Heart_of_the_Country

Heart of the Country

Heart of the Country

1971 single by Paul and Linda McCartney

For the film, see Heart of the Country (film).

"Heart of the Country" is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney from their album Ram released in 1971.

Quick Facts from the album Ram, A-side ...

Origins

The song has simple acoustic tune with a heavy bass chorus, and an unusually mellow sound to the acoustic guitar that was achieved by tuning all of the strings a full step lower than standard pitch. The song is about a man searching for a farm in the middle of nowhere. The song reflects Paul's heading for the Scottish countryside to escape the headaches associated with the Beatles' break-up at the time.[1]

Composition

The song is played in the key of D Minor at a tempo of 172.

Personnel

Reception

In a contemporary review for Ram, Jon Landau of Rolling Stone gave "Heart of the Country" a negative review, calling it the album's "lowest point", and the song that "most clearly indicates [Ram's] failures".[2] Landau described the song as "an evenly paced, finger-picking styled tune, with very light jazz overtones, obviously intended as Paul's idea of "mellow."".[2] However, Landau believed McCartney's lyrics about the country "ring false".[2]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described the song as "an effortless folk-pop tune that ranks among [McCartney's] very best songs".[3] Erlewine also praises its "imaginative and gorgeous arrangement".[4] In 2013, Rolling Stone rated "Heart of the Country" at number 26 in its list of Paul McCartney's best post-Beatles songs.[1]

Aftermath

McCartney and Elvis Costello re-recorded the song, with Mark Ronson producing, in 2013 for a commercial featuring his late wife Linda's vegetarian recipe book.[5]

It was also included on The 7" Singles Box in 2022.[6]

References

  1. [1]
    "Paul's 40 Greatest Solo Songs". Special Collector's Edition: Paul McCartney. Rolling Stone. 2013. p. 89.
  2. [2]
    Landau, Jon (8 July 1971). "Ram". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
  3. [3]
    Erlewine, S.T. "Wingspan". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
  4. [4]
    Erlewine, S.T. "Ram". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-12-25.
  5. [5]
    "Paul McCartney tunes up with song for Linda's vegetarian food range". The Guardian. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  6. [6]
    "'The 7" Singles Box' – Out 2 December 2022". PaulMcCartney.com. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.


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