# Wings' Fans: Explain "Band on the Run" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 9, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085 "2004-04-09T01:43:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/1 "2004-04-09T01:43:30Z")
I always wondered if the song. “Band on the Run”, was Paul McCartney’s attempt at making something like another “Magical Mystery Tour” or “Sgt. Pepper”? Also, it gives me images of The Monkees in a silly, “chase” scene, usually in fast motion, IIRC, from any one of their shows. Was it meant to be a funny song? If not, what are they singing about? Surely, it is not just a band of thieves on the run. While “Jailor Man” and “Sailor Sam” may be anyone, what is meant by “the rabbit’s on the run”? Who’s “the Rabbit?” As kids growing up in the 70’s, we always swore he was singing “Man on the Run”! - Jinx ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/2 "2004-04-09T01:55:05Z")
You know, I’ve read a lot of books about Paul McCartney and I’ve listened to a lot of interviews, and press conferences. I’ve even wathed the special Band on the Run DVD… As far as I can tell, there is no explanation. Or the explanation is simply that he was telling a story about a band on a run… ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/3 "2004-04-09T01:57:18Z")
Oh, and Wings wasn’t formed when he made Band on The Run. It was just him and Linda and a guy whose name escapes me, playing in a studio in Africa. Wings wasn’t formed until his second daughter, Stella, was born. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/4 "2004-04-09T02:00:34Z")
[Here’s](http://www.maccafan.net/Albums/BandOnTheRun/BandOnTheRun.htm) a bit of the story. From what I recall at the time, the title has to do with their attempted fun little “getaway” to Nigeria being somewhat less that ideal in reality. Lot’s of nasty people around stopping/checking them, etc. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/5 "2004-04-09T02:04:08Z")
Based upon nothing but my own imagination, I had long thought that song was a fix-up of four or five cute musical phrases that never grew into full songs. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/6 "2004-04-09T02:05:08Z")
I always thought the ‘rabbits on the run’ line was a reference to ‘Watership Down,’ which was a best-seller at roughly the same time. I have not a shred of evidence to back this up, however… ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/7 "2004-04-09T02:18:53Z")
_Now_ I remember “more of the story.” Paul and Linda were absolutely hounded by the press back then. Followed/photographed everywhere. Nigeria was picked as an isolated enough place that maybe they could have a normal time. That also led to the concept of the cover photo: celebs in the public spotlight. But in Nigeria, a much nastier group of people were following them around. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/8 "2004-04-09T02:42:10Z")
For Paul and Linda’s sakes, I hope they were wearing plenty of Coppertone when they fell into the sun. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/9 "2004-04-09T08:24:17Z")
my interpretation is that it’s “rabbits” not “rabbit’s”. The rabbits are the band. (Band on the run, rabbits on the run) They running around like a bunch of scared rabbits. Oh and my wife tells the story of when she was bored in class during high school and writing down song titles and suddenly hears her teacher say, “It’s Band on the Run, not Man on the Run” See, you’re not the only one. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/10 "2004-04-09T14:41:55Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > Oh, and Wings wasn’t formed when he made Band on The Run. It was just him and Linda and a guy whose name escapes me, playing in a studio in Africa. Wings wasn’t formed until his second daughter, Stella, was born. Wings was formed in 1971. _Band on the Run_ was recorded in 1973, and credited to Paul McCartney and Wings. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/11 "2004-04-09T14:59:05Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Wings was formed in 1971. _Band on the Run_ was recorded in 1973, and credited to Paul McCartney and Wings. Yes, but every band member other than Denny Laine quit so Paul, Linda and Denny did the whole album. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/12 "2004-04-09T15:02:39Z")
In fact if you have alook at the album cover the rest of the “band” are celebrities not musicians. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/13 "2004-04-09T15:04:27Z")
Wow, synchronicity. (No, not the Police album.) I just put Band on the Run in the CD player and started listening to it before I opened this forum. ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/14 "2004-04-09T17:27:27Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > I always thought the ‘rabbits on the run’ line was a reference to ‘Watership Down,’ which was a best-seller at roughly the same time. > > I have not a shred of evidence to back this up, however… Slightly off-topic, but: From [Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day](http://remus.rutgers.edu/JethroTull/Albums/Warchild-lyrics.html#SkatingAwayOnTheThinIceOfTheNewDay) on Jethro Tull’s Warchild album: > [@](#): > > And as you cross the circle line, the ice-wall creaks behind — > **you’re a rabbit on the run.** > And the silver splinters fly in the corner of your eye — > shining in the setting sun. Is **Watership Down** an English book? Must be an English thing. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/15 "2004-04-09T17:42:28Z")
> [@LateComer](#): > > Slightly off-topic, but: > From [Skating Away On The Thin Ice Of The New Day](http://remus.rutgers.edu/JethroTull/Albums/Warchild-lyrics.html#SkatingAwayOnTheThinIceOfTheNewDay) on Jethro Tull’s Warchild album: > Is **Watership Down** an English book? Must be an English thing. No, it was popular in the States too, although once I read it, I didn’t understand why. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/16 "2004-04-09T18:31:59Z")
And since we’re all jazzed about cute n fuzzy rock bunnies, there is also: “…Run, rabbit run. Dig that hole, forget the sun…” from Pink Floyd’s “Time” ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/17 "2004-04-09T20:00:49Z")
> [@don't ask](#): > > Yes, but every band member other than Denny Laine quit so Paul, Linda and Denny did the whole album. Maybe _that_’s what the song’s about. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/18 "2004-04-09T20:22:06Z")
The concept of rabbits running, or fleeing, or being on the run, was not original to the novel Watership Down. For Chrissakes, they’re _prey_ animals! There have probably been literary references to this behavior for as long as there have been literary references! John Updike’s novel Rabbit, Run, just for starters, was published in 1959 or '60. Well before Watership Down. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/19 "2004-04-09T20:36:15Z")
A little snippet of _Band On the Run_ can be heard at the end of _1985_. Just fyi btw, I always thought _Band On the Run_ was about 4½ minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2004, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085/20 "2004-04-09T20:52:41Z")
[QUOTE=Fiver] The concept of rabbits running, or fleeing, or being on the run, was not original to the novel Watership Down [QUOTE] I wasn’t trying to imply that this was the case, Fiver. (By the way, are you named for the main character in ‘Watership Down?’) I was just pointing out that the book and the song were both popular at roughly the same time. I also said I had nothing to support the claim… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wings-fans-explain-band-on-the-run/239085.md?page=2)