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"Heart of the Country" | ||||
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Single by Paul and Linda McCartney | ||||
from the album Ram | ||||
A-side | " The Back Seat of My Car" | |||
Released | 13 August 1971 | |||
Recorded | 16 November 1970 | |||
Genre | Folk rock, country folk | |||
Length | 2:21 | |||
Label | Apple | |||
Songwriter(s) | Paul and Linda McCartney | |||
Producer(s) | Paul and Linda McCartney | |||
Paul and Linda McCartney singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Heart of the Country" on YouTube |
"Heart of the Country" is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney from their album Ram released in 1971.
The song has simple acoustic tune with a heavy bass chorus, and an unusually mellow sound to the acoustic guitar that was achieved by tuning all of the strings a full step lower than standard pitch. The song is about a man searching for a farm in the middle of nowhere. The song reflects Paul's heading for the Scottish countryside to escape the headaches associated with the Beatles' break-up at the time. [1]
The song is played in the key of D Minor at a tempo of 172.
In a contemporary review for Ram, Jon Landau of Rolling Stone gave "Heart of the Country" a negative review, calling it the album's "lowest point", and the song that "most clearly indicates [Ram's] failures". [2] Landau described the song as "an evenly paced, finger-picking styled tune, with very light jazz overtones, obviously intended as Paul's idea of "mellow."". [2] However, Landau believed McCartney's lyrics about the country "ring false". [2]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic described the song as "an effortless folk-pop tune that ranks among [McCartney's] very best songs". [3] Erlewine also praises its "imaginative and gorgeous arrangement". [4] In 2013, Rolling Stone rated "Heart of the Country" at number 26 in its list of Paul McCartney's best post- Beatles songs. [1]
McCartney and Elvis Costello re-recorded the song, with Mark Ronson producing, in 2013 for a commercial featuring his late wife Linda's vegetarian recipe book. [5]
It was also included on The 7" Singles Box in 2022. [6]