Reading the lyrics to a song from a page can never quite give you the full meaning. The musical backing and the way that the song is presented by the singer gives the lyrics the full perspective needed to yield a proper interpretation.
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When you hear “Beware My Love,” recorded by Paul McCartney and Wings for their 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound, you’ll hear how the tension of the music and McCartney’s wild rendering of the vocals colors the meaning. It’s a song that very nearly featured an unusual special guest: John Bonham of Led Zeppelin.
Becoming “Beware”
You have to give Paul McCartney a lot of credit for sticking with Wings. The band didn’t exactly get off to a flying start, at least from an artistic standpoint, on their first two albums. But Macca had faith in the band, even when it dwindled to a trio consisting of Paul, wife Linda, and Denny Laine.
That lineup delivered the band’s classic 1973 album Band on the Run, which righted the ship. McCartney expanded the roster to include guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Joe English, a quintet that was responsible for the albums Venus and Mars (1975) and Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976).
During the recording of “Beware My Love” for the latter album, McCartney almost received some assistance from a member of another premiere rock band of the era. John Bonham, drummer for Led Zeppelin, was asked by Macca to sit in on the track. This version of the track pretty much featured only McCartney on piano and Bonham on drums.
Although it’s an interesting take (you can hear it on the reissued, extended version of Wings at the Speed of Sound), McCartney eventually decided on a version with his full band. And you can’t really argue with the decision, as Wings gives one of their finest performances on the track.
Examining the Lyrics to “Beware My Love”
Built around a series of three-note musical hooks, “Beware My Love” emerges from a somewhat restrained intro into a frenetic, urgent musical attack. McCartney sings his part at the top of his register, which brings unmistakable urgency to the message he’s delivering in the lyrics.
That intro features Linda McCartney taking lead vocals on a series of lines that suggest general confusion: Can’t say I’ve found out / I can’t tell you what it’s all about / Don’t know, who does. But there’s one message that she can deliver with certainty: Tell you to beware, my love.
Once Paul takes over on lead vocal, we find out the narrator is the odd man out in a love triangle. But he insists the girl is making the wrong decision by choosing the other guy: But I don’t believe / That he’s the one. He can’t quite get through to her, however: But you insist / I must be wrong.
The rest of the track is spent listing all the ways in which she’ll be damaged by her decision. He suggests the other guy will be domineering and not receptive to her needs: Hey, he’ll sweep you up / Under his carpet. And once that happens, it will be too late: And in a minute / You’ll hear a shout / And then you’ll be in it.
You could call the lyrics to “Beware My Love” minimalist, what with all the short phrases. But they’re quite direct and potent, especially when delivered by McCartney in such a passionate way. This somewhat forgotten Wings track delivers another listen, as it’s known these days more for the what-might-have-been moment between Paul and Bonzo.
Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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