards. Maybe that's just me, but that's the only real issue I have with this song, something which is more a problem with the album, but it isn't a big thing, but if I have to complain about something, then this would be it.

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Final thoughts

Rating: S

"Band On The Run" is one of the greatest songs of all time in my opinion, and I think it's a song everyone should listen to. I would recommend this to anyone and I think they would like it. The instrumentation is near perfect, the lyrics are amazing. This song is downright iconic.

You can listen to the song here:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/yDzhrO5K02c?si=A77Xs86hycEZp-On

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1H4idkmruFoJBg1DvUv2tY?si=SQefQv6ETM6JWlkmNJusuA

Thank you for reading my first ever review! It was really fun to make! I don't know if anyone will see this, but if you do end up seeing it, please do let me know in the comments what you think! If you want, you can suggest songs for me to listen to and review! Thanks so much!