Album This song officially appears on the Chaos and Creation in the Backyard Official album.
Timeline This song was officially released in 2005
Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 2003, when Paul McCartney was 61 years old)
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
"Chaos And Creation In The Backyard" first sessions
September 2003
July 2005 • From EMI
“Follow Me” is a track from Paul McCartney’s 2005 album “Chaos And Creation In The Backyard“. From an interview of Paul McCartney by Gary Crowley:
Follow Me was one of those songs that kind of almost wrote itself. You know, sometimes you’re feeling great about your life, not always but you’ve been lucky. You’re feeling great (plays) and, erm, I actually had done something where I had sung Let It Be and I was thinking, ‘It’s kind of nice having a song like that because it’s kind of quasi-religious but it’s very uplifting, you know’. ‘There will be an answer, let it be,’ and stuff, you know. (Plays) It’s in C, a very sort of open key. (Sings) ‘When I find myself, in times of trouble,’ so I was sort of messing around in that region and thinking of the same sort of thing, you know. What is it? It’s just somebody very important in your life or is it spirits of goodness or whatever it is, something kind of great so it was just like, (sings) ‘You lift up my spirits, you shine on my song, whenever I’m empty, you make me feel whole, I can rely on you to guide me through any situation, hold up the sign that reads, Follow Me.’ Come on, boys, everybody in. It was one of those that just kind of wrote itself once you got there. It was like you do this, you’re great, you just give me direction, it just inspired.
Paul McCartney – 2005 UK promotional-only interview CD, recorded July 2005 at Air Studios in London; full interview available on Chronicles in the Backyard Disc 1
You lift up my spirits
You shine on my soul
Whenever I'm empty
You make me feel whole
I can rely on you
To guide me through
Any situation
You hold up a sign that reads, follow me
You give me direction
You show me the way
You give me a reason
To face every day
I can depend on you
To send me to
Any destination
You hold up a sign that reads, follow me, follow me
Down the track of loneliness
Down the path of love
Through the woods of heartache to the end
On the shores of sorrow
Where the waves of hope crash in
The perfect place for me to find a friend
You lead to places
That I've never been
Uncovering secrets
That I've never seen
I can rely on you
To guide me through
Any situation
You hold up a sign that reads
Follow me, follow me,
Follow me, follow me,
Follow me, follow me
Follow me, follow me
Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (Special Edition)
Official album
2:31 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Block, Epiphone casino electric guitar, Epiphone texan acoustic guitar, Hofner bass, Ludwig drums, Percussion, Tambourine, Vocals Rusty Anderson : Acoustic guitar Abe Laboriel Jr. : Block, Percussion, Tambourine Brian Ray : Acoustic guitar Millennia Ensemble : Strings Nigel Godrich : Producer Darrell Thorp : Engineer Joby Talbot : Orchestra conductor, String arrangement Dan Grech-Marguerat : Production assistant
Session Recording: September 2003 • Studio RAK Studios, London
Session Overdubs: April 2005 • Studio AIR Studios Lyndhurst, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (Japanese edition)
Official album • Released in 2005
2:31 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Block, Epiphone casino electric guitar, Epiphone texan acoustic guitar, Hofner bass, Ludwig drums, Percussion, Tambourine, Vocals Rusty Anderson : Acoustic guitar Abe Laboriel Jr. : Block, Percussion, Tambourine Brian Ray : Acoustic guitar Millennia Ensemble : Strings Nigel Godrich : Producer Darrell Thorp : Engineer Joby Talbot : Orchestra conductor, String arrangement Dan Grech-Marguerat : Production assistant
Session Recording: September 2003 • Studio RAK Studios, London
Session Overdubs: April 2005 • Studio AIR Studios Lyndhurst, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
Official album • Released in 2005
2:31 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Block, Epiphone casino electric guitar, Epiphone texan acoustic guitar, Hofner bass, Ludwig drums, Percussion, Tambourine, Vocals Rusty Anderson : Acoustic guitar Abe Laboriel Jr. : Block, Percussion, Tambourine Brian Ray : Acoustic guitar Millennia Ensemble : Strings Nigel Godrich : Producer Darrell Thorp : Engineer Joby Talbot : Orchestra conductor, String arrangement Dan Grech-Marguerat : Production assistant
Session Recording: September 2003 • Studio RAK Studios, London
Session Overdubs: April 2005 • Studio AIR Studios Lyndhurst, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (Limited Edition - Gold LP)
Official album • Released in 2018
2:31 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Block, Epiphone casino electric guitar, Epiphone texan acoustic guitar, Hofner bass, Ludwig drums, Percussion, Tambourine, Vocals Rusty Anderson : Acoustic guitar Abe Laboriel Jr. : Block, Percussion, Tambourine Brian Ray : Acoustic guitar Millennia Ensemble : Strings Nigel Godrich : Producer Darrell Thorp : Engineer Joby Talbot : Orchestra conductor, String arrangement Dan Grech-Marguerat : Production assistant
Session Recording: September 2003 • Studio RAK Studios, London
Session Overdubs: April 2005 • Studio AIR Studios Lyndhurst, London, UK
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Unofficial live
4:01 • Soundcheck
Concert From the concert in Gothenburg, Sweden on Jun 12, 2004
Unofficial live
3:43 • Live
Concert From the concert in Des Moines, USA on Oct 27, 2005
Bridge School Benefit (Sunday Show)
Unofficial live • Released in 2004
3:10 • Live
Concert From "18th Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert" in Mountain View, USA on Oct 23, 2004
Unofficial live • Released in 2004
3:18 • Live
Concert From "4th Annual Adopt-A-Minefield Gala" in Los Angeles, USA on Oct 15, 2004
“Follow Me” has been played in 34 concerts.
Los Angeles • Staples Center • USA
Nov 30, 2005 • Part of The US Tour
Los Angeles • Staples Center • USA
Nov 29, 2005 • Part of The US Tour
Las Vegas • MGM Grand Garden Arena • USA
Nov 26, 2005 • Part of The US Tour
Las Vegas • MGM Grand Garden Arena • USA
Nov 25, 2005 • Part of The US Tour
Phoenix • Glendale Arena • USA
Nov 23, 2005 • Part of The US Tour
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.
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