The finale of Paul and Linda McCartney’s 1971 album Ram, ‘The Back Seat Of My Car’ was originally offered to The Beatles.
Paul McCartney performed the song on 14 January 1969. Still a work in progress with unfinished lyrics, he sang it at the piano for several minutes but failed to take it any further.
‘The Back Seat Of My Car’ was a homage to the teenage dreams sung about by American acts such as The Beach Boys. McCartney’s grand production featured Brian Wilson-style vocal harmonies, and a multi-part mini-epic featuring lush instrumentation including an orchestral backing.
‘Back Seat Of My Car’ is very romantic: ‘We can make it to Mexico City.’ That’s a really teenage song, with the stereotypical parent who doesn’t agree, and the two lovers are going to take on the world: ‘We believe that we can’t be wrong.’ I always like the underdog.
Mojo, July 2001
‘The Back Seat Of My Car’ was issued as a single in the United Kingdom on 13 August 1971, as Apple R5914, with ‘Heart Of The Country’ on the b-side. It was not a commercial success, peaking at number 39 in the charts.
‘The Back Seat Of My Car’ is the ultimate teenage song, and even though it was a long time since I was aa teenager and had to go to a girl’s dad and explain myself, it’s that kind of meet-the-parents song. It’s a good old driving song. And obviously ‘back seat’ is snogging, making love.
Like several of the songs on Ram, John Lennon interpreted it as an attack on him and Yoko Ono, most notably in the refrain “We believe that we can’t be wrong”. “Well,” he responded, “I believe that you could just be wrong.”
In the studio
The first recording session for ‘The Back Seat Of My Car’ took place on 20 October 1970 at CBS Studios at 49 East 52nd Street, New York
It was largely unsuccessful, and McCartney agreed to return to it at a later date. This was also the final session with guitarist David Spinozza, who parrted company from the McCartneys over his availability as an in-demand session musician.
McCartney returned to the song on 22 October. He and drummer Denny Seiwell were joined by guitarist Hugh McCracken, who thought he was there for an audition. Asked by McCartney to work on the Ram project for the next month, McCracken agreed.
‘The Back Seat Of My Car’ was recorded with McCartney on the studio’s Steinway grand piano, McCracken on his Gibson ES-335 electric guitar, and Seiwell on drums. They worked until 2pm, after which time McCartney and Seiwell jammed on ‘Rode All Night’.
McCartney was unhappy with the first attempts at recording the song. The trio started afresh on 23 October, finally nailing the backing track.
Aside from a bass guitar overdub session in November, recording resumed on 6-11 December. This time the sessions took place at CBS Studios’ Studio D on 30th Street, and saw McCartney record his lead vocals.
George Martin wrote an orchestral score for ‘The Back Seat Of My Car’, and the same for ‘Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey’ and ‘Long Haired Lady’. Martin’s contributions to Ram were not credited on the album, and were unknown by the general public for nearly 30 years.
The overdub for ‘The Back Seat Of My Car’ was recorded on 27 January 1971 at A&R Recording in New York. McCartney conducted the musicians, who took a handful of takes to complete the work.
The song was completed on 22 March 1971 at Sound Recorders Studio in Hollywood. McCartney decided the song needed additional vocals. The trouble was, all of the 16 available multitracks had been filled.
McCartney and engineer Eirik Wangberg chose not to create a reduction mix, which would have meant a slight loss in audio fidelity as well as less flexibility in the final mix.
Wangberg instead noted spaces in the existing tracks that were not in continuous use, and punched in and out so McCartney could overdub onto them. The task involved high levels of skill and concentration.
He would say to me, ‘Eirik, you have to be faster!’ I said, ‘God, I must be as skilled as the world’s fastest and most perfect surgeon to succed in getting the short phrases into the narrow spots I have available!’ And then we both laughed.
The McCartney Legacy – Volume 1: 1969-73, Allan Kozinn, Adrian Sinclair
Commercial success or not (too bad it wasn’t) this song is a total winner and deserves another listen.
Parental disapproval of young love. Especially a particular kind of young love.
“Oh we believe that we can’t be wrong! No no no!”
The things I hear in this song. And no you weren’t wrong…it’s just that the world was not ready at that time.
Love is precious.
That is exactly what I think and feel , when I m listening to this song. I believe it is about the forbidden ( and at the time illegal) love, between two young people…
I feel like Mexico City is a metaphor for getting to 3rd base (or home plate). It’s in the lower regions of North America.
It has one of my favourite lines of all times: ‘Listen to her Daddy’s song/making love is wrong’. But – you get to be a Daddy by making love! So how hypocritical is that. Very, very clever, Sir Paul!
The end of the song kind of reminds me of the End in abbey Road.
Good verse refrains but the different song pieces does not fit together.
Good verse refrains but the different song pieces do not fit together.
Anyone know what the background lyrics are to Back seat of my car?
Yeah, it’s oooh and aaaah
It’s more than ooh and aah – he’s working out a melody and arrangement – at one point you hear him mumbling words and then he exclaims – “guitar” – I’ve always found it incredible that he kept some of the work in progress in and then has the New York Philharmonic in the same track. My personal favourite McCartney song – for me better than anything else he did – Beatles or solo.
Yeah, I was just messing around.
It’s a brilliant song. Not my favourite McCartney one, but best one on Ram I’d say.
Philip Norman says this song isn’t about Linda but rather Maggie McGivern, one of his mistresses before settling down with Linda. Pretty shocking if true.
I can see why the other Beatles nixed it. Embarrassing to be singing this as a grown man.
Why would it be embarrassing? The song has a phenomenal nostalgic feel that puts the lyrics in perspective and give them a poetic quality. The ‘We believe we can’t be wrong’ is such a relatable feel for everyone who has been in love or falls in love. Bruce Springsteen wrote this kind of lyrics years later in several songs, and is still praised for them.