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Released in 2018

Happy With You

Written by Paul McCartney

Last updated on December 22, 2019

Album This song officially appears on the Egypt Station Official album.

Timeline This song was officially released in 2018

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

“Happy With You” is a track from 2018 album “Egypt Station“. From “Words Between The Tracks” YouTube series:

Yeah, I was on holiday and I was just noodling around on the guitar, and I was thinking about the days when I had a lot of free time and used to just sort of lie around basically doing nothing all day, and getting a bit stoned and… just doing nothing really. Busy doing nothing.

And so I got this little riff on the guitar and the words came to me, you know: “I used to lie around all day, I used to get stoned, I used to like to get wasted, but these days I don’t.”

So it’s a song about growing up. There’s a period in your life – in some people’s lives – when they’re not being as productive, or not being as organised or disciplined as they may later turn out to be. So this was basically it.

Paul McCartney

In an interview with journalist Jonathan Dean:

There is a lot to be happy about and when I say in that song that I used to do this, I used to do that, but I don’t need to now, that’s kind of generally true. It’s not absolutely true, but I certainly did used to lie around stoned a lot in that era when everyone was just lying around stoned. And I don’t feel the need now. I’ve got better things to do. And so I list some of them and they are just little things I like, such as hear a Robin singing. I live on a farm, so the baby lambs running to their mothers…

Paul McCartney

This was me remembering the wasted days and then thinking: ‘But now I don’t need to do that because I’m happy with you, and I’m happy about a lot of things – good things to do’. So it was a nice one to write because I think it had an interesting story. And then I list in the middle-eight all these little things: a baby calling to its mother, an ice-cold stream rushing down the mountain… They were nice images to me, so I put it together and the song turned out to be ‘Happy With You’.

Paul McCartney

Interview with producer Greg Kurstin, from Rolling Stone, July 3, 2018:

What about “Happy With You?”

That’s a very simple acoustic song. It’s one of my favorites on the album, actually. It’s some acoustic and then I think he doubles it on electric guitar. He compressed it on the Fairchild, which was a real Beatles technique. I’m a music nerd, so I love to geek out on stuff like that. It’s so fun. And the song has such a simple little melody. I love it.

Greg Kurstin
Each track of “Egypt Station” has been given individual artwork that was first published on Twitter on August 14, 2018

Lyrics

I sat round all day

I used to get stoned

I liked to get wasted

But these days I don't

'cos I'm happy, with you

I got lots of good things to do,

oh yeah

I walked around angry

I used to feel bad

But nowadays my days

Don't have to be sad

'cos I'm happy, with you

I got lots of good things to do,

oh yeah

Like, hear the high clear robin sing

Walk a bluebell carpet

Watch the children playing games

Catch a moon and then drop it

Hear the gentle mantle roll

On a frosty morning

See the mighty ocean break

Like a sailor's warning

I used to drink too much

Forgot to come home

I lied to my doctor

But these days I don't

'cos I'm happy, with you

I got lots of good things to do

Throw a pocketful of coins in the Trevi fountain

See an ice cold running stream

Rushing down the mountain

Hear a new born baby lamb

Calling for its mother

Watching reunited friends

Loving one another

I sat around all day

I liked to get stoned

I used to get wasted

But these days I don‘t

'cos I'm happy, with you

I got lots of good things to do, oh yeah

Happy with you

I'm happy with you

Happy with you

Variations

  • A Album version

Officially appears on

Live performances

“Happy With You” has been played in 1 soundchecks.

Paul McCartney writing

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Sam Denny • 6 years ago

Who sings with him?

The PaulMcCartney Project • 6 years ago

Hi Sam, according to the official credits, he's the only one singing.

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