I Lie Around


"I Lie Around" is a song by Paul McCartney and Wings that was released as the B-side to the "Live and [Let Die (song)|Live and Let Die]" single in 1973. The first two verses are sung by Wings guitarist Denny Laine, while Paul McCartney sings the third verse.

Recording

The song was recorded in the fall of 1970 at Columbia Studios in New York, during sessions for Ram. Early mixes had Paul McCartney singing vocals on the entire song. The released version was the first Wings song to have someone other than McCartney singing the lead vocal.

Lyrics and music

"I Lie Around" opens with the sound of bleating sheep and "pastoral catcalls".

Reception

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated "I Lie Around" as Denny Laine's 8th best song, calling it a "fun cut about doing absolutely nothing". NME writers Roy Carr and Tony Tyler described it as "playful", with "nice harmonies" and a "forgettable tune."

Personnel

Although the song was not placed on an album when it was initially released, it was included as a bonus track on the CD release of Paul McCartney and Wings' 1973 studio album, Red Rose Speedway, when that work became available on compact disc in 1987. It was also included as a bonus track on the remastered version of Red Rose Speedway that was re-released on CD in 1993 as a part of The Paul McCartney Collection, as well as the 2018 Red Rose Speedway . It was also included on The 7" Singles Box in 2022.