Aidan Moyer from Atwood conducts a ‘mock interview’ with Paul McCartney through the Wings newsletter, as Sir Paul reflects on his work from the seventies in anticipation of the upcoming documentary ‘Man On The Run.’
While scrolling through Twitter on an otherwise ordinary morning, I stumbled across a Q&A and realized I’d inadvertently ‘interviewed’ Paul McCartney. At first, I brushed off the short piece as mere ‘parallel thinking,’ but quickly recognized that I was the one who asked about “Daytime Nighttime Suffering.”
To promote the upcoming book and the Amazon-MGM film ‘Man on the Run,’ MPL has revived the ‘Wings Fun Club.’ Once a traditional mailing list, the new Fun Club is now receiving inquiries about the evolving group of musicians that surrounded Paul and Linda McCartney along with Denny Laine. The lineup from 1978-1981 included guitarist Laurence Juber and drummer Steve Holley, who recorded “Daytime Nighttime Suffering” as the B-side to the disco sensation “Goodnight Tonight.” Although it remains relatively less known, Linda mentioned it as one of her favorites in a 1991 tour booklet. Clearly, McCartney still appreciates it:
Aidan asks: My favorite track by you is “Daytime Nighttime Suffering,” and Linda claimed it was one of her favorites too! Do you have a personal favorite ‘deep cut’ from Wings?
Paul: Absolutely! ‘Daytime Nighttime Suffering’ is one of my favorites, just like it was Linda’s. However, another song I really enjoy is “Arrow Through Me.” It’s wonderful to see these songs getting revisited, especially when they appear in movies or TV shows. I believe many younger listeners discover my music this way. Thank you for listening!
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“Daytime Nighttime Suffering” was featured on the B-side of Wings’ disco effort, “Goodnight Tonight.” Crafted during a weekend interlude in the Back to the Egg recording sessions, the track showcases a lively bass line and some of McCartney’s more subtle lyrics. It draws from the ‘empathetic narrator’ theme that McCartney is known for (see: “Eleanor Rigby,” “Another Day,” “Blackbird,” “Jenny Wren”).
McCartney expresses, “What does she get for all the love she gave you, there on the ladder of regrets? Daytime nighttime suffering is all she receives.” In one of McCartney’s finest couplets, he further reflects:
“What does it benefit to play the leading lady, when like a damsel in distress, daytime nighttime suffering is all she receives?”
Despite the hardships, the narrator remains steadfast in his support of the troubled protagonist:
“Come on River, overflow, let your love for neighbors grow. You are the River, I am the stream, flow mighty River through me.”
To my ear, a narrative subtext is captured in an audio flourish – the cries of a baby, representing James McCartney, born in late 1977. This sound is discreetly woven in just before the second bridge, suggesting that ‘The Leading Lady’ could be Linda, unsettled by a demanding toddler. Balancing family life with touring proved challenging for the McCartneys, leading Wings to retire from live performances entirely.
Reflecting on this ‘lost’ period in Wings’ history, I spoke with guitarist Laurence Juber in 2020. He stated:
“[Paul’s body of work] is vast, and the ‘Egg’ era is just a small segment of it. The album has had an undeniable impact and is more popular than Paul realizes. I’ve met many fans who were introduced to The Beatles through that album. I describe my time with McCartney as earning my Masters in Music from McCartney University.”
While Juber insists the Egg era is underappreciated, “Arrow Through Me,” another track from Back to The Egg, was revitalized as a sample in Erykah Badu’s “Gone Baby Gone” and featured on the soundtrack for Zoe Kravitz’s reboot of High Fidelity. This track and others from 1979 have indeed become favorites among McCartney’s younger audience, who eagerly await a remaster of the later Wings albums within the dormant McCartney Archive Collection. Peter Lane tweeted, “Don’t hold back Paul, bring back the archive collection… the ‘Back to the Egg’ box set… we’ve been waiting…” User @queenieeye64 expressed excitement, “DAYTIME NIGHTTIME SUFFERING AND ARROW THROUGH ME MENTIONED IN 2025?!!!!”
When drummer Steve Holley was contacted for his thoughts on McCartney’s reflections for 2025, he responded, “Fabulous, and thank you! 🥁”
‘Man on the Run’ will be available for streaming on Amazon MGM on February 25, 2026. ‘Wings: The Story of a Band on the
Atwood’s Aidan Moyer 'interrogates' Paul McCartney through the Wings newsletter, as Sir Paul reflects on his work from the seventies for the upcoming documentary 'Man On The Run'.
