Eating Bacon With Paul McCartney*

I’m not sure what I meant with this title. It’s simply something written on a Post-It note where I’ve scribbled ideas.

I do like bacon, though.

I sometimes believe that if the possible consequences of climate change included a threat to the supply of bacon – as opposed to less exciting possibilities like famine, strife, war, and environmental destruction – there would be a great public outcry here in the West.

There would be such an effort put forth to protecting our pork, it would make the Marshall Plan seem like putting together a model railroad countryside.

But eating bacon with Paul McCartney seems like a unlikely event as I believe that Sir Paul is a devout vegetarian. Would I be willing to eat tofu or some other non-bacon bacon to dine with a Beatle?

I do know that the titular phrase came from a comment during conversation between Paloma and me. I asked her if she recalled what I now refer to as The Paul McCartney/Bacon Conversation, but she claims no recollection.

I suppose it was a rather unusual conversation and it now appears to be lost forever.

(I saw something similar on an episode of Seinfeld)

This babble leads me to some songs by Paul McCartney, but I had to do a search to see if I had any bacon music. I have none.

(which is unfortunate)

As for Sir Paul, I must confess that I am most familiar with his post-Beatles’ hits and I should become more acquainted with the full albums.

Also, as my late dog’s vet is a friend of Sir Paul (as well as an old co-worker), the possibility of eating bacon with McCartney might not be so far-fetched.

Here are four songs by Paul McCartney…

Paul McCartney & Wings – Band On The Run
from Wingspan

Still one of my favorite songs of McCartney’s post-Beatle output. Band On The Run is a bit darker and less frothy than a lot of his stuff and it’s made darker still as I very much associate it with its use in the movie The Killing Fields.

Paul McCartney & Wings – Listen To What The Man Said
from Wingspan

I know McCartney got a lot of flack in the ’70s for putting out fluff. Do people toss Listen To What The Man Said into that bin?

Maybe it is fluff, but so is cotton candy. And who doesn’t love cotton candy?

Actually, I don’t. But, I do love this song. It’s charming, sweet, sunny, and utterly delightful. It’s hard to be bummed out if it’s playing.

It also makes me think of the summer of ’75 when Listen To What The Man Said is one song which I do remember hearing and hearing often at the pool.

Paul McCartney & Wings – Listen To What The Man Said
from All The Best

Let ‘Em In appeared on Wings At The Speed Of Sound and the All-Music Guide review refers to the song – as well as Silly Love Songs – as “so lightweight that their lack of substance seems nearly defiant.”

Substanceless defiance aside, Let ‘Em In reminds me of a childhood friend who had the 45. The only other 45 which I remember him having was The Pretenders’ Brass In Pocket which he mistakenly bought for the b-side, Space Invader, thinking it was a similarly titled novelty song about the video game which was popular at the time.

Paul McCartney – Take It Away
from Tug Of War

By 1982, music had become a major part of my life and Paul McCartney had reunited with the legendary Sir George Martin for his album Tug Of War. I was fairly ambivalent about the much-maligned Ebony And Ivory which was inescapable on radio during that spring.

I was equally ambivalent about Tug Of War‘s second single, Take It Away, when it proved inescapable during that summer. Looking back, the song was likely a bit too sophisticated for my undeveloped ears but now I can appreciate it as a delightful pop gem.