Which one of these three songs is Paul's best cringe worthy song ? i've picked these three songs as they have come in for some vitriolic criticism over the years , and no doubt  will continue to generate debate for many years to come .

I've gone with  " We All Stand Together " it's totally brilliant in it's awfulness , i remember when i first heard it , i was gobsmacked . I've just played it again for the first time in many years and it's still stinks , but in a perverse way the lush orchestration is wonderful ?

I've gone with 'Mary Had A Little Lamb'. What the hell was he thinking? 'We All Stand Together' was meant as a childrens song, wasn't it? And I quite like 'Silly Love Songs'.

Did'nt he write  " Mary Had A Little Lamb " for his kids also ? his vocal on it is really saccharine makes me want to eat the lamb
Was'nt the animated film for  " We All Stand Together " a best selling childrens video in the 80's ?
I also think  " Silly Love Songs " is a good song

i think Mary Had a little lamb is a nice melody even the the lyrics are a bit naff, hehe, but i think
Silly Love Songs is a great little pop tune no matter what people say. so i've gone with We All
Stand Together, i've always thought it works better in the animated film than on record.
it's the only macca track i never play.  

Another excellent topic, DaveRam! You got me chuckling. Thank you.

Okay, I will admit that all of these songs might generate a teensy little raising of the brow by even the most ardent fan. Here is my completely subjective take:

" Mary Had A Little Lamb " - I always hated this song even as a child. Paul only improved it by giving it a less obnoxious melody. While I can question his judgment in putting out this for an astonished fan base (as opposed to confining it to his home where it should have stayed), he was working with historically terrible fare, so he can't be held entirely to blame for the fact that this song continues to be terrible under his shepherdship.

" We All Stand Together " has moments of charm. Yes, it does. I like it when Paul makes forays into classical music, and this was a children's film, so burping frogs etc., however initially surprising, cannot in retrospect be all that astonishing. At some point I intend to look up the B-side to this single, which according to Wiki is "We All Stand Together (Humming Version)" performed by Paul McCartney and the Finchley Frogettes.

" Silly Love Songs " - SCORE! Absolutely hate this. It pegs my obnoxiousness meter. For whatever reason, Paul can write songs that actively irritate me, and this is one. It doesn't help that I'm likely to encounter it in the health club or grocery store, where I am forced to listen to it again and again. Give me burping frogs any day! (But not the lamb; I will take even silly love songs over that obnoxious lamb.)

Once again DaveRam another great thread    

We All Stand Together , just for the stick i got when it came out .
Silly Love Songs , great song , i thought .  

I like all three songs very much so I can't vote in this poll.  Childrens songs are supposed to sound like that and Paul did them well.

Silly Love Songs is a great tune and I like Paul's bass riff.  I saw him do this song in the Wings Over America Tour in 1976.  It was his current hit at the time and the croud just loved it.

I don't think I've ever heard We all stand together. Have to look it up on Youtube. Yes, I'm going Mary Had a Little Lamb. That song gives me the creeps.

Quoted from DaveRam

I've gone with  " We All Stand Together " it's totally brilliant in it's awfulness , i remember when i first heard it , i was gobsmacked . I've just played it again for the first time in many years and it's still stinks , but in a perverse way the lush orchestration is wonderful ?

That's it exactly; you've nailed it.  

Quoted from Paulram

I don't think I've ever heard We all stand together.

ain't you the lucky one?  

You haven't heard it? Well, then...  

After playing  " We All Stand Together " this morning the bloody things been in my head all day

Thanks Geoff not seen that in yonks , it does work well with the film . Is it a waltz tempo ? it sounds like a waltz , not that i would know

Sorry, I've no idea whether that's waltz tempo or not. But I do know I'm not going to get the damned thing out of my head for the rest of the night. My own bloody fault for posting that Youtube, too.

Just been reading the credits for  " We All Stand Together " it's a Paul McCartney / George Martin arrangement and was recorded in 1980 but not released until 1984 . The Orchestra leader is Kenneth Sillito .
Did'nt know George Martin was involved in the arrangement , now i know why the orchestration sounds so lush , it's Mr Martin working his magic

One that's not on this list, but has a high C.T. (cringeworthy titer) IMO is "Cook of the House". Same album as Silly Love Songs. Used to make a friend of mine apoplectic even to talk about it, much less hear it.

'Silly Love Songs' - although I dont find anything cringeworthy about it.

I don't know, but I think he's got songs much more cringe worthy than any of those. Is it fair to compare songs that were written/recorded for children though? Those are always going to come off as corny. Silly Love Songs however is a great catchy uplifting tune. It's a little dated now, but at the time no one thought it was out of place. The only thing about it that makes me cringe  are Linda's backing vocals. God I hate that part with a passion.

paul mccartny wrote marry had a little lamb? YIKES THATS HORRIBLE

Mary Had a Little Lamb existed long before Paul McCartney ever did. He didn't write it but he was just silly enough to record it. Well, I guess he wrote the tune. Except for that Phantom of the opera part. The music actually isn't bad. If you can make Mary Had a Little Lamb into a catchy pop song you're a freaking genius. And it is catchy. Plus, when you know why he put it out it becomes much less corny and actually sort of cool. Cringe worthy would be the matching orange jump suits they're wearing in the video and Linda playing bongos.


You know, up until about five minutes ago I thought the line went: whose feet were white as snow. I can't believe it took me this long to make the connection to fleece. DUH! Shows how much thought I put into that song though.

