Riding To Vanity Fair

Album: Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (2005)
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  • I bit my tongue
    I never talked too much
    I tried to be so strong

    I did my best
    I used the gentle touch
    I've done it for so long

    You put me down
    But I can laugh it off
    And act like nothing's wrong

    But why pretend?
    I think I've heard enough
    Of your familiar song

    I'll tell you what I'm gonna do
    I'll try to take my mind off you
    And now that you don't need my help
    I'll use the time to think about myself

    You're not aware
    Of what you put me through
    And now the feeling's gone

    But I don't mind
    Do what you have to do
    You don't fool anyone

    I'll tell you what I'm gonna do
    I'll take a different point of view
    And now that you don't need my help
    I'll use the time to think about myself

    The definition of friendship
    Apparently you're to be
    Showing support for the one that you love
    And I was open to friendship
    But you didn't seem to have any to spare
    While you were riding to Vanity Fair

    There was a time
    When every day was young
    The sun would always shine

    I was alone
    When all the songs were sung
    Relieving every line

    That's the trouble with friendship
    Someone to feel and it has to be real
    Or it wouldn't be right
    I keep hoping for friendship
    But I wouldn't dare to presume it was there
    While you were riding to Vanity Fair

    While you were riding to Vanity Fair
    While you were riding to Vanity Fair
    While you were riding to Vanity Fair Writer/s: Paul James McCartney
    Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 6

  • Cristina from Santiago, ChileAlso, the John theory would make sense with the title, since it was a big problem within The Beatles John being upset/jealous about Paul writing more songs than him, having more songs in albums, having more hits. Probably the main reason the band broke up.
  • Cristina from Santiago, ChilePaul said the song is about several people. Now, it's hard to think it's not in part about Heather, for the timing of the song, but it's also hard to think it's not at least in part about John, who else could this part be about?: we sang along, when all the songs were sang, believing every line. In fact, the whole song could be about John, the parts talking about friendship would make sense that way (more so than with Heather).
    Maybe they were lyrics he had lying around since the early 70's... if it is about John, he wouldn't say it.
  • David from Apex, NcThis song is not from Memory Almost Full. It was released as a track on Chaos And Creation in the Backyard.
  • David from San Francisco, CaTerri - interesting theory, but McCartney has revealed that the album this is from (Memory Almost Full) was mostly written and recorded in 2003-4, while they were still together.

    The album was shelved in late 2004 and he started working on what became Chaos And Creation in the Backyard, which was released in 2005. Then he went back and finished up Memory Almost Full in 2005-6.

    Though Mills and McCartney had split by the time of its release (2007), McCartney left the songs as is, including a love song written for Heather - See Your Sunshine.
  • Steve from Ny, Ny..sort of a juxtoposition to Billy Joel's "Great Wall of China" , in the way that it refers to business people in both Paul & Billy's lives where ther were falling outs.
  • Terri from Unspecified, WaI feel (as do many others) this song was written about Heather Mills and the certain demise of their marriage... It was written a couple of years into their marriage, at a time where they were clearly going downhill... At the very least in a marriage, you have to be friends -- this friendship and mutual regard is what sustains you together through the good and bad/ups and downs... Paul did not feel Heather was his friend and she could, therefore, not be relied upon in this vein (nor could she produce this)... He also felt she was a very superficial creature and that, while she ended up barely being able to be caring to him, she always managed to offer this to other people who shouldn't have mattered nearly as much... Again, I feel this song has Heather Mills written all over it...
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