Let 'Em In


"Let 'Em In" is a song by Wings from their 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and reached the top 3 in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. It was a No. 2 hit in the UK; in the US it was a No. 3 pop hit and No. 1 easy listening hit. In Canada, the song was No. 3 for three weeks on the pop chart and No. 1 for three weeks on the MOR chart of RPM magazine. The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies. It can also be found on McCartney's 1987 compilation album, All the Best! A demo of the song, featuring Denny Laine on lead vocal, was included as a bonus track on the Archive Collection reissue of Wings at the Speed of Sound.

Content

The song starts with the sound of a V. & E. Friedland Maestro Westminster Chime doorbell, an electro-mechanical doorbell with a unique "vibrato resonating" feature, before the rhythm begins. The lyric namechecks several famous people, between friends and relatives of McCartney who, without a justified reason, knock on the door or ring the bell of his house and he exclaims "Let 'Em In". They include McCartney's paternal aunt Gin, his brother Michael, and Linda McCartney's brother John. Phil and Don of the Everly Brothers are named, along with Martin Luther, who is said to have hung his "Ninety-five Theses" on a church door, but, according to McCartney, the name here refers to Martin Luther King. An Uncle Ernie is also named, being the character Ringo Starr sang in the London Symphony Orchestra's recording of the Who's rock opera, Tommy.
"Let 'Em In" is also notable for the false fade out, which, however, becomes loud for the last two notes of the song. The song makes use of the piano, drums, brass, including a trombone solo, and wind instruments, featuring flutes, as well as backup vocals from Linda and other members of Wings.
The 7-inch single version is an edit of the album version. The UK and US pressings of this edit are alike.

Reception

Cash Box said that it was a "better, more substantial tune and that "McCartney's voice is at its best, and the rhythm of this one is dangerously addictive." Record World said that "with a loping beat and a brisk military drum sound, this should be another chapter in McCartney's success story."

Release

The song was released worldwide as a 7" single, except in France where it was released as 12" single with both sides labelled "Special Disco Mix".
It was included on the compilation album Wings Greatest, as well as the Paul McCartney compilation albums All the Best!, Wingspan: Hits and History and Pure McCartney.

Personnel

According to The Paul McCartney Project:
  • Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, piano
  • Linda McCartney – backing vocals
  • Denny Laine – backing vocals, possible military drum
  • Jimmy McCulloch – bass
  • Joe English – drums
  • Howie Casey – flutes, horns
  • Thaddeus Richard – flutes, horns
  • Steve Howard – flutes, horns
  • Tony Dorsey – flutes, horns

    Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Cover versions

  • During the Miss America 1977 pageant, MC Bert Parks performed a memorable rendition of the song.
  • The song was covered in 1977 by Billy Paul, substituting a list of notable African-American figures such as Malcolm X and Louis Armstrong in lieu of the people named in the original. This version reached No. 91 on the Billboard Soul chart, and No. 26 on the UK charts.
  • Reggae artist Shinehead included the song Let Them In on his 1992 album Sidewalk University. The song was released as the single "Let 'Em In" in 1993, reaching number 70 in the UK, 153 in Australia, and 13 in New Zealand.
  • "Guess Who's Knockin'", a song written by Prince and released by The New Power Generation on initial pressings of the 1993 Goldnigga album, references "Let 'Em In" without credit.
  • Ringo Starr used lyrics from "Let 'Em In" in 2003 on "English Garden" from Ringo Rama.