‘Big Barn Bed’ is the opening song on Wings’ second album Red Rose Speedway.
The song dates from 1970. Paul McCartney performed the opening lines – “Who’s that coming round that corner?/Who’s that coming round that bend?” – at the close of ‘Ram On’ on the Ram album. At that time it was known as ‘Sleepin’ On A Big Barn Bed’.
McCartney may have taken the lines, possibly subconsciously, from the opening verse of ‘5.10 Man’, a July 1969 single by The Master’s Apprentices.
Wings re-recorded the song at Olympic Studios in London on 6 March 1972, making it the first song recorded specifically for the album. It was completed with