"Wrapping Paper" is a song with music composed by Jack Bruce

Jack Bruce

John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...

 and lyrics by Pete Brown

Pete Brown

Peter Ronald Brown is an English performance poet and lyricist.Best known for his collaborations with Jack Bruce, Brown also worked with The Battered Ornaments, formed his own group Pete Brown & Piblokto!, and worked with Graham Bond and Phil Ryan. Brown also writes film scores and formed a film...

, performed by Cream

Cream (band)

Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...

 and originally released as a single in 1966 with "Cat's Squirrel" as the B side. It is featured on The Very Best of Cream

The Very Best of Cream

The Very Best of Cream is a 1995 Cream compilation album. This "Very Best of..." collection is not to be confused with Strange Brew: The Very Best of Cream.-Track listing:#"Wrapping Paper" – 2:21#"I Feel Free" – 2:54...

. It is quite distinct in style, a slow jazz number in contrast to the hard blues of other early songs such "N.S.U." and the pop-style of "I Feel Free

I Feel Free

"I Feel Free" is a song first recorded by British rock group Cream. The song's lyrics were written by Pete Brown, its music by Jack Bruce. It was the first track on the US issue of their debut album, Fresh Cream , and the band's second hit single...

".

The 45 single released on Reaction Records

Reaction Records

Reaction Records was an independent British record label, run by music executive Robert Stigwood in 1966 and 1967. Although Reaction released only three albums, one EP and eighteen singles in its brief existence, its roster included two of the most popular British bands of the time, The Who and Cream...

 reached #34 on the British pop singles chart in 1966, the first Top 40 hit for the band.

Drummer Ginger Baker was not fond of the song: "'Wrapping Paper' is the most appalling piece of shit I've ever heard in my life! I was totally against it, right from the start... Eric and I didn't like it."

Lyrical meaning

The lyrics to "Wrapping Paper" talk about a man who lost his love and finds himself constantly looking at a picture of himself and his love and keeps wishing to go back "to the house on the shore." The song's lyrics share common similarities with the songs "Dreaming" and "The Coffee Song."

Personnel

• Jack Bruce
  Jack Bruce
  John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
  
   - Lead vocals, bass guitar, piano, cello
• Eric Clapton
  Eric Clapton
  Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
  
   - Backing vocals, guitar
• Ginger Baker
  Ginger Baker
  Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker is an English drummer, best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith. He is also known for his numerous associations with World music, mainly the use of African influences...
  
  - Drums, Percussion

Charts

Year	Single	Position
		UK Top 40
October 1966	"Wrapping Paper"/ "Cat's Squirrel"	#34