Too Many People
Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney
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Too many people going underground Too many reaching for a piece of cake Too many people pulled and pushed around Too many waiting for that lucky break That was your first mistake You took your lucky break and broke it in two Now what can be done for you? You broke it in two Too many people sharing party lines Too many people never sleeping late Too many people paying parking fines Too many hungry people losing weight That was your first mistake You took your lucky break and broke it in two Now what can be done for you? You broke it in two Too many people preaching practices Don't let them tell you what you wanna be Too many people holding back This is crazy and baby, it's not like me That was your last mistake I find my love awake and waiting to be Now what can be done for you? She's waiting for me
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
10 facts about this song
Album Origin"Too Many People" is a song by Paul McCartney from his 1971 album "Ram". It was the opening track on the album. This was the second album issued by McCartney after he left the Beatles in 1970.
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Song CompositionMcCartney wrote this song in Scotland and recorded it mostly in New York, with some final overdubbing and mixing carried out in Los Angeles.
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Contributing ArtistsThe song features Paul McCartney on lead vocals and bass, Linda McCartney on backing vocals, David Spinozza on guitar, Hugh McCracken on guitar, and Denny Seiwell on drums.
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Directed to LennonThe lyrics of "Too Many People" were intended by McCartney as a message to his former Beatles bandmate John Lennon. According to McCartney, this song and a few others in "Ram" were "message songs", signaling Lennon that he was upset about how things had ended up between them.
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Subtle InsultOne line in the song, "Too many people preaching practices," is considered as McCartney's critique of Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono's public peace demonstrations and avant-garde art exhibitions.
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Not-so-subtle photographThe album cover of "Ram", where the song "Too Many People" is featured, presents a photograph of Paul McCartney holding a ram by the horns. This is interpreted by many fans as a further dig at John Lennon suggesting that Paul was pulling the horns of the main Ram (Lennon) from the band.
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Lennon's ReactionIn response to "Too Many People" and other songs on "Ram", Lennon wrote and recorded "How Do You Sleep?" on his "Imagine" album, as a strongly worded rebuttal.
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AcclaimDespite its infamy for the McCartney/Lennon feud, "Too Many People" is highly appreciated and considered a highlight of McCartney's post-Beatles career.
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Solo PerformanceIn 2012, McCartney included "Too Many People" in his live performance for the first time in his extended On the Run tour.
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Worth noting"Too Many People" represents an early instance of McCartney's interest in environmentalism, with the song's title suggesting concerns over overpopulation.
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"Too Many People Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/26461981/Paul+McCartney/Too+Many+People>.
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