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Released in 1971

Tomorrow

Written by Paul McCartney • Linda Eastman / McCartney

Last updated on March 5, 2022

Album This song officially appears on the Wild Life LP.

Timeline This song was officially released in 1971

Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1971, when Paul McCartney was 29 years old)

Master albums

Related sessions

This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:

Related interviews

Related articles

“Tomorrow” is a song from Wings’ debut album, “Wild Life“, released in 1971. If “Wild Life” has often been considered as a low-point in Paul McCartney’s career, “Tomorrow” is usually recognized as one of the best tracks of the album (the other one being “Dear Friend“), even by Paul himself!

From Rolling Stone, January 31, 1974:

Does that mean, then, that you didn’t think too much in retrospect of ‘Wild Life’? Because of all your albums…

No, ah, I quite liked it. I must say you have to like me to like the record. I mean, if it’s just taken cold, I think it wasn’t that brilliant as a recording. We did it in about two weeks, the whole thing. And it had been done on that kind of a buzz we’d been hearing about how Dylan had come in and done everything in one take. I think in fact often we never gave the engineer a chance to even set up a balance. There’s a couple of real big songs on there, that only freaks or connoisseurs know.

Well, “Tomorrow.”

Yeah, “Tomorrow” is one of them. It’s like, when I’m talking to people about Picasso or something and they say, well, his blue period was his only one that was any good. But for me, if the guy does some great things then even his downer moments are interesting. His lesser moments, rather, because they make up the final picture. Some moments seem less, he was going through kind of a pressure period. You know, you can’t live your life without pressure periods. No one I know has.

Paul McCartney

In a Q&A with Paul McCartney, published in Club Sandwich 72:

Any chance of you re-recording the song ‘Tomorrow’ from the Wild Life LP? It’s such a great song and yet it’s been buried. From Amy Benbow, Stroud, England

Another good question. Linda’s Dad, who is no longer alive, was a great fan of this song, and he was always saying to me “You should do it again. You’ve thrown it away and it deserves re-making.” I asked him how he thought I should do it and he said “Slow, really slow”. It got to be a joke in the end, how slow he thought it ought to be. I haven’t yet got around to doing it, though.

Paul McCartney

In September 1974, Paul McCartney and Wings, under the pseudonym “The Whippets”, recorded an instrumental version of “Tomorrow“, in the reggae style, with synth and horns in place of Paul’s vocal line. Some acetates were made, and the track ended up being bootlegged. Also recorded during the same session was “Proud Mum“, an instrumental that Paul recorded as an intended advertising jingle for Mother’s Pride bread.

Some sources claimed that McCartney recorded a new version of “Tomorrow” in 2011 with Diana Krall.

Acetate for “Tomorrow” recorded in 1974 – From Lot 3102 – THE WHIPPETS (WINGS) – PROUD (omegaauctions.co.uk)
From Wings Wild Life | Paul McCartney & Wings

Lyrics

Oh! Baby, don't you let me down tomorrow

Holding hands we both abandon sorrow

Oh, for a chance to get away tomorrow

Hey, baby's got a lazy day on Sunday,

Here's a pound we hang around till Monday

Oh, baby don't you let me down on Sunday

Bring a bag of bread and cheese

And find a shady spot beneath the trees

Catch a breath of country air

And run your pretty fingers thro' my hair

Tomorrow, when we both abandon sorrow

Oh, baby, don't you let me down tomorrow,

Thro' the week we beg and steal and borrow

Oh, for a chance to get away tomorrow

Honey, pray for sunny skies,

So I can speak to rainbows in your eyes

Let's just hope the weather man

Is feeling fine and doesn't spoil our plan.

Tomorrow when we both abandon sorrow

Oh, baby, don't you let me down tomorrow

Holding hands we both abandon sorrow

Oh, baby, don't you let me down tomorrow.

Oh, for a chance to get away tomorrow

Baby, don't let me down tomorrow

Baby, don't let me down tomorrow

Baby, don't let me down tomorrow

Baby, don't let me down tomorrow.

Variations

Officially appears on

See all official recordings containing “Tomorrow”

Bootlegs

See all bootlegs containing “Tomorrow”

Videos

Album One Hand Clapping (2 LP edition)

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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