Waterfalls (Paul McCartney song)

"Waterfalls" is a Paul McCartney ballad from his first solo album after Wings, McCartney II. The song has a minimalist sound, with McCartney only playing a Fender Rhodes electric piano and a synthesizer and singing, and a short solo performed on acoustic guitar.

"Waterfalls"
Single by Paul McCartney
from the album McCartney II
B-side"Check My Machine"
Released13 June 1980
RecordedJuly–August 1979
GenreSoft rock
Length4:43 (Album Version)
3:20 (DJ Edit)
LabelParlophone/EMI (UK)
Columbia (US)
Songwriter(s)Paul McCartney
Producer(s)Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney singles chronology
"Coming Up"
(1980)		 "Waterfalls"
(1980)		 "Temporary Secretary"
(1980)
McCartney II track listing
11 tracks
Side one
  1. "Coming Up"
  2. "Temporary Secretary"
  3. "On the Way"
  4. "Waterfalls"
  5. "Nobody Knows"
Side two
  1. "Front Parlour"
  2. "Summer's Day Song"
  3. "Frozen Jap"
  4. "Bogey Music"
  5. "Darkroom"
  6. "One of These Days"
Music video
"Waterfalls" on YouTube

"Waterfalls" was released as a single with "Check My Machine" as its B-Side and reached chart position No. 9 in the UK.[1][2] In the US, however, it was his first single ever to miss the Billboard Hot 100 chart, only reaching No. 106 despite being the follow-up to the No. 1 hit "Coming Up".[3] In 2013, Rolling Stone rated it the No. 25 all-time Paul McCartney post-Beatles song, describing how it contrasted with Wings' prior single.[4]

Billboard Magazine described "Waterfalls" as having "a subtle oriental flavor" and "appropriately sparse" instrumentation, and described McCartney's vocal performance as " inimitable" and "creamy."[5]

When questioned on singles he wished were more successful, McCartney stated, "There's quite a few, actually. ... 'Waterfalls', I think is nice." He also commented that TLC's single "Waterfalls" carries elements of his song.[4][6]

Charts
Chart (1980) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[7] 31
Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)[8] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[9] 15
Norway (VG-lista)[10] 9
UK Singles (OCC)[11] 9
West Germany (Official German Charts)[12] 55

Personnel

"Waterfalls"

"Check My Machine"

  • Paul McCartney - vocals, banjo, bass, electric guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, drums, shaker, percussion

Other versions

Sloan recorded a more uptempo version of the song on the McCartney tribute album Listen To What The Man Said.[13]

References
  1. "Waterfalls". Retrieved 2009-03-28.
  2. "Official Charts: Paul McCartney". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-10-13.
  3. Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, Eight Arms To Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium (Chesterfield, MO: 44.1 Productions, 2000), 250.
  4. "Paul's 40 Greatest Solo Songs". Special Collector's Edition: Paul McCartney. Rolling Stone. 2013. p. 89.
  5. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. August 2, 1980. p. 60. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  6. "Paul McCartney". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2009-08-29.
  7. "Australian-charts.com – Paul McCartney – Waterfalls". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  8. Radio Luxembourg Singles, 6 June 1980
  9. "Charts.nz – Paul McCartney – Waterfalls". Top 40 Singles.
  10. "Norwegiancharts.com – Paul McCartney – Waterfalls". VG-lista.
  11. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  12. "Offiziellecharts.de – Paul McCartney – Waterfalls". GfK Entertainment Charts.
  13. Patrick Berkery (Oct 10, 2001). "Various Artists (reviews)". Philadelphia Weekly. Retrieved 4 April 2010.


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