‘Live and Let Die’ is the theme song of the 1973 James Bond film of the same name, performed by the British–American rock band Wings. Written by English musician Paul McCartney and his wife Linda McCartney, it reunited McCartney with former Beatles producer George Martin, who produced the song and arranged the orchestra. McCartney was contacted to write the song by the film's producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli before the screenplay was finished. Wings recorded ‘Live and Let Die’ during the sessions for Red Rose Speedway in October 1972 at AIR Studios. It was also the first rock song to open a Bond film. Another version by B. J. Arnau also appears in the film.
Upon release, ‘Live and Let Die’ was the most successful Bond theme up to that point, reaching No. 1 on two of the three major US charts (though it only reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100) and No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also received positive reviews from music critics and continues to be praised as one of McCartney's best songs. It became the first Bond theme song to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, but ultimately lost the award to Barbra Streisand's ‘The Way We Were’. It won the Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) at the 16th Annual Grammy Awards in 1974
Even before Tom Mankiewicz had finished writing the screenplay to Live and Let Die, producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli invited McCartney to write the theme song. McCartney asked to be sent a copy of Ian Fleming's novel. "I read it and thought it was pretty good. That afternoon I wrote the song and went in the next week and did it ... It was a job of work for me in a way because writing a song around a title like that's not the easiest thing going."
Billboard's contemporary review called it "the best 007 movie theme" to that time and one of McCartney's most satisfying singles, by combining sweet melody, symphonic bombast and some reggae into one song. Cash Box said that the song was "absolutely magnificent in every respect". Record World predicted that it "should have a long chart life." The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million copies.
Label – Apple
Songwriters – Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney
Producer – George Martin
SONG LYRICS
[Verse: Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney]When you were young
And your heart was an open book
You used to say, "Live and let live"
(You know you did
You know you did
You know you did)
But if this ever-changing world in which we're livin'
Makes you give in and cry
[Chorus: Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney]
Say live and let die
(Live and let die)
Live and let die
(Live and let die)
[Instrumental Break]
[Interlude: Paul McCartney]
What does it matter to ya?
When you got a job to do
You got to do it well
You gotta give the other fella hell!
[Verse: Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney]
You used to say live and let live
(You know you did
You know you did
You know you did)
But if this ever-changing world in which we're livin'
Makes you give in and cry
[Chorus: Paul McCartney & Linda McCartney]
Say live and let die
(Live and let die)
Live and let die
(Live and let die)