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Released in 1979

Daytime Nightime Suffering

Written by Paul McCartney

Last updated on June 12, 2022

Album This song officially appears on the Goodnight Tonight / Daytime Nightime Suffering 7" Single.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1979

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

From Wikipedia:

“Daytime Nighttime Suffering” is a song written by Paul McCartney and recorded by Wings. It was the B-side to the 1979 single “Goodnight Tonight,” which was a top-five hit in both the UK and USA. It was released on CD in 1993 as part of the release of The Paul McCartney Collection, and can be found as a bonus track on the album Back to the Egg. It is also included on the CD collection Wingspan: Hits and History.

Story behind the writing of the song

According to the book Band on the Run: A History of Paul McCartney & Wings by Garry McGee, the writing of the song was as follows:

“When Wings was recording Back to the Egg, Paul had announced to the other band members that if they could come up with a good enough song, it would be recorded and put on B-side of the single. Such a generous gesture opened financial doors for the other band members, as the song could earn a small fortune as the flip side of a hit single. Each member–including Linda–spent the weekend trying to compose the song, but when Monday morning rolled around, Paul announced that he had written ‘the one.’ It was included as the B-side of ‘Goodnight Tonight’, which hit the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic in the spring of 1979 and went gold in the United States.“

Recording and subsequent history

The song was recorded January and February 1979 as part of the album sessions. In contrast to the quick composition of the song, the mixing required 49 attempts. McCartney’s son James, who was a baby at the time, can be heard crying about two minutes into the song.

McCartney cited the song as “one of my current favourites” in a 1984 interview with Oprah Winfrey, and he has mentioned it as a favourite in subsequent interviews as well. Linda McCartney mentioned it as a favourite as well. Despite this, McCartney has never performed the song live, although it was selected for inclusion on the “History” disc of the Wingspan: Hits and History collection.

That’s a pro-women song. “What does she get” for all of this? “Daytime nightime suffering.” It’s like the plight of women. You were saying about the Beatles stuff and my stuff being very humanistic. And I say that’s what I would be most proud of — as would any artist.

Paul McCartney – Billboard interview, 2001
From Laurence Juber (@OM28LJ) / Twitter – Last tweet mentioned baby James being heard crying at 2:03 in the song Daytime NIghttime Suffering. Here’s baby James with Mom Linda from back then.

Lyrics

What does she get for all the love she gave you

There on the ladder of regret

I do river give her all she gets

What does she get for all the love she gave you

There on the ladder of regret

Daytime, nighttime suffering is all she gets

Where are the prizes for the games she entered

With little chance of much success

Daytime, nightime suffering is all she gets

Come on river, overflow

Let your love for your people show

Come on river, flow through me

Let your love for your people be

You are the river, I am the stream

Flow mighty river through me

What does it pay to play the leading lady

When like the damsel in distress

Daytime, nightime suffering is all she gets

No less, no more

No sea, no shore

No sand, no pail

No fairytale any more

Come on river, flow through me

Don't be stopped by insanity

Come on river, overflow

Let your love for your neighbors grow

You are the river, I am the stream

Flow mighty river through me

Daytime, nightime suffering is all she gets

Daytime, nightime suffering is all she gets

Daytime, nightime, nightime suffering

What does she get for all the love she gave you?

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Daytime Nightime Suffering”

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Going further

Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989

With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.

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Paul McCartney writing

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Frederic Wullaert • 6 years ago

Hello! I think Wings played the song during the 1979 tour.

The PaulMcCartney Project • 6 years ago

Thanks for the hint Frederic - some digging required !

Richard S • 1 year ago

I thought the baby cry was actually a guitar riff.

Harry • 1 year ago

Jeez, even as a baby, James was weird looking.

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