I Lie Around

Album: Wings Over America (1973)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Denny Laine sang lead on this track, it was his only lead vocal for Wings. Laine was in The Moody Blues before joining Wings.

    This was far from the only time Laine took to the microphone in Wings, however. There was also the Wings at the Speed of Sound album, where all five then-members of Wings got at least one track each; Laine got "The Note You Never Wrote" and "Time to Hide."
  • This song would doubtless be lost to obscurity if it weren't for its far more famous A-side. "Live And Let Die" was a tremendous hit for the early Wings from being a James Bond theme, and then again for being covered by Guns N' Roses later, in between numerous other honors.
  • The chart record of Wings, even stateside in the US, tells just how ambitious McCartney still was beyond his Beatles days. Wings and McCartney, in all their various name-shuffling, scored a total of 37 Top 40 single hits between 1971 and 1989. That's two more charting hits than the Bee Gees! And mind you, this was after all the Beatles' fame and success. Guinness Book of World Records has McCartney as "most successful composer and recording artist of all time."

    Denny Laine, in his first vocal lead for Wings, had had a meandering career both before and after Wings, easily overshadowed by the McCartneys. However, he had been with Moody Blues, Trevor Burton, and Ginger Baker's Airforce, and would go on to many solo and guest stints afterwards. Hailing from Birmingham, he gave McCartney a spice never before experienced: a Mersey-beat meeting a Brum-beat.

Comments: 2

  • Christy from Palm Springs, CaI love this song and for some reason it makes me cry! I have no clue why! The melody is just so beautiful to me. I know, of all the McCartney songs to cry about. This song isn't even sung by him and I don't know but I love it sooo much!!! The lyrics aren't particularly meaningful and it doesn't feature some crazy outstanding instrumental or anything but I can't get over it. alkflask Idk I' m just weird.
  • Claudio from São Paulo, BrazilI don't think it was only the single track Laine had a lead vocal on Wings. He did sing on Time To Hide, Spirits of Ancient Egypt, Children, Children, Deliver Your Children, Again and Again and Again and No Words (sharing vocals with McCartney).
    Also, I Lie Around does not appear on Wings Over America, but it's actually a Red Rose Speedway Bonus CD track.
    Paul joins in for the vocal at the end. He wrote that as a comment about leaving London and living in the country after the Beatles Break-Up.
    It was originally released as the Live And let Die single b-side.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Little Richard

Little RichardFact or Fiction

Was Long Tall Sally a cross-dresser? Did he really set his piano on fire? See if you know the real stories about one of rock's greatest innovators.

Eric Clapton

Eric ClaptonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really write "Cocaine" while on cocaine? This question and more in the Clapton edition of Fact or Fiction.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

When Rock Belonged To Michelob

When Rock Belonged To MichelobSong Writing

Michelob commercials generated hits for Eric Clapton, Genesis and Steve Winwood in the '80s, even as some of these rockers were fighting alcoholism.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.

dUg Pinnick of King's X

dUg Pinnick of King's XSongwriter Interviews

dUg dIgs into his King's X metal classics and his many side projects, including the one with Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam.