Listen to What the Man said - wikipedia Listen to What the Man said `` Listen to What the Man Said '' Single by Wings from the album Venus and Mars B - side `` Love in Song '' Released 16 May 1975 Format 7 '' single Recorded 31 January and 20 February 1975 Genre Soft rock Length 3 : 57 Label Capitol Songwriter ( s ) Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney Producer ( s ) Paul McCartney Wings singles chronology `` Junior 's Farm '' ( 1974 ) `` Listen to What the Man Said '' ( 1975 ) `` Letting Go '' ( 1975 ) `` Junior 's Farm '' ( 1974 ) `` Listen to What the Man Said '' ( 1975 ) `` Letting Go '' ( 1975 ) Venus and Mars track listing 13 tracks Side one `` Venus and Mars '' `` Rock Show '' `` Love in Song '' `` You Gave Me the Answer '' `` Magneto and Titanium Man '' `` Letting Go '' Side two `` Venus and Mars ( Reprise ) '' `` Spirits of Ancient Egypt '' `` Medicine Jar '' `` Call Me Back Again '' `` Listen to What the Man Said '' `` Treat Her Gently / Lonely Old People '' `` Crossroads Theme '' `` Listen to What the Man Said '' is a hit single from Wings ' 1975 album Venus and Mars. The song featured new member Joe English on drums, with guest musicians Dave Mason on guitar and Tom Scott on soprano saxophone. It was a number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US ; as well, it reached number 1 in Canada on the RPM National Top Singles Chart. It also reached number 6 in the UK, and reached the top ten in Norway and New Zealand and the top twenty in the Netherlands. The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies. Contents 1 Recording 2 Personnel 3 Lyrics 4 Reception 5 Chart performance 5.1 Weekly charts 5.2 Year - end charts 6 Covers 7 References 8 External links Recording `` Listen to What the Man Said '' was recorded in early 1975 by Wings during their New Orleans sessions for Venus and Mars. It was a song which Paul McCartney had high hopes for, but early recordings did not live up to the song 's potential. McCartney said in 1975 of his initial opinion of the song, `` It was one of the songs we 'd gone in with high hopes for. Whenever I would play it on the piano, people would say ' Oh, I like that one. ' But when we did the backing track, we thought we did n't really get it together at all. '' After Mason added guitar overdubs, the band was still dissatisfied. However, once Scott recorded the sax solo, judgements were changed. Although several takes of the solo were recorded, the very first take was the one that was used. McCartney said of Tom Scott 's impact on the track, `` Someone said ( famous jazz musician ) ' Tom Scott lives near here. ' We said, yeah, give him a ring, see if he turns up, and he turned up within half an hour ! There he was, with his sax, and he sat down in the studio playing through. The engineer was recording it. We kept all the notes he was playing casually. He came in and I said ' I think that 's it. ' He said ' Did you record that ? ' I said yes, and we listened to it back. No one could believe it, so he went out and tried a few more, but they were n't as good. He 'd had all the feel on this early take, the first take. '' The effect of a kiss smack heard on the track was recorded by engineer Alan O'Duffy, who taped Linda doing it. Reverse side to the single `` Listen to What the Man Said '' The end of the song also features a small link used to transition into the next song on Venus and Mars, `` Treat Her Gently / Lonely Old People ''. You either have to leave it and stop ' Listen to What the Man Said ' dead or you spill over into the next little link piece. I just like that link myself, and thought no one 's going to mind that little extra on the record. -- Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney : In His Own Words Personnel Paul McCartney -- vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, percussion Linda McCartney -- keyboards, backing vocals, percussion Denny Laine -- vocals, guitars, percussion Jimmy McCulloch -- guitars Joe English -- drums, percussion Dave Mason -- guitar Tom Scott -- saxophone Lyrics The song is an optimistic love song. Even though love may be blind or may cause separated lovers to suffer, the singer believes that love will prevail. This is in accordance with what `` the man '' said. `` The man '' is not explicitly identified, but might be God. Author Vincent Benitez believes that, `` McCartney is advising everyone to stick with the basics of life, which for him means focusing on love. '' The song is in the key of G major. Reception Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called `` Listen to What the Man Said '' `` a typically sweet and lovely melody ''. Paul Nelson of Rolling Stone called it `` deliciously catchy '' and `` as fine an example of slick, professional entertainment and carefully crafted ' product ' as has ever hit the airwaves ''. Author John Blaney described the song as `` a slice of radio - friendly pop '' and `` a joyous celebration of love and life, buoyed by Linda 's equally exuberant backing vocals... ''. Benitez described the song as `` another great example of McCartney - style pop, a buoyant and optimistic song about love where words and music are wedded together. Authors Roy Carr and Tony Tyler note about the song that `` artful and sensitive production elevate what was originally a piece of inconsequential whimsy into what can only be described as High Pop '', also describing the song as `` likeable '' and `` hummable ''. Author Chris Ingham described the song as `` superior pop ''. The song was also included on the numerous greatest hits compilations, including 1987 's All the Best ! and 2001 's Wingspan : Hits and History. However, it was not included on the 1978 Wings compilation, Wings Greatest. Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1975 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 14 Canada ( RPM 100 Top Singles ) Canada RPM Adult Contemporary Germany ( Media Control ) 42 Ireland Singles Chart Japan ( Oricon ) 46 Netherlands ( Dutch Top 40 ) 18 New Zealand 9 Norway ( VG - lista ) UK Singles Chart ( Official Charts Company ) 6 US Billboard Hot 100 US Billboard Easy Listening 8 Year - end charts Chart ( 1975 ) Position Australia 100 Canada ( RPM 100 ) 13 New Zealand 25 US Billboard Hot 100 41 Covers The song was covered ( as `` L.T.W.T.M.S. '' ) by indie pop band The Trouble with Sweeney on their 2004 EP Fishtown Briefcase. Ex-Wings member Laurence Juber covered the song on his 2005 album One Wing, despite not being a member of the band at the time of the song 's recording and release. Former Wings member Denny Laine covered `` Listen to What the Man Said '' in 1996 on his album Wings at the Sound of Denny Laine. In 2008, Freedy Johnston covered this song on his album My Favourite Waste of Time. The chorus elements from the single were used in the 2003 Dance single `` Just The Way You Are '' by the Italian dance group Milky. Because of this, Paul and Linda McCartney were given credit on the single. Owl City covered `` Listen to What the Man Said '' on The Art of McCartney tribute album. References ^ Jump up to : Mason, S. `` Listen to What the Man Said ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Paul McCartney singles ''. allmusic. Retrieved 2010 - 08 - 12. Jump up ^ `` RPM Top Singles ''. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Official Charts : Paul McCartney ''. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Dutch charts : Listen to What the Man Said ''. dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` RIAA Gold and Platinum ''. RIAA. Archived from the original on 2013 - 02 - 25. Retrieved 2012 - 10 - 12. Jump up ^ riaa.com ^ Jump up to : Madiger, C. & Easter, M. ( 2000 ). Eight Arms to Hold You. 44.1 Productions. p. 205. ISBN 0 - 615 - 11724 - 4. ^ Jump up to : Blaney, J. ( 2007 ). Lennon and McCartney : Together Alone : A Critical Discography of Their Solo Work. Jawbone Press. pp. 107 -- 108. ISBN 978 - 1 - 906002 - 02 - 2. ^ Jump up to : DeRiso, Nick. `` 40 Years Ago : Paul McCartney and Wings Release Uneven but Ultimately Charming ' Venus and Mars ' ''. Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 28 May 2015. Jump up ^ Luca Perasi, Paul McCartney : Recording Sessions ( 1969 - 2013 ), 2013, L.I.L.Y. Publishing, p. 133, ISBN 978 - 88 - 909122 - 1 - 4. Jump up ^ Gambaccini, Paul. Paul McCartney : In His Own Words. ^ Jump up to : Benitez, V.P. ( 2010 ). The Words and Music of Paul McCartney : The Solo Years. Praeger. pp. 68 -- 69. ISBN 978 - 0 - 313 - 34969 - 0. Jump up ^ Erlewine, S.T. `` Venus and Mars ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 17. Jump up ^ Nelson, P. ( May 3, 2001 ). `` Venus and Mars Review ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 17. Jump up ^ Carr, R. & Tyler, T. ( 1978 ). The Beatles : An illustrated record. Harmony Books. pp. 109 -- 110. ISBN 0 - 517 - 53367 - 7. Jump up ^ Ingham, C. ( 2009 ). The Rough Guide to the Beatles ( 3rd ed. ). Penguin. p. 117. