Released in 1987
Written by Traditional
Last updated on June 22, 2019
Album This song officially appears on the Once Upon a Long Ago #2 12" Single.
Timeline This song was officially released in 1987
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
Get Back sessions - January 3, 1969 - Day 2
Jan 03, 1969
Jul 20, 1987
Jul 22, 1987
January 1991
Rehearsals for 2010 summer concert
May 19, 2010
From Wikipedia:
“Midnight Special” is a traditional folk song thought to have originated among prisoners in the American South. The title comes from the refrain, which refers to the passenger train Midnight Special and its “ever-loving light” (sometimes “ever-living light“):
Let the Midnight Special shine her light on me,
Let the Midnight Special shine her ever-loving light on me.The song is historically performed in the country-blues style from the viewpoint of the prisoner and has been covered by many artists. […]
Paul McCartney has performed it numerous times (with The Beatles and solo). It was the closing song on his 1988 album Choba B CCCP and was performed on his 1991 appearance on MTV Unplugged, but was not included on the accompanying album. […]
From the “Choba B CCCP” liner notes:
Midnight Special is public domain and anyone personally rearranging the song has the legal right to claim a composer credit. The legendary blues artist, Leadbelly first claimed it sometime between 1918 and 1925 when serving time for murder in Harlem – an all-black Texas prison.
The prison, which no longer exists, was located near Sugarland just outside of Houston and the words in the song, “Let the Midnight Special shine its ever-lovin’ light on me,” refers to the prison myth that if the light of that train from Houston shone on an inmate he would be freed.
Paul’s easy-action version retain elements of its original blues roots by way of his nimble acoustic guitar pickin’.
Well you wake up early in the morning
Hear the ding dong bell
You go a-walkin' to the table
See the same damn thing
Knife and fork out on the table
Piece of paper round my hand
Nothing I can do about it
I'll get in trouble with the man
Let the midnight special
Shine her light on me
Let the midnight special
Shine his ever-loving light on me
If you ever go to Houston
You better act right
You better not gamble
And you better not fight
Because the Sheriff will arrest you
And he'll carry you down
And if they go and find you guilty
Penitentiary bound.
Let the midnight special
Shine her light on me
Let the midnight special
Shine his ever-loving light on me.
Well you wake up early in the morning
Hear the ding dong bell
You go a-walkin' to the table
See the same damn thing
Knife and fork out on the table
Piece of paper in my hand
Nothing I can do about it
I'll get in trouble with the man.
Let the midnight special
Shine her light on me
Let the midnight special
Shine his ever-loving light on me.
Well if I ever go to Houston
You better act right
You better not gamble
And you better not fight
Because the Sheriff will arrest you
And they'll carry you down
And if they find you guilty
Well you'll be sugar-line bound.
Let the midnight special
Shine his light on me
Let the midnight special
Shine his ever-loving light on me.
12" Single • Released in 1987
4:01 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Producer, Vocal Mick Green : Guitar Chris Whitten : Drums Mick Gallagher : Piano Peter Henderson : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Jul 20, 1987 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Session Mixing: Jul 22, 1987 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Official album • Released in 1988
3:59 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Producer, Vocal Mick Green : Guitar Chris Whitten : Drums Mick Gallagher : Piano Peter Henderson : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Jul 20, 1987 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Session Mixing: Jul 22, 1987 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Official album • Released in 1991
3:59 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Bass, Producer, Vocal Mick Green : Guitar Chris Whitten : Drums Mick Gallagher : Piano Peter Henderson : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Jul 20, 1987 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Session Mixing: Jul 22, 1987 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Off the Ground - The Complete Works
Official album • Released in 1993
4:55 • Live • L1
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Percussion Robbie McIntosh : Acoustic guitar Hamish Stuart : Acoustic bass, Vocal harmonies Paul Wickens : Piano Blair Cunningham : Drums Geoff Emerick : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Eddie Klein : Assistant engineer Gary Stewart : Assistant engineer Peter Craigie : Assistant engineer Gary Bradshaw : Monitor engineer
Concert From "MTV Unplugged" in Wembley, United Kingdom on Jan 25, 1991
EP • Released in 1993
4:42 • Live • L1
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Percussion Robbie McIntosh : Acoustic guitar Hamish Stuart : Acoustic bass, Vocal harmonies Paul Wickens : Piano Blair Cunningham : Drums Geoff Emerick : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Eddie Klein : Assistant engineer Gary Stewart : Assistant engineer Peter Craigie : Assistant engineer Gary Bradshaw : Monitor engineer
Concert From "MTV Unplugged" in Wembley, United Kingdom on Jan 25, 1991
EP • Released in 1993
5:11 • Live • L1
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Percussion Robbie McIntosh : Acoustic guitar Hamish Stuart : Acoustic bass, Vocal harmonies Paul Wickens : Piano Blair Cunningham : Drums Geoff Emerick : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Eddie Klein : Assistant engineer Gary Stewart : Assistant engineer Peter Craigie : Assistant engineer Gary Bradshaw : Monitor engineer
Concert From "MTV Unplugged" in Wembley, United Kingdom on Jan 25, 1991
Official album • Released in 2019
3:59 • Studio version • A • 2019 remaster
Paul McCartney : Bass, Producer, Vocal Mick Green : Guitar Chris Whitten : Drums Mick Gallagher : Piano Peter Henderson : Recording engineer Alex Wharton : Remastering
Session Recording: Jul 20, 1987 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Session Mixing: Jul 22, 1987 • Studio Hog Hill Studio, Rye, UK
Unofficial live
3:43 • Soundcheck
Concert From the concert in Denver, USA on Nov 01, 2005
Unofficial live
4:19 • Soundcheck
Concert From the concert in Fukuoka, Japan on Nov 18, 1993
Unofficial live
3:26 • Soundcheck
Concert From the concert in Gothenburg, Sweden on Jun 12, 2004
Unofficial live
3:01 • Soundcheck
Concert From the concert in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on May 04, 2013
See all bootlegs containing “Midnight Special (Prisoner's Song)”
Soundcheck Jun 14, 2016 in Berlin
“Midnight Special (Prisoner's Song)” has been played in 9 concerts and 229 soundchecks.
Paul McCartney in Casual Conversation from LIPA
Jul 25, 2018 • United Kingdom • Liverpool • Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts
Jun 14, 2013 • Part of Out There Tour
"Up And Coming Tour" rehearsal
Mar 24, 2010 • United Kingdom • London • The O2
Jul 05, 2007 • United Kingdom • London • Institute for Contemporary Arts
Nov 19, 2005 • Part of The US Tour
See all concerts where “Midnight Special (Prisoner's Song)” has been played
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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