She's My Baby (Wings song)
Encyclopedia
"She's My Baby" is a song credited to Paul
and Linda McCartney
that was first released by Wings
on their 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound
. It is a love song sung by Paul directed at Linda. Critical opinion of the song has ranged from a description as Paul McCartney's "sweetest, daftest love song" to a suggestion that it deserves an "honor for sheer awfulness." In 1998, after Linda's death, Paul McCartney rearranged the song for string quartet
to be played at memorial concerts for his late wife. This version was included on the 1999 album Working Classical.
to be mopped up by the singer:
The verses are in the key
of C major
. The bridge
begins in the key of F major
, which is the subdominant
key to the verses, and ends on a dominant seventh chord
on G major
, which is the dominant
of C, facilitating the transition back to the verse. Like the hit singles from Wings at the Speed of Sound, "Let 'Em In
" and "Silly Love Songs
," the bass guitar
is prominent in the mix
. This was done intentionally to make the song more danceable. Paul McCartney has stated that "That is the bass in your face. And that was really because we were making a dance record."
." This limited radio play of a song they consider one of the best on the album, albeit "lightweight and jaunty." Robert Christgau
claimed that "'She's My Baby' sounds like an outtake from the 'white' double-LP
by McCartney's former group, the Beatles.
Other critics are less kind. Reviewing Wings at the Speed of Sound, Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine
states that "'She's My Baby' play like the hits, only without memorable hooks." Fab Four FAQ 2.0 author Robert Rodriguez calls the song "hackneyed" and suggests that it "must earn some kind of honor for sheer awfulness." Music professor Vincent Benitez acknowledges that the song is "danceable," but also calls it "superficial" and "an inane pop song with trite lyrics and images."
to be played at memorial concerts for his late wife. The Brodsky Quartet
performed the song at memorial services in London, and the Loma Mar Quartet performed the song at memorial services in New York. The Loma Mar Quartet also recorded the string quartet version of the song for the 1999 album Working Classical.
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and Linda McCartney
Linda McCartney
Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman....
that was first released by Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
on their 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound
Wings at the Speed of Sound
Wings at the Speed of Sound is the fifth album by Wings and was recorded and issued in 1976 in the midst of a large world tour as the follow-up album to the popular Venus and Mars.- History :...
. It is a love song sung by Paul directed at Linda. Critical opinion of the song has ranged from a description as Paul McCartney's "sweetest, daftest love song" to a suggestion that it deserves an "honor for sheer awfulness." In 1998, after Linda's death, Paul McCartney rearranged the song for string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
to be played at memorial concerts for his late wife. This version was included on the 1999 album Working Classical.
Lyrics and music
"She's My Baby" is a love song inspired by Linda. Paul McCartney sings the lead vocal. In each of the verses, the song describes characteristics of the singer's "baby." Some of these have been criticized as being trite; for example, the woman is described as gravyGravy
Gravy is a sauce made often from the juices that run naturally from meat or vegetables during cooking. In North America the term can refer to a wider variety of sauces and gravy is often thicker than in Britain...
to be mopped up by the singer:
- Like gravy, down to the last drop
- I keep mopping her up
- Oh yeah, she's my baby
The verses are in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
. The bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
begins in the key of F major
F major
F major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
, which is the subdominant
Subdominant
In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance "below" the tonic as the dominant is above the tonic - in other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdominant. It is also the note immediately...
key to the verses, and ends on a dominant seventh chord
Dominant seventh chord
In music theory, a dominant seventh chord, or major minor seventh chord,is a chord composed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. It can be also viewed as a major triad with an additional minor seventh...
on G major
G major
G major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
, which is the dominant
Dominant (music)
In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree of the diatonic scale, called "dominant" because it is next in importance to the tonic,and a dominant chord is any chord built upon that pitch, using the notes of the same diatonic scale...
of C, facilitating the transition back to the verse. Like the hit singles from Wings at the Speed of Sound, "Let 'Em In
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 both the United States and the United Kingdom: It was a #2 hit in the UK, and in the US it was a #3 pop hit and #1 easy listening hit...
" and "Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Wings. The song appeared on the 1976 album, Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was also released as a single in 1976. The US single was released on 1 April 1976 and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The UK single was...
," the bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
is prominent in the mix
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
. This was done intentionally to make the song more danceable. Paul McCartney has stated that "That is the bass in your face. And that was really because we were making a dance record."
Critical reception
Critical reaction to "She's My Baby" has been very mixed. The Rough Guide to the Beatles author Chris Ingham calls "She's My Baby" McCartney's "sweetest, daftest love song." Chip Madiger and Mark Easter lament that on Wings at the Speed of Sound "She's My Baby" is crossfaded with the the following song on the album, "Beware My LoveBeware My Love
"Beware My Love" is a song credited to Paul and Linda McCartney that was first released on the Wings 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was also used as the B-side of the single that included "Let 'Em In"...
." This limited radio play of a song they consider one of the best on the album, albeit "lightweight and jaunty." Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
claimed that "'She's My Baby' sounds like an outtake from the 'white' double-LP
The Beatles (album)
The Beatles is the ninth official album by the English rock group The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is also commonly known as "The White Album" as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name embossed on its plain white sleeve.The album was written and recorded during a...
by McCartney's former group, the Beatles.
Other critics are less kind. Reviewing Wings at the Speed of Sound, Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
states that "'She's My Baby' play like the hits, only without memorable hooks." Fab Four FAQ 2.0 author Robert Rodriguez calls the song "hackneyed" and suggests that it "must earn some kind of honor for sheer awfulness." Music professor Vincent Benitez acknowledges that the song is "danceable," but also calls it "superficial" and "an inane pop song with trite lyrics and images."
String quartet version
In 1998, after Linda McCartney's death, Paul McCartney rearranged the song for string quartetString quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
to be played at memorial concerts for his late wife. The Brodsky Quartet
Brodsky Quartet
The Brodsky Quartet is a British string quartet, in existence since 1972, though only Ian Belton and Jacqueline Thomas are original members.In addition to performing classical music, and in particular the classic string quartet repertoire of Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Bartók and Shostakovich,...
performed the song at memorial services in London, and the Loma Mar Quartet performed the song at memorial services in New York. The Loma Mar Quartet also recorded the string quartet version of the song for the 1999 album Working Classical.