Must Do Something About It

Must Do Something About It
"Must Do Something About It"
Song by Wings from the album Wings at the Speed of Sound
Released 25 March 1976
Recorded 1976
Genre Rock
Length 3:42
Label Capitol Records
Writer Paul McCartney,
Linda McCartney
Producer Paul McCartney

"Must Do Something About It" is a song credited to Paul and Linda McCartney that first appeared on the Wings 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound. The lead vocal was sung by Wings drummer Joe English rather than by McCartney, the only Wings song on which English was the lead vocalist.[1][2] This was part of McCartney's attempt to democratize the band; each of the five members of Wings had at least one lead vocal on Wings at the Speed of Sound.[1] McCartney decided to have English perform the lead vocal after the backing track had been recorded.[2] An unreleased version of the song was recorded with McCartney on lead vocal.[2][3]

The song's lyrics tell of the singer's loneliness.[1][3] In each verse, the singer sings about some aspect of his lonely life, including watching a sunset by himself or playing cards alone.[3] In the chorus, the singer sings that he "must do something about" his loneliness, and the phrase "must do something about it" is repeated several times throughout the song.[1][3] The music reinforces the meaning of the lyrics. The length of the verses is an asymmetric five bars, emphasizing the instability of the singer's loneliness, while the chorus is a symmetric four bars, emphasizing the hoped for stability when the singer does something about it.[3] The harmony in the chorus is also more stable than that in the verses.[3] Instrumentation for the song includes acoustic guitar and slide guitar.[1] The song is in the key of D major, although the guitar is capoed and tuned to sound more like E-flat major.[3]

Most commentators have remarked on English's singing. Robert Rodriguez wrote that English's vocals added "a needed authenticity" to the song and wasn't sure that McCartney's vocals would have been as convincing.[4] Allmusic's Donald Guarisco states that "English sings the song with gusto, moving back and forth between a full-throated belting style and a gentle croon with ease."[1] Vincent Benitez wrote that English's singing "conveys a surprisingly sunny disposition."[3] Chris Ingham claims that English "does a charming job."[5] John Blaney felt that English "provided the biggest surprise on the album" and that his "performance is on par with anything on the album, and it's debatable whether anyone could have improved on it."[6] Blaney argues that the song is a perfect vehicle for English, and that his voice perfectly conveys the feel McCartney was looking for.[6]

Not all the commentators who appreciated English's performance were as enthusiastic about the song itself. Rodriguez claims that the song was "tossed off simply to fill space on an LP."[4] Chip Madinger and Mark Easter, while saying English has a "passable voice," state that "Must Do Something About It" is "an agreeable if not particularly memorable song."[2] However, Allmusic's Guarisco calls the song a "nice little ballad whose pop undertones allow it to stick in the listener’s mind."[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Guarisco, D.A.. "Must Do Something About It". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/song/must-do-something-about-it-t3287739. Retrieved 26 October 2011. 
  2. ^ a b c d Madiger, C. & Easter, M. (2000). Eight Arms to Hold You. 44.1 Productions. p. 215. ISBN 0615117244. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Benitez, V.P. (2010). The Words and Music of Paul McCartney: The Solo Years. Praeger. p. 76. ISBN 978-0313349690. 
  4. ^ a b Rodriguez, R. (2010). Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years 1970–1980. Hal Leonard. pp. 186, 216. ISBN 9780879309688. 
  5. ^ Ingham, C. (2009). The Rough Guide to the Beatles (3rd ed.). Penguin. p. 118. ISBN 9781405384452. 
  6. ^ a b Blaney, J. (2007). Lennon and McCartney: together alone: a critical discography of their solo work. Jawbone Press. pp. 114–115. ISBN 9781906002022. 

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • There's Something About Miriam — is a reality television show filmed in 2003 and originally aired in the United Kingdom on Sky1 in February 2004. Hosted by Tim Vincent, it featured six men wooing 21 year old Mexican model Miriam without revealing that she was a transwoman until… …   Wikipedia

  • There Must Be Something More — is a song from Charlotte s Web the 1973 Hanna Barbera animated musical. The film was released by Paramount Pictures. The song is written by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman.Fern is learning about love from a little runt she saved from an… …   Wikipedia

  • Must Love Dogs — Theatrical Poster Directed by Gary David Goldberg Produced by Polly …   Wikipedia

  • about */*/*/ — UK [əˈbaʊt] / US adverb, preposition Summary: About can be used in the following ways: as a preposition (followed by a noun): He told me about your problem. as an adverb (without a following noun): Stop rushing about. after the verb to be : Is… …   English dictionary

  • about — a|bout [ ə baut ] function word *** About can be used in the following ways: as a preposition (followed by a noun): He told me about your problem. as an adverb (without a following noun): Stop rushing about. followed by an infinitive with to : I… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • something — some|thing [ sʌmθıŋ ] pronoun *** 1. ) used for referring to a thing, idea, fact, etc. when you do not know or say exactly what it is: I could smell something burning. Carl said something about an operation. Whenever she sees something that she… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • something — [[t]sʌ̱mθɪŋ[/t]] ♦ 1) PRON INDEF: oft PRON adj, PRON adj about n You use something to refer to a thing, situation, event, or idea, without saying exactly what it is. He realized right away that there was something wrong... There was something… …   English dictionary

  • SOMETHING — n., pron., & adv. n. & pron. 1 a some unspecified or unknown thing (have something to tell you; something has happened). b (in full something or other) as a substitute for an unknown or forgotten description (a student of something or other). 2 a …   Useful english dictionary

  • Something Wicked This Way Comes (novel) — Something Wicked This Way Comes   …   Wikipedia

  • Must Be Santa (song) — Must Be Santa is a Christmas song that was originally recorded in 1961 by Mitch Miller. Hal Moore and Bill Fredericks wrote the song. Although the lyrics are different, it has exactly the same tune as Oh, You Sweet One , written by Moe Jaffe and… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”