# McCartney & Wings: Hand Across the Water **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 29, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccartney-wings-hand-across-the-water/474901 "2008-11-29T07:16:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccartney-wings-hand-across-the-water/474901/1 "2008-11-29T07:16:03Z")
In the first half of the song, the “Uncle Albert” part, there are spoken lyrics: _We’re so sorry, uncle albert, But we haven’t done a bloody thing all day. We’re so sorry, uncle albert, But the kettle’s on the boil And we’re so eas’ly called away._ Does anyone know whose voice that is? ---
**Author:** ![mshar253](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@mshar253](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mshar253)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccartney-wings-hand-across-the-water/474901/2 "2008-11-29T07:20:34Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > In the first half of the song, the “Uncle Albert” part, there are spoken lyrics: > > _We’re so sorry, uncle albert, > But we haven’t done a bloody thing all day. > We’re so sorry, uncle albert, > But the kettle’s on the boil > And we’re so eas’ly called away._ > > Does anyone know whose voice that is? Paul’s? I can’t find a cite at the moment, but I’ve always thought it was Paul, and I will be absolutely dumbfounded if someone says it isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccartney-wings-hand-across-the-water/474901/3 "2008-11-29T14:19:35Z")
It’s Paul, putting on the same silly voice he used on “Yellow Submarine.” ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccartney-wings-hand-across-the-water/474901/4 "2008-11-29T14:38:15Z")
Both Paul and John did the spoken “Captain’s orders” parts of _Yellow Submarine_, spoken through tin cans to help the effect. I never thought it was anyone but Paul speaking in _Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey_. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccartney-wings-hand-across-the-water/474901/5 "2008-11-29T16:43:53Z")
Uhhhhhhhhh… It’s Paul ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccartney-wings-hand-across-the-water/474901/6 "2008-11-29T18:24:02Z")
It’s a silly voice. I thought it might be John Cleese. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccartney-wings-hand-across-the-water/474901/7 "2008-11-29T19:18:57Z")
He did the voice in a concert back in the day. He cupped his hands around the microphone when he did it. He only had to do the first line, the audience finished that part for him.