| I'm Carrying | |
| Cover: | London Town I'm Carrying Belgium cover.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Wings |
| Album: | London Town |
| A-Side: | London Town |
| Released: | 26 August 1978 |
| Recorded: | 5 May 1977[1] |
| Genre: | Soft rock |
| Length: | 2:44 |
| Label: | Parlophone/EMI (UK) Capitol (US) |
| Producer: | Paul McCartney |
"I'm Carrying" is a song written by Paul McCartney that was first released on Wings' 1978 album London Town. It was also released as the B-side of the "London Town" single.[2] In 2003 it was later released on the soundtrack to the film The In-Laws.[2]
"I'm Carrying" is a gentle love song.[2] [3] Although Linda McCartney, Paul's wife, was a member of Wings, the song was not inspired by her but rather by a former girlfriend of Paul McCartney's.[3] [4] [5] The song has a simple structure, with two verses and a refrain.[3] In the first verse, McCartney sings that he will come to his lover's room after an absence bringing gifts and a carnation.[3] In the second verse, he sings that he has been away for a long time and wonders if his return will lack style.[3] The refrain simply notes that he is carrying something for his lover.[3]
"I'm Carrying" is in the key of E major and based on four chords.[3] McCartney originally recorded the song accompanied by just his acoustic guitar during the London Town sessions aboard the stern of the yacht Fair Carol in the Virgin Islands on 5 May 1977.[2] [4] The song was recorded in one take and according to engineer Tom Anderson, McCartney was "enclosed in a wooden ‘isolation’ area we built out of plywood."[6] In December 1977, he overdubbed orchestral strings and he also overdubbed his own playing of an electric guitar using a Gizmo.[2] [3] [4] The Gizmo is a device invented by 10cc members Kevin Godley and Lol Creme, which allows a guitar to be played by vibrating the strings rather than plucking them.[2] [3]
Author John Blaney notes that "I'm Carrying" expresses sentiments similar to those McCartney sang on the Beatles' "Yesterday," noting that "I'm Carrying" is "less adventurous melodically but no less welcoming."[2] Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine calls it "nice" and "understated."[7] George Harrison chose "I'm Carrying" as his favorite song from London Town, describing it as "sensational".[4] [8] CD Review described the song as a "silly love song that's sweet, simple, and tuneful."[9] Billboard Magazines Timothy White considers the song one of McCartney's post-Beatle peaks.[10] Jim Beviglia of Culture Sonar described the melody as being "as romantic as a moonlit slow dance."[11]
Wings' version of "I'm Carrying" was used in the soundtrack for the film The In-Laws in 2003.[2] [7] [12] [13] The song is also incorporated in the soundtrack to the Greg MacGillivray film To the Arctic 3D, including for a scene in which a mother polar bear plays with her cubs.[14] [15]
Sham Rock covered "I'm Carrying" on their 2004 album The Album.[16] Guitarist Phil Keaggy played the song with Paul McCartney at the wedding of Linda McCartney's sister Laura Eastman.[17]