No matter your opinion of Paul McCartney, you can’t deny he’s a prolific songwriter. He’s written more than 1,000 songs in his career, though the real total is probably higher. John Lennon admitted he liked only one of Macca’s Beatles pieces, and the bassist could be just as critical of his own work. Paul was harsh on his song “Live and Let Die,” and he was 100% wrong.
Paul McCartney didn’t rate ‘Live and Let Die’ as a great Bond theme, and he was totally wrong
Wings, Paul’s band after The Beatles, was still relatively new in 1973. The group formed and released their debut album in 1971. The solid follow-up Red Rose Speedway landed in early 1973, and the smash hit Band on the Run followed later that year.
Paul wrote “Live and Let Die” during the 1972 Red Rose Speedway sessions, but it didn’t hit record stores until mid-1973 when the James Bond movie came out. Macca wrote the song quickly after reading the book Live and Let Die, on which the movie was based. Beatles producer George Martin recorded it and composed the orchestral arrangement. Still, Paul still didn’t think much of “Live and Let Die.”
“I didn’t rate it too much alongside some of the Bond themes that had gone before, like those for ‘From Russia with Love’ or ‘Goldfinger,’ which are very Bondian. I wasn’t sure whether mine was, whether it would hold up with such classics, but a lot of people have put it on their list of top Bond songs.”
Paul McCartney in ‘The Lyrics: 1956 to Present’
It’s hard to believe that one of the most prolific and beloved songwriters of all time, who went to No. 1 multiple times in his career, had a moment of doubt. But he did. He said writing the song proved difficult because of the title and including those words in the lyrics. Paul added the challenge of pulling a fast one on fans. He started “Live and Let Die” as a ballad before switching to an anthem. It was a restriction that upped the difficulty factor.
Paul was unsure if “Live and Let Die” had what it took to become a certified classic Bond theme. History proves he was wrong to doubt himself.
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“Live and Let Die” is probably the most recognizable Bond theme song to non-Bond fas. It has staying power outside the movie. Say the title, and chances are movie fans and Beatles fanatics instantly recognize the orchestral swells, hammering rhythms, and hummable melody. Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger theme song (one that Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page played on, incidentally) might be the Bond theme where the tune most aligns with the film. Bassey’s song had the blaring trumpets and her sassy “Goldfingaaah” lyrics that crop up intermittently, but Paul’s tune had memorable moments throughout.
Paul broke new ground with “Live and Let Die,” too. His was the first James Bond theme song to earn an Oscar nomination. He legitimized writing a Bond theme as an artistic achievement. Paul didn’t win a statuette, but he set the stage for artists such as Adele, Sam Smith, and Billie Eilish to grab nominations and Academy Awards wins decades later.
How did “Live and Let Die” perform on the charts?
Not every song Paul wrote became a hit. A tune he gave away in the mid-1960s was a total flop — but “Live and Let Die” was a hit no matter how you look at it.
The song hit the Billboard chart in early July 1973, rose to No. 2 in early August, and spent 14 weeks among the best-performing singles. Paul had 23 top-10 singles in his post-Beatles career, and “Live and Let Die” was one of them. The song was only slightly less successful in England. “Live and Let Die” lasted 14 weeks on the charts in Paul’s homeland (per the Official Charts Company) and peaked at No. 9. It was Macca’s last of four consecutive top-10 singles in England from mid-1972 to mid-1973.
Paul McCartney wrongly doubted how “Live and Let Die” stacked up against other James Bond theme songs. He didn’t rate it highly, but the Academy Awards nomination and chart success proved him wrong.
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