Warm and Beautiful
Encyclopedia
"Warm and Beautiful" is a song credited to Paul
and Linda McCartney
that was first released by Wings
on their 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound
. It is a love ballad sung by Paul directed to Linda. Critical opinion of the song has varied widely, ranging from a comment that it is "one of the most beautiful songs that Paul ever wrote for Linda," to a suggestion that it may be "one of the worst songs Paul McCartney has ever written." In 1998, after Linda's death, Paul rearranged the song for string quartet
to be played at memorial concerts for his late wife. This version was included on the 1999 album Working Classical.
uses images of sunlit mornings and moonlit water as metaphor
s for love.
The song is in the key
of C major
. The verses are in two phrases. Music professor Vincent Benitez finds the melody and harmony of the song particularly expressive. The melody of the first phrase begins on the tonic
, C
, goes up to the subdominant
F
, and concludes be descending to D
. The melody of the second phrase of each verse is similar, except it ends with the sequence of a diminished seventh
note followed by an ascending second, i.e., A flat up to B
up to C
. The melody of the bridge incorporates both leaps and steps, often going in opposite directions. Elements of the melodic structure are similar to those McCartney has used throughout his career, dating back to the Beatles arrangement of "Falling in Love Again
" that they used in their 1962 concerts in Hamburg
.
Chip Madiger and Mark Easter claim that the instrumental track of "Warm and Beautiful" includes two euphonium
s. However, John Blaney list the only instruments on the track as Paul McCartney's piano
and Denny Laine
's and Jimmy McCulloch
's guitar
s.
Rolling Stone Magazine critic Stephen Holden believes that the opening chords of "Warm and Beautiful" are a parody of John Lennon
's song "Imagine
." Similarly, Holden believes that the simple lyrics and melody are a parody of Lennon's song "Love
."
"Warm and Beautiful" was originally considered for release as a single from Wings at the Speed of Sound, but was passed up in favor of "Let 'Em In
" and "Silly Love Songs
."
has stated that "Warm and Beautiful" is "one of the most beautiful songs that Paul ever wrote for Linda." Billboard Magazines Timothy White considers the the song one of McCartney's post-Beatle peaks. Benitez describes the song as "sentimental, idealistic, but compelling."
Chris Ingham has a mixed reaction, stating that "Warm and Beautiful" has a "typically attractive melody" but claims that it is "uncharacteristically overstated." Author John Blaney notes that the song represents McCartney "at his most idealistic," but notes that depending on the listener's point of view the main melody may be either "compelling or tedious," but Blaney believes that the melody rescues the song. Author Tim Riley acknowledges that the song is "a potentially gorgeous ballad" but suggests that it be "revised and saved from its unfinished limbo." Chip Madiger and Mark Easter claim that only McCartney's "labored vocal performance" prevents the song from being among "the prettier songs Paul wrote for Linda." They also feel that the string quartet version works better than the original.
Pop music author Robert Rodriguez considers the song album filler and writes that the song "failed to reach the level of romantic poignancy that its composer usually reached effortlessly. Rolling Stone Magazines Stephen Holden considers the song overly didactic, stating that it serves up "with apparent sincerity, the stalest pop ballad clichés ever to emerge from an English music hall." Holden suggests that McCartney may be using the song to make an ironic point about clichés, such as that these clichés will outlast pop music that critics consider art or that he can "transcend cliché by being the biggest cliché," but notes that alternatively it may just be "one of the worst songs Paul McCartney has ever written."
to be played at memorial concerts for his late wife. The Brodsky Quartet
performed the song at memorial services in London, and the Loma Mar Quartet performed the song at memorial services in New York. The Loma Mar Quartet also recorded the string quartet version of the song for the 1999 album Working Classical.
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and Linda McCartney
Linda McCartney
Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman....
that was first released by Wings
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
on their 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound
Wings at the Speed of Sound
Wings at the Speed of Sound is the fifth album by Wings and was recorded and issued in 1976 in the midst of a large world tour as the follow-up album to the popular Venus and Mars.- History :...
. It is a love ballad sung by Paul directed to Linda. Critical opinion of the song has varied widely, ranging from a comment that it is "one of the most beautiful songs that Paul ever wrote for Linda," to a suggestion that it may be "one of the worst songs Paul McCartney has ever written." In 1998, after Linda's death, Paul rearranged the song for string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
to be played at memorial concerts for his late wife. This version was included on the 1999 album Working Classical.
Lyrics and music
"Warm and Beautiful" is a love ballad, the subject of which is Linda McCartney. Paul McCartney sings the lead vocal. The Rough Guide to the Beatles author Chris Ingham describes "Warm and Beautiful" as a "big sensitive ballad." The verses treat love as being eternal and proclaim that love, faith and hope are what allow people to transcend sadness. The bridgeBridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
uses images of sunlit mornings and moonlit water as metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
s for love.
The song is in the key
Key (music)
In music theory, the term key is used in many different and sometimes contradictory ways. A common use is to speak of music as being "in" a specific key, such as in the key of C major or in the key of F-sharp. Sometimes the terms "major" or "minor" are appended, as in the key of A minor or in the...
of C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
. The verses are in two phrases. Music professor Vincent Benitez finds the melody and harmony of the song particularly expressive. The melody of the first phrase begins on the tonic
Tonic (music)
In music, the tonic is the first scale degree of the diatonic scale and the tonal center or final resolution tone. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most significant chord...
, C
C (musical note)
C or Do is the first note of the fixed-Do solfège scale. Its enharmonic is B.-Middle C:Middle C is designated C4 in scientific pitch notation because of the note's position as the fourth C key on a standard 88-key piano keyboard...
