Silly Love Songs is not a song that everyone will immediately like. In fact, many would say that it is a very poor effort from one of music’s greatest musicians, Sir Paul McCartney. Some have labeled it as very cheesy and have compared it to his effort with ‘Ebony and Ivory’ which he recorded with Stevie Wonder in the 80s. Despite the criticism the song received (and continues to), it became one of Wings’ highest-selling singles and one of the biggest-selling singles of the 1970s.
The strangest aspect of this song that people encounter is the “disco” feel of the song. The reason being that it was a genuine attempt from Paul McCartney to adapt to the disco movement at the time. In fact, McCartney was probably the first classic rock musician to try their luck with disco because shortly after, the Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart also had a go with success.
The song’s irony is more profound if you take into account its origins. Apparently, according to most sources, when discussing the Beatles and songwriting efforts, John Lennon said that all that Paul wrote were ‘silly love songs.’ Paul responded by composing this song, and the great irony is that Silly Love Songs is a silly love song (according to music critics) on its own.
This song is also a prime example as to why Paul McCartney had the most successful musical career out of all the Beatles after their breakup in 1970. A musician’s ability to adapt to changing music styles is vital if they wish to remain popular over an extended period of time.
I personally find this song to be quite enjoyable and like to listen to it to chill out and relax. Of course, at first, like most people, I absolutely disliked this song. Firstly, because Paul was trying to sing disco, something he’d never done, and secondly, because it is cheesy (I have to admit it). However, I’ve seen through that now and hope you do so when you listen to Silly Love Songs.
