Also a song by
Paul McCartney and
Wings, produced by
George Martin (who also wrote the music for the James Bond film of the same name). It was written, recorded and released as a single in
1973, and reached
number 9 in the UK pop charts and number 2 in the US pop charts (behind, amusingly, both
Paul McCartney and Wings' own 'My love', and George Harrison's 'Give me love (Give me peace on earth)')
It has a very unusual stop/start structure - it starts off as a ballad, turns into a prototypical speed metal song (a very unusual move for Wings), and diverts into cod-reggae for the middle-eight. The opening credits of the film could be considered to be one of the eariest pop videos
It has subsequently been covered by Guns'n'Roses and, sad to relate, Geri Halliwell.
It's interesting to note that the song contains a couple of errors - firstly, the line 'but if this ever-changing world in which we live in' has one too many 'ins', whilst the line 'You've got to give the other fella hell' implies that the song should really have been called 'Live and make die'.
Live and Let Die
Performed by Paul McCartney and Wings
Music and lyrics by Paul and Linda McCartney
-
When you were young and your heart was an open book,
you used to say live and let live -
(You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)
but if this ever-changing world in which we live in,
makes you give in and cry...
say live and let die
(Live and let die)
Live and let die
(Live and let die)
(Massively funky instrumental heavy metal headbanging bit)
(then suddenly reggae)
What does it matter to you?
When you got a job to do you gotta do it well -
You've got to give the other fella hell!
(Instrumental heavy metal bit, burning skulls, HELL YEAH!)
You used to say live and let live...
(You know you did, you know you did, you know you did)
But if this ever-changing world in which we live in,
Makes you give in and cry -
Say live and let die
(Live and let die)
Live and let die
(Live and let die)