Wings
Goodnight Tonight

THE REVIEW

A danceable and purely disco track could not be missing from McCartney's diverse production. "Goodnight Tonight" is a track that, at the time of its release, 1979, achieved enormous success worldwide, soon becoming a classic of the genre, surprising many critics but not disappointing the fans of the ex-Beatle. The track is captivating, the first released by Wings with new additions Juber and Holly, with great use of Paul's pulsating bass setting the typical disco rhythm, good acoustic guitar phrases by Juber (who would soon become a master of this instrument), and percussion refining the melody impeccably. The lyrics are practically insignificant and are used by Paul only as a Signifier, rather than for Meaning; McCartney is only interested in the overall sound's success, and he plays on assonances and anaphores impeccably. It is one of the many examples of McCartney's style ("Bip-Bop," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," for instance), which draws almost all its substance from the wordplay.

The B-side, "Daytime Nightime Suffering," is, according to Paul, one of his best tracks. Putting aside the well-done melodic part, which can only be appreciated after many listens, the lyrics are very important this time. In fact, it is a song about women's emancipation, painting a very good portrait of the modern woman, increasingly engaged between home and work, and who desperately needs to be loved. It's a beautiful song, Linda's favorite, relegated to a B-side when it deserved much better treatment (live performances). Paul would render her partial justice by including it in "Wingspan" in 2001, but it is a gem that absolutely must be rediscovered.