"Tug of War"
Single by Paul McCartney
from the album Tug of War
B-side"Get It"
Released6 September 1982
Recorded21 January, 6 March 1981[1]
StudioParkgate Studio, Sussex, UK
AIR, London
GenreSymphonic rock
Length4:20 (album version)
4:00 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Paul McCartney
Producer(s)George Martin
Paul McCartney singles chronology
"Take It Away"
(1982) 		"Tug of War"
(1982) 		"The Girl Is Mine"
(1982)

"Tug of War" is the title track from Paul McCartney’s 1982 album Tug of War.

Reception

Rolling Stone described the song as McCartney's equivalent to John Lennon's "Imagine".[2] The song has a clear division between the verses featuring sad lyrics about the struggle to survive, the necessity of conflict (pushing and pulling) and the hopeful refrain, in which McCartney looks for a future where these struggles are no longer necessary.[3] The lyrics have been interpreted as a description of his complex relationship with Lennon,[4] who was killed two years prior. Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci interpreted it as "a mournful meditation that could be interpreted as commentary on McCartney's splintered relationship with Lennon."[5]

Cash Box said that the song is "an intriguing mix of the acoustic and the symphonic," saying that "guitar blends with strings while Paul sings of the constant push and pull in our present lives and a more optimistic 'time to come' when 'we will be dancing to the beat played on a different drum.'"[6] Billboard called it a "wistful slice of pop philosophy given depth by George Martin's orchestration and the vocalist's graceful transition from stately verses to urgent bridge."[7]

The single reached number 11 in Poland, number 53 in the UK and number 53 in the US. It also reached number 31 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[8][9]

The album version starts with the sounds of people grunting as part of a real tug of war—a popular sporting event since ancient times, before Paul goes into the song. These sounds were recorded during the National Indoors Tug of War Championship in Huddersfield, by Eddie Klein on December 7 1980, one day before his bandmate John Lennon was shot and killed.[10] At the end of the song, it fades into "Take It Away". The single version omits these factors.

Music video

The music video for "Tug of War" was directed by Maurice Phillips.[11]

Personnel

Track listing

7" single
  1. "Tug of War"
  2. "Get It" (with Carl Perkins)

References

  1. ^ "Tug of War (song)". The Paul McCartney Project.
  2. ^ Holden, Stephen. "Review of Tug Of War". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
  3. ^ Tug of War Songfacts
  4. ^ Gould, Jonathan (2007). Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain and America. London: Piatkus, Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN 9780307353382.
  5. ^ Gallucci, Michael (April 26, 2017). "How Paul McCartney tapped into a storied past with 'Tug of War'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
  6. ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. September 25, 1982. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-07-07.
  7. ^ "Top Single Picks". Billboard. September 25, 1982. p. 60. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
  8. ^ "Paul McCartney singles". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  9. ^ "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  10. ^ "Recording the intro of "Tug Of War" (Dec 07, 1980)". The Paul McCartney project. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  11. ^ "Paul McCartney: Tug of War (1982)". IMDb. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
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