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Released in 1998

The Light Comes from Within

Written by Paul McCartney • Linda McCartney

Last updated on November 10, 2020

Album This song officially appears on the Wide Prairie Official album.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1998

Master album

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interview

The Light Comes From Within – recorded on March 18, 1998, by Paul, Linda and James and released on October 26, 1998 on Linda’s posthumous album Wide Prairie and in January 1999 also as a single.

The Light Comes From Within – ‘censored version’, released in January 1999 on a UK 1-track promoonly CD-R acetate.

From Wide Prairie liner notes:

If I Got Up showed Linda’s strong opposition to oppression, then The Light took it a few steps further. During the last couple of years of her life, we were required to make many trips ‘up to London’ for one treatment or another. We always tried to put the journey time to good use. She and I talked a lot about this album, and the lyrics to this song were finished during one such trip. When we came to record the vocal, which was sadly to be her last, I said half-jokingly, “you can’t sing this”. She looked at me with a sparkle in her eye and said “You wanna bet?”

It was her answer to all the people who had ever put her down and that whole dumb male chauvinist attitude that to her had caused so much harm in our society. God bless her… my little baby literally had the last word. She also loved the idea of our son James playing guitar on it.

Paul McCartney

Lyrics

You say I'm lazy

You say I don't fit

Yakes one to know one

You make me sick

You say I'm simple

You say I'm a hick

You're fucking no one

You stupid dick

Oppression won't win

The light comes from within

I need a sense of cause

I wanna smell the flowers

You need complete control

You wanna build more towers

You try to change me if you could

I see the trees, you saw the wood

You say I'm different

You say we don't click

I say you're crazy

You make me sick

I say you're greedy because you scheme

You say I'm foolish because I dream

Oppression won't win

The light comes from within

I need a sense of cause

I wanna smell the flowers

You need complete control

You wanna build more towers

I say you're greedy because you scheme

You say I'm foolish because I dream

Oppression won't win

The light comes from within

Officially appears on

Bootlegs

Videos

Album Wide Prairie

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song in concert.

Paul McCartney writing

Talk more talk, chat more chat

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