Released 30 April 1973 Genre Rock Label Apple | Recorded March–October 1972 Length 3:48 | |
Writer(s) Paul McCartney,
Linda McCartney | ||
"Big Barn Bed" is a song by Paul McCartney and Wings from the band's 1973 album, Red Rose Speedway. The songwriting credits are attributed to Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney.
Contents
Background
Like the Red Rose Speedway tracks "Get On the Right Thing" and "Little Lamb Dragonfly", "Big Barn Bed" was a leftover from the McCartneys' solo career. The song dates back to 1971, when a snippet of the track, intended to be the coda to the "Ram On" reprise, was heard during the recording of the McCartneys' album Ram. However, during the recording sessions for Red Rose Speedway, the song was recorded by the band for the new album. "Big Barn Bed" was originally intended to be the opening track of the double-LP version of Red Rose Speedway, but although the final album was cut down to a single disc, the song remained the album's opener.
A live version of "Big Barn Bed" was also included as the opening track in the James Paul McCartney television special. While the song was being performed, a description of each member of Wings was presented.
Critical opinion
Rolling Stone critic Lenny Kaye described the track as "captur[ing] McCartney's current approach as well as any", saying, "Neither verse nor chorus are anything much, but the song draws you slowly in with the same steady roll of traction demonstrated by that odd union of records which score heavily in the discotheque markets, reaching its peak with the endless repetitions of the chorus line in the end." AllMusic editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine includes "Big Barn Bed" among "the greatest songs" on Red Rose Speedway, but labels the track "slight".