Arrow Through Me
"Arrow Through Me" is a song by the British–American rock band Wings, released on their 1979 album Back to the Egg.[3]
"Arrow Through Me" | ||||
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Single by Wings | ||||
from the album Back to the Egg | ||||
B-side | "Old Siam, Sir" | |||
Released | 14 August 1979 (US) | |||
Recorded | 12–17 July 1978 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:37 | |||
Label | Columbia (US) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Paul McCartney | |||
Producer(s) | Paul McCartney | |||
Wings singles chronology | ||||
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Background
"Arrow Through Me", unlike most songs on Back to the Egg, is more pop-oriented than rock-oriented.[4]
"Arrow Through Me", harmonically it is almost like Duke Ellington could have had written it.
Ultimate Classic Rock contributor Nick DeRiso compared the keyboard bass line to those of Stevie Wonder and also praised the "inventive undulating polyrhythm" played by drummer Steve Holley.[6] DeRiso rated "Arrow Through Me" to be Wings' 8th greatest song.[6] Billboard Magazine described it as "a light and bouncy midtempo tune with sparse orchestration."[7]
Personnel
- Paul McCartney – vocals, synth-bass, electric piano, clavinet[8]
- Steve Holley – drums, Flexatone
- Howie Casey – horns
- Tony Dorsey – horns
- Steve Howard – horns
- Thaddeus Richard – horns
Release
It was the A-side of the second US single released from Back to the Egg and peaked at number 29. The B-side was "Old Siam, Sir", which was the A-side of the first UK single.
Other
The rumour that it inspired ABC's 1982 hit "Poison Arrow" is false, although there are similarities in its music video to that of Wings' "Goodnight Tonight".
The song was used with the opening credits of, and as a main melody line through, the 1980 movie Oh! Heavenly Dog, starring Chevy Chase, Jane Seymour and Benji. In 2010, neo-soul artist Erykah Badu sampled "Arrow Through Me" on an album track called "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long" on her CD New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh). It also appeared in the WKRP in Cincinnati episode "God Talks to Johnny" (1979).[9] In 2020, the song appeared in episode 2 (track 2) of Hulu's TV series adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel High Fidelity starring Zoe Kravitz.[10]
Chart history
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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References
- Hewitt, Paolo (2005). "Ten Solo Gems". NME. NME Originals. 2 (3): 20.
- DeRiso, Nick. "Top 10 Paul McCartney and Wings Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock.
- McCartney: Songwriter ISBN 0-491-03325-7 p. 219
- McCartney: Songwriter ISBN 0-491-03325-7 p. 204
- Terrill, Marshall. "Exclusive: Ex-Wings guitarist, Laurence Juber, talks about attending 'Paul McCartney University'". Daytrippin' Beatles Magazine.
- DeRiso, Nick. "Top 10 Wings Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. 25 August 1979. p. 75. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- Vigars, Mark. (1979). https://www.the-paulmccartney-project.com/song/arrow-through-me/
- My Year of Chevy: One Guy's Journey Through the Filmography of Chevy Chase ISBN 978-1-304-16206-9 p. 15
- Gonzales, Erica (28 February 2020). "Here's Every Song on 'High Fidelity,' So You Don't Have to Shazam Every Scene". Harper's BAZAAR.
- "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 20 October 1979. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 157.
- "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
- Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.