| "Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)" | |
|---|---|
| Song byPaul McCartney and Wings | |
| from the albumBand on the Run | |
| Released | 7 December 1973 |
| Recorded | September–October 1973 |
| Studio | EMI Studios,Lagos, Nigeria |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 5:49 |
| Label | Apple |
| Songwriters | |
| Producer | Paul McCartney |
| Band on the Runtrack listing | |
9 tracks
| |
"Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)" is a song by therock bandPaul McCartney and Wings, released on their 1973 albumBand on the Run. The longest track on the album,[1] it was not released as a single. The song includes interpolations of "Jet" and "Mrs. Vandebilt," the second and fourth tracks on the album, respectively. Wings band memberDenny Laine covered "Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)" in 2007 on his albumPerforms the Hits of Wings.[2] An abbreviated performance of the song appears on the live albumWings over America.
In a 1984 television interview onAspel & Company, McCartney recalls while on holiday in Jamaica,Dustin Hoffman (while shooting the filmPapillon), asked McCartney to dinner. While dining, the subject of songwriting came up. Hoffman asked McCartney, "Can you just write them [songs] like that? You know, likeMarvin Hamlisch does?" McCartney replied, "I can't really. I don't do it like that." Hoffman then went on, "I've got something here I'd like you to try it with," and he handed McCartney a copy ofTime magazine; which had an article onPablo Picasso with his purported last words said to dinner guests the night before he died: "Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can't drink anymore." Hoffman said, "That's great. Can you write a song with that?" McCartney started to sing a melody to the words. Upon which Hoffman, "hit the ceiling" and shouted, "Annie! He's doing it! This is it! Look at this! Hey!" McCartney said, "So I was just showing off, you know. So I wrote this song for him."[3]
In a later interview on British TV channelITV1 for the programWings: Band on the Run, to promote the November 2010 2×CD/2×DVD rerelease of theoriginal album, McCartney recalled the story again but with different details. While on vacation inMontego Bay,Jamaica, McCartney "snuck" onto the set of the filmPapillon where he metDustin Hoffman andSteve McQueen. After a dinner with Hoffman, with McCartney playing around on guitar, Hoffman did not believe that McCartney could write a song "about anything", so Hoffman pulled out a magazine where they saw the story of the death ofPablo Picasso and his famous last words, "Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can't drink anymore." McCartney created a demo of the song and lyrics on the spot, prompting Hoffman to exclaim to his wife: "look, he's doing it … he's doing it!"[4][5]
While recordingBand on the Run inLagos, Nigeria, Wings were invited to formerCream drummerGinger Baker's ARC Studios in the nearby suburb ofIkeja. While Baker insisted to McCartney that they should record the entire album there, McCartney was reluctant and agreed he would spend one day there. "Picasso's Last Words" was recorded during that time and Baker contributed by playing a tin can full ofgravel.[6]
Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated "Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)" as Denny Laine's 10th best song.[7]
