Tug of War (Paul McCartney song)

Rolling Stone described the song as McCartney's equivalent to John Lennon's "Imagine".[1] To others, however, "Pipes of Peace" is. The song has a clear division between the verses featuring sad lyrics about the struggle to survive, the necessity of conflict (pushing and pulling) and the hopeful refrain, in which McCartney looks for a future where these struggles are no longer necessary.[2] The lyrics are seen as describing his complex relationship with Lennon, who was killed two years prior.

The single reached number 11 in Poland, number 53 in the UK and number 53 in the US. It also reached number 31 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[3][4]

The album version starts with the sounds of people grunting as part of a real tug of war- a popular sporting event since ancient times, before Paul goes into the song, and then at the end of the song, it fades into "Take It Away". The single version omits these factors.

The music video for "Tug of War" was directed by Maurice Phillips.[5]

• Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, electric guitar, synthesizer
• Linda McCartney – backing vocals
• Eric Stewart – backing vocals, electric guitar
• Denny Laine – electric guitar
• Campbell Maloney – military snares
• Kenneth Sillito – orchestral arrangement

7" single

1. "Tug Of War"
2. "Get It" (with Carl Perkins)