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Released in 1997

Broomstick

Written by Paul McCartney

Last updated on September 26, 2020

Album This song officially appears on the Young Boy #2 EP.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1997

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1995, when Paul McCartney was 53 years old)

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related songs

“Broomstick” is a song recorded during the sessions of the 1997 album “Flaming Pie“, and released as a B-side of the single “Young Boy“. The song ended up being one of three Paul McCartney / Steve Miller contenders for the “Flaming Pie” album; the other two, “Young Boy” and “Used To Be Bad” made it onto the album.

We just made that up. I said, ‘Here’s a little rhythm track,’ and he started playing drums, and then he started singing. We didn’t know what we were doing – we were just jamming and not worrying about it… it was weird because it was just such a flight of fantasy, but one of the things about Paul is his imagination is so great, as a writer. When somebody sits down and tosses that off, you kind of go, ‘Wow, where did that come from?’

Steve Miller, talking about “Broomstick”, from the 2020 Flaming Pie Archive Collection book

“Broomstick” was included in the 2020 reissue of “Flaming Pie” but was not remastered. To promote this Archive Collection, an instrumental version was released on the RollingStone website:

[…] The previously unreleased version of “Broomstick” premiering here, which will not appear on the box set, is an all-acoustic instrumental jam that features just McCartney and Miller. As he did on both of his McCartney albums — on which he tracked the guitar, bass, and drums himself — McCartney handles most of the heavy lifting, while Miller plays guitar. This version also lacks the sound effects that closed out the more-familiar version. […]

The working title for the track was “Slow Blues“.

Lyrics

As long as we're together, it's gonna be just fine cause I heard it on the wind,

howling through the middle of the mind.

A little pinch of pepper, a little speck of spice,

stir it in the cauldron and come up with something nice.

As long as we're together, it's gonna be just fine cause I heard it on the wind,

howling through the middle of the mind.

Yeah, I heard it on the wind, howling through the middle of the night.

A little dash of magic, a little splash of light,

jump aboard my broomstick, come and join me for a flight.

As long as we're together, it's gonna be just fine,

well, I heard it on the broosmtick, dashing through the middle of the night.

Yeah, there I was, out on my broomstick again.

And he told me once and he told me twice, but I heard in the middle of the night.

A little dash of magic, a little splash of light,

put it in your camera and it's gonna turn out alright

As long as were together, it's gonna be just fine, yeah, all the time, yeah.

You know I heard it on the broomstick, howling through the middle of the mind.

While I was on my broomstick. Well, I heard it on the wind,

howling in the middle of the night.

Oh yeah, as long as we're together, gonna be alright

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

Videos

Album Flaming Pie - Archive Collection

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Going further

Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 2) 1990-2012

This new book by Luca Perasi traces Paul McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1990 to 2012 in the form of 250 song entries, filled with details about the recordings, stories behind the sessions and musical analysis. His pop albums, his forays into classical and avant-garde music, his penchant for covering old standards: a complete book to discover how these languages cross-pollinate and influence each other.

The second volume in a series that has established itself as a unique guide to take the reader on a journey into the astonishing creativity of Paul McCartney.

Read our exclusive interview with Luca Perasi

Buy on Amazon

Paul McCartney writing

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