, goes up to the subdominant
Subdominant
In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance "below" the tonic as the dominant is above the tonic - in other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdominant. It is also the note immediately...
F
F (musical note)
F is a musical note, the fourth above C. It is also known as fa in fixed-do solfège.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of Middle F is approximately 349.228 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
, and concludes be descending to D
D (musical note)
D is a musical note a whole tone above C, and is known as Re within the solfege system.When calculated in equal temperament with a reference of A above middle C as 440 Hz, the frequency of middle D is approximately 293.665 Hz. See pitch for a discussion of historical variations in...
. The melody of the second phrase of each verse is similar, except it ends with the sequence of a diminished seventh
Diminished seventh
In classical music from Western culture, a diminished seventh is an interval produced by narrowing a minor seventh by a chromatic semitone. For instance, the interval from A to G is a minor seventh, ten semitones wide, and both the intervals from A to G, and from A to G are diminished sevenths,...
note followed by an ascending second, i.e., A flat up to B
B (musical note)
B, also known as H, Si or Ti, is the seventh note of the solfège. It lies a chromatic semitone below C and is thus the enharmonic equivalent of C-flat....
up to C
C (musical note)
C or Do is the first note of the fixed-Do solfège scale. Its enharmonic is B.-Middle C:Middle C is designated C4 in scientific pitch notation because of the note's position as the fourth C key on a standard 88-key piano keyboard...
. The melody of the bridge incorporates both leaps and steps, often going in opposite directions. Elements of the melodic structure are similar to those McCartney has used throughout his career, dating back to the Beatles arrangement of "Falling in Love Again
Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)
"Falling in Love Again " is the English language name for a 1930 German song composed by Friedrich Hollaender as Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt...
" that they used in their 1962 concerts in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
.
Chip Madiger and Mark Easter claim that the instrumental track of "Warm and Beautiful" includes two euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
s. However, John Blaney list the only instruments on the track as Paul McCartney's piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and Denny Laine
Denny Laine
Denny Laine is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, and lead singer of The Moody Blues' 1965 debut album "The Magnificent Moodies"; and, later, best known for his role as co-founder of Wings...
's and Jimmy McCulloch
Jimmy McCulloch
James 'Jimmy' McCulloch was a Scottish musician and songwriter, born in Dumbarton and raised in Clydebank and Cumbernauld, Scotland, who was best known for playing lead guitar in Paul McCartney's Wings from 1974 to 1977...
's guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s.
Rolling Stone Magazine critic Stephen Holden believes that the opening chords of "Warm and Beautiful" are a parody of John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
's song "Imagine
Imagine (song)
"Imagine" is a song written and performed by the English musician John Lennon. It is the opening track on his album Imagine, released in 1971...
." Similarly, Holden believes that the simple lyrics and melody are a parody of Lennon's song "Love
Love (John Lennon song)
"Love" is a song written and performed by John Lennon, originally released in 1970 on the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album.-Song:The song first came out on Lennon's 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. "Love" later appeared on the 1982 compilation The John Lennon Collection, and was released...
."
"Warm and Beautiful" was originally considered for release as a single from Wings at the Speed of Sound, but was passed up in favor of "Let 'Em In
Let 'em In
"Let 'Em In" is a song by Wings from their 1976 album Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and reached the top 3 in both the United States and the United Kingdom: It was a #2 hit in the UK, and in the US it was a #3 pop hit and #1 easy listening hit...
" and "Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by Wings. The song appeared on the 1976 album, Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was also released as a single in 1976. The US single was released on 1 April 1976 and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The UK single was...
."
Critical reception
Critical reception of "Warm and Beautiful" has been mixed. Elvis CostelloElvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
has stated that "Warm and Beautiful" is "one of the most beautiful songs that Paul ever wrote for Linda." Billboard Magazines Timothy White considers the the song one of McCartney's post-Beatle peaks. Benitez describes the song as "sentimental, idealistic, but compelling."
Chris Ingham has a mixed reaction, stating that "Warm and Beautiful" has a "typically attractive melody" but claims that it is "uncharacteristically overstated." Author John Blaney notes that the song represents McCartney "at his most idealistic," but notes that depending on the listener's point of view the main melody may be either "compelling or tedious," but Blaney believes that the melody rescues the song. Author Tim Riley acknowledges that the song is "a potentially gorgeous ballad" but suggests that it be "revised and saved from its unfinished limbo." Chip Madiger and Mark Easter claim that only McCartney's "labored vocal performance" prevents the song from being among "the prettier songs Paul wrote for Linda." They also feel that the string quartet version works better than the original.
Pop music author Robert Rodriguez considers the song album filler and writes that the song "failed to reach the level of romantic poignancy that its composer usually reached effortlessly. Rolling Stone Magazines Stephen Holden considers the song overly didactic, stating that it serves up "with apparent sincerity, the stalest pop ballad clichés ever to emerge from an English music hall." Holden suggests that McCartney may be using the song to make an ironic point about clichés, such as that these clichés will outlast pop music that critics consider art or that he can "transcend cliché by being the biggest cliché," but notes that alternatively it may just be "one of the worst songs Paul McCartney has ever written."
String quartet version
In 1998, after Linda McCartney's death, Paul McCartney rearranged the song for string quartetString quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
to be played at memorial concerts for his late wife. The Brodsky Quartet
Brodsky Quartet
The Brodsky Quartet is a British string quartet, in existence since 1972, though only Ian Belton and Jacqueline Thomas are original members.In addition to performing classical music, and in particular the classic string quartet repertoire of Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Bartók and Shostakovich,...
performed the song at memorial services in London, and the Loma Mar Quartet performed the song at memorial services in New York. The Loma Mar Quartet also recorded the string quartet version of the song for the 1999 album Working Classical.