Hey Diddle

Written by: Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney
Recorded: 26 October 1970; 8, 10 July 1974
Producers: Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney

Released: 7 May 2001

Available on:
Wingspan: Hits And History

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, ocarina
Linda McCartney: vocals
Hugh McCracken: 12-string acoustic guitar, ocarina
Denny Seiwell: percussion, ocarina
Marcy Cates, Margie Cates, Vassar Clements, Johnny Gimble: violin

‘Hey Diddle’ was recorded during the Ram sessions at New York’s Columbia Studios on 26 October 1970.

The song was initially titled ‘She Can’t Be Found’.

In understanding how lyrics come about, you have to appreciate the stage of life of the writer. Today, I might write totally differently, but when you have little kids, as I did at this time, you’re often composing ditties like ‘Her Majesty’ or ‘Hey Diddle’ or something like this.

You’re just not sitting there trying to be too meaningful. I used to do these little songs just to amuse the kids. But the truth is I still write for kids. Maybe it means I’ve never fully grown up, but I’ve got one that’s called ‘The Bouncy Song’, and one, I confess, called ‘Running Around The Room’, which is another family classic. Then we have one that goes, ‘Fishes, fishes, fishes swimming in the sea’. There are quite a few of them from when the kids were growing up – songs I didn’t release.

Paul McCartney rehearsed ‘Hey Diddle’ in 1973 for the James Paul McCartney TV special, and on 8 and 10 July 1974 in Nashville he oversaw some country-style overdubs for its inclusion on the Cold Cuts rarities album.

The session, for us as musicians, was typical – the Nashville way. Listen to the song a couple of times, write a chord chart as you listen, start playing along, experimenting and getting ideas with the producer. When you find something he likes, start putting tracks down.

On ‘Hey Diddle’, the Cajun lick we played came naturally. Paul and everyone thought it was an obvious fit. The other lick we played towards the end of the song was an idea from Paul. He sang it to us and had us work it in. After we got the track recorded, we doubled it.

A home recording of ‘Hey Diddle’ was taped at the McCartney home in Campbeltown, Scotland, on 6 June 1971. It was performed with ‘Bip Bop’, and both songs were included on the 2001 compilation Wingspan: Hits And History.

‘Hey Diddle’ was unreleased until it appeared at the end of the 2001 compilation Wingspan: Hits And History, alongside a home recording of ‘Bip Bop’.

A Dixon Van Winkle Mix was also included in the 2012 reissue of Ram. The 2014 reissue of Venus And Mars contained the Ernie Winfrey Mix.

In 2018 the Archive Collection version of Wild Life contained a demo home recording of ‘Hey Diddle’.