Paul McCartney has expressed his love of country music a few times. He’s discussed the genre in interviews and has imbued his songwriting with its textures and conventions. He’s never gone full-blown country, unlike his former bandmate Ringo Starr, but there have been glimmers of a country influence over the years. He even earned one charting hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, “Sally G.” Learn more about the Nashville influence on this Wings track.
Videos by American Songwriter
Paul McCartney’s Only Country Chart Hit
In the mid-’70s, Wings was going through a personnel change. They were rounding out their lineup, featuring McCartney, Linda McCartney, Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch, and Geoff Britton, when they took a trip to Music City.
“Buddy Killen took us out to Printer’s Alley, a little club district,” McCartney once said. This little corner of Nashville instantly inspired McCartney. It moved him to pen “Sally G,” the B-side to “Junior’s Farm.”
The night life took me down to Printers Alley / Where Sally sang a song behind a bar / I ran my eyes across her as she sang a tangled mind / I used to love to hear her sweet guitar, the lyrics read.
McCartney added elsewhere about the experience, saying, “I didn’t see anyone named ‘Sally G’ in Printer’s Alley. Nor did I see anyone who ran her eyes over me when she was singing ‘A Troubled Mind.’ That was my imagination, adding to the reality of it.”
Well, now I’m on my own again / I wonder if she ever really understood / I never thought to ask her what the letter “G” stood for / But I know for sure it wasn’t good, McCartney sings later in the song, crafting a very “Nashville” one-liner.
Charting Hit
McCartney didn’t just play a country hitmaker for a little while; he genuinely earned success in the genre. He landed at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Though this is a far cry from the chart success he has enjoyed in the rock realm, it’s still an impressive feat.
The success of “Sally G” speaks to McCartney’s universal excellence as a songwriter. Putting his songwriting voice to any genre works out well. He proved his talents go far beyond genre lines or expectations. But, then again, the entire world likely already knew that.
(Photo by -/PRESSENS BILD/AFP via Getty Images)
More Behind The Song
-
SInger songwriter Harry Nilsson (1941 – 1994), 1972. (Photo by Stan Meagher/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
Photo by NBCU Photo Bank -
CLARKSTON, MI – AUGUST 22: English singer, songwriter and musician, and former member of the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith, as well as being a solo artist, Steve Winwood performs at the Pine Knob Music Theatre during his "Back In The High Life Tour" on August 22, 1986, in Clarkston, Michigan, outside of Detroit. (Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images) -
Celine Dion performs the song "Tell Him" from the motion picture "Titanic" during the 40th Grammy Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York 25 February. Dion was nominated along with Barbra Streisand in the Best Pop Collaboration with vocals categor.(ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO Timothy A. CLARY (Photo by Timothy A. CLARY and VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty Images) -
Rock and roll band "America" featuring David Dickey (bass), Willie Leacox (drums), Gerry Beckley (guitar), Michael Woods (lead guitar), Dewey Bunnell (guitar), Jim Calire (keyboards), and Tom Walsh (percussion) perform on "Midnight Special" TV show in October 1980 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ron Eisenberg/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Photo by Pete Hohn/Star Tribune via Getty Images -
American folk rock group The Mamas and the Papas, 15th June 1966. From left to right, they are record producer Terry Melcher, band members John Phillips, Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty, and record producer Lou Adler. (Photo by Watson/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