Quoted from Sandra

Shows how much thought I put into that song though.

Don't feel bad; nothing about it suggests Paul put much thought into it either.

I could add somemore if you would  like to give me some suggestions ? " Biker Like An Icon " and the annoying " Temporary Secretary " spring to mind ?
I think children gringe just as much as adults Sandra , parents often embarrass their kids with their goofiness i used to run for the hills when Dad got up to dance at weddings lol

If I remember rightly 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' was McCartney's response to having 'Give Ireland Back to the Irish' banned by the BBC. So of course, afterwards he promptly gets banned again for 'Hi Hi Hi'.

The BBC were such twits in the 70's banning Paul and letting Lou Reed through with " Walk On The Wildside " the old duffer's  just did'nt get Lou's very risgue song

Quoted from DaveRam

The BBC were such twits in the 70's banning Paul and letting Lou Reed through with " Walk On The Wildside " the old duffer's  just did'nt get Lou's very risgue song

There's an awful lot of stuff that got through, due to the fact that they just didn't understand. They banned George Fornby's 'With My Little Ukelele In My Hand', but not Chuck Berry's 'My Ding-A-Ling'.

Quoted from DaveRam

I could add somemore if you would  like to give me some suggestions ?

"Pipes of Peace" would get my vote for being Paul's most cringe-provoking single. It wouldn't be the "best" of them, though; just the one most likely to make me blow lunch.  

I can't add anymore sorry i forgot about the 24 hour deadline .
I like  " Pipes Of Peace " Geoff and i love the video , it's his only solo # 1 in the UK . The album stinks though the title track and  " So bad " are the only two good songs for me on that album .

" The Other Me " with this lyric really makes me cringe from the album :

I know i was a crazy fool
For treating you the way i did
But something took hold of me
And i acted like a dustbin lid

What a corker lyric  from the man who wrote " Hey Jude "

Quoted from DaveRam

But something took hold of me
And i acted like a dustbin lid

yes, quite poor lyrics in the macca department there.  

Quoted from DaveRam

I know i was a crazy fool
For treating you the way i did
But something took hold of me
And i acted like a dustbin lid

What a corker lyric  from the man who wrote " Hey Jude "

Dustbin lid! They must have used the vocal track with dummy lyrics by mistake.  

"So Bad" is nice, though.

mull of kintyre

Actually, I think 'A Wonderful Christmas time" is the worst song and very cringeworthy. Its god awful, I hated the song before I found out McCartney wrote it and was horrified to find out that he wrote it.  I guess I shouldn't have been too suprised being as McCartney has a knack for putting out annoyingly catchy songs. Ugh....what a god awful piece of trash...

Quoted from BlueMeanie

If I remember rightly 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' was McCartney's response to having 'Give Ireland Back to the Irish' banned by the BBC. So of course, afterwards he promptly gets banned again for 'Hi Hi Hi'.

Exactly. It's not meant to be taken seriously. If you think about it in that way, it's actually not that bad. Like Lennon said, Paul's more subtle when he's trying to send a message. He's a genius really because so many people still have no idea what his intentions really were on a lot of his songs. We should break them down some time because I only know a few of the stories.

I actually like Silly Love Songs

Quoted from Wordno

Actually, I think 'A Wonderful Christmas time" is the worst song and very cringeworthy. Its god awful, I hated the song before I found out McCartney wrote it and was horrified to find out that he wrote it.  I guess I shouldn't have been too suprised being as McCartney has a knack for putting out annoyingly catchy songs. Ugh....what a god awful piece of trash...

i think Macca can write cheese with the best of them, but for some reason ive always loved A wonderful Christmas Time.

"Cook of the House" - does anyone remember this from Wings at the Speed of Sound? One of his best (hurl icon here).

At least it wasn't a hit. One that got lots of airplay was "Let 'Em In". Double hurl here.

And Silly Love Songs always left me cold.

The whole album was drivel, as I recall! Yet it sold well ... go figure.

Quoted from Wordno

Actually, I think 'A Wonderful Christmas time" is the worst song and very cringeworthy. Its god awful, I hated the song before I found out McCartney wrote it and was horrified to find out that he wrote it.  I guess I shouldn't have been too suprised being as McCartney has a knack for putting out annoyingly catchy songs. Ugh....what a god awful piece of trash...

Yes. Even for a Christmas song it's awful. Repetitive and dull. Plus that synthesizer is just so annoying. Or whatever it is.

Quoted from Sandra

Exactly. It's not meant to be taken seriously. If you think about it in that way, it's actually not that bad. Like Lennon said, Paul's more subtle when he's trying to send a message. He's a genius really because so many people still have no idea what his intentions really were on a lot of his songs. We should break them down some time because I only know a few of the stories.

I think thats a really good point Sandra about Paul been more subtle when sending a message , if you take out the love songs from his  work , the bulk of which are Linda related . And then look at the rest of his work it's not always explicit what he's getting at ,  his lyrics are often ambiguous if not completly irrelevant . His story songs just baffle me , 30 odd years i've ponderd over some of them looking for clues as to what he means with little success . I suspect many of them have an autobiographical element ,which is way they fascinate me , then again they might just be nonsense , he's a bit of a conundrum .

"Cook Of The House " is an ok song for Linda to sing , it's not brilliant just an average little ditty , an album filler .