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4053 - 8445 - 2. Jump up ^ Erlewine, S.T. `` All the Best ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ Erlewine, S.T. `` Wingspan : Hits and History ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Wings Greatest ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 1993 ). Australian Chart Book 1970 -- 1992 ( doc ) format = requires url = ( help ). Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0 - 646 - 11917 - 6. Jump up ^ `` Canadian Chart ''. www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2014 - 11 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1975 - 08 - 09. Retrieved 2018 - 03 - 10. Jump up ^ `` charts.de ''. GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 24 February 2012. Jump up ^ `` Japanese Chart ''. nifty.com. Retrieved 2014 - 11 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl Paul McCartney discography ''. Hung Medien. MegaCharts. Retrieved 2 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` NZ Top 40 Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ''. Nztop40.co.nz. 1975 - 08 - 11. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 10. Jump up ^ `` Official Charts : Paul McCartney ''. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 13 October 2011. Jump up ^ `` Paul McCartney Charts and Awards ''. allmusic. Retrieved 13 October 2011. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1993 ). Top Adult Contemporary : 1961 -- 1993. Record Research. p. 157. Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 1993 ). Australian Chart Book 1970 - 1992. St Ives, N.S.W. : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0 - 646 - 11917 - 6. Jump up ^ `` Top 200 Singles of 1975 ''. RPM. 1975 - 12 - 27. Retrieved 2010 - 12 - 06. Jump up ^ `` Top Selling Singles of 1975 The Official New Zealand Music Chart ''. Nztop40.co.nz. 1975 - 12 - 31. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 10. Jump up ^ `` Billboard Top 100 - 1975 ''. Archived from the original on 2014 - 01 - 02. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 01. Jump up ^ Deusner, S. ( June 16, 2004 ). `` Trouble with Sweeney Fishtown Briefcase EP ''. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` One Wing ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Paul McCartney covers ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Performs the Hits of Wings ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` My Favourite Waste of Time ''. Allmusic. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Just the Way You Are ''. whosampled.com. Retrieved 2011 - 10 - 13. Jump up ^ Grow, Kory ( 9 September 2014 ). `` Paul McCartney Tribute Comp : Bob Dylan, Kiss and More Cover the Beatle ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 September 2014. External links Lyrics of this song Preceded by `` Only Women Bleed '' by Alice Cooper Canadian RPM number - one single July 12, 1975 ( one week ) Succeeded by `` Magic '' by Pilot Preceded by `` Love Will Keep Us Together '' by Captain & Tennille US Billboard Hot 100 number - one single July 19, 1975 ( one week ) Succeeded by `` The Hustle '' by Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony Wings Paul McCartney Linda McCartney Denny Laine Denny Seiwell Henry McCullough Jimmy McCulloch Geoff Britton Joe English Laurence Juber Steve Holley Studio albums Wild Life ( 1971 ) Red Rose Speedway ( 1973 ) Band on the Run ( 1973 ) Venus and Mars ( 1975 ) Wings at the Speed of Sound ( 1976 ) London Town ( 1978 ) Back to the Egg ( 1979 ) Live albums Wings over America ( 1976 ) Compilation albums Wings Greatest ( 1978 ) Cold Cuts Wingspan : Hits and History ( 2001 ) Singles `` Give Ireland Back to the Irish '' `` Mary Had a Little Lamb '' / `` Little Woman Love '' `` Hi, Hi, Hi '' / `` C Moon '' `` My Love '' `` Live and Let Die '' / `` I Lie Around '' `` Helen Wheels '' / `` Country Dreamer '' `` Mrs. Vandebilt '' / `` Bluebird '' `` Jet '' / `` Mamunia '' `` Let Me Roll It '' `` Band on the Run '' / `` Zoo Gang '' `` Nineteen Hundred and Eighty - Five '' `` Junior 's Farm '' / `` Sally G '' `` Listen to What the Man Said '' / `` Love in Song '' `` Letting Go '' / `` You Gave Me the Answer '' `` Venus and Mars / Rock Show '' / `` Magneto and Titanium Man '' `` Silly Love Songs '' / `` Cook of the House '' `` Let ' Em In '' / `` Beware My Love '' `` Maybe I 'm Amazed '' / `` Soily '' `` Seaside Woman '' `` Mull of Kintyre '' / `` Girls ' School '' `` With a Little Luck '' / `` Backwards Traveller '' / `` Cuff Link '' `` I 've Had Enough '' / `` Deliver Your Children '' `` London Town '' / `` I 'm Carrying '' `` Goodnight Tonight '' / `` Daytime Nighttime Suffering '' `` Old Siam, Sir '' `` Getting Closer '' `` Arrow Through Me '' `` Rockestra Theme '' `` Coming Up ( Live at Glasgow ) '' Tours Wings University Tour ( 1972 ) Wings Over Europe Tour ( 1972 ) Wings 1973 UK Tour ( May 1973 ) Wings Over the World tour ( 1975 - 1976 ) Wings UK Tour 1979 ( 1979 ) Concerts for the People of Kampuchea ( 1979 ) Filmography Wings Over the World ( 1979 ) Concert for Kampuchea ( 1980 ) Rockshow ( 1980 ) Back to the Egg ( 1981 ) Wingspan -- An Intimate Portrait ( 2001 ) Related articles Discography Songs The Beatles Ginger Baker 's Air Force Japanese Tears The Moody Blues Standard Time Suzy and the Red Stripes Small Faces The Oriental Nightfish Paul McCartney Paul `` Wix '' Wickens Rusty Anderson Brian Ray Abe Laboriel Jr. Linda McCartney Hamish Stuart Robbie McIntosh Chris Whitten Blair Cunningham Studio albums McCartney Ram ( with Linda McCartney ) McCartney II Tug of War Pipes of Peace Give My Regards to Broad Street Press to Play Снова в СССР Flowers in the Dirt Off the Ground Flaming Pie Run Devil Run Driving Rain Chaos and Creation in the Backyard Memory Almost Full Kisses on the Bottom New with Wings Wild Life Red Rose Speedway Band on the Run Venus and Mars Wings at the Speed of Sound London Town Back to the Egg Classical The Family Way Thrillington Paul McCartney 's Liverpool Oratorio Standing Stone Working Classical Ecce Cor Meum Ocean 's Kingdom Electronica Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest ( The Fireman ) Rushes ( The Fireman ) Liverpool Sound Collage Twin Freaks Electric Arguments ( The Fireman ) Live albums Wings over America Tripping the Live Fantastic Unplugged ( The Official Bootleg ) Paul Is Live Back in the U.S. Back in the World Live Amoeba 's Secret Good Evening New York City Live in Los Angeles iTunes Live from Capitol Studios Compilations Wings Greatest Cold Cuts ( unreleased ) All the Best ! The Paul McCartney Collection Costello Album ( bootleg ) Wingspan : Hits and History Pure McCartney Tours Wings University Tour Wings Over Europe Tour Wings 1973 UK Tour Wings Over the World tour Wings UK Tour 1979 The Paul McCartney World Tour The New World Tour Driving World Tour Back in the World 2004 Summer Tour The ' US ' Tour Summer Live ' 09 Good Evening Europe Tour Up and Coming Tour On the Run Out There One on One Filmography A Hard Day 's Night ( 1964 ) Help ! ( 1965 ) Magical Mystery Tour ( 1967 ) Yellow Submarine ( 1968 ) Let It Be ( 1970 ) James Paul McCartney ( 1973 ) Wings Over the World ( 1979 ) Rockestra ( unreleased ) ( 1979 ) Concert for Kampuchea ( 1980 ) Rockshow ( 1980 ) Back to the Egg ( 1981 ) Give My Regards to Broad Street ( 1984 ) Put It There ( 1990 ) Get Back ( 1991 ) Paul Is Live ( 1993 ) In the World Tonight ( 1997 ) Live at the Cavern Club ( 1999 ) Wingspan ( 2001 ) Back in the U.S. ( 2002 ) Paul McCartney in Red Square ( 2005 ) Between Chaos and Creation ( 2005 ) Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road ( 2005 ) The Space Within US ( 2006 ) The McCartney Years ( 2007 ) Good Evening New York City ( 2009 ) The Love We Make ( 2011 ) Related Articles Discography Song list Awards Music contributions and appearances Paul McCartney concerts Maxi - singles Paul McCartney : Many Years from Now MPL Communications Oobu Joobu Paul is dead `` Lisa the Vegetarian '' The Concert for New York City People / Artists The Quarrymen The Beatles Wings Heather Mills Personal relationships Music Wide Prairie A Garland for Linda Paul McCartney 's Glastonbury Groove Let Us in Americana : The Music of Paul McCartney A Toot and a Snore in ' 74 The Art of McCartney `` Cut Me Some Slack '' Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Listen_to_What_the_Man_Said&oldid=830073576 '' Categories : 1975 singles Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Paul McCartney songs Wings ( band ) songs Songs written by Paul McCartney Capitol Records singles Song recordings produced by Paul McCartney Songs written by Linda McCartney Music published by MPL Music Publishing 1975 songs Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from June 2017 Pages using citations with format and no URL Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français Italiano 日本 語 Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 12 March 2018, at 16 : 01. 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Question: who is the man in listen to what the man said
Answer: not explicitly identified, but might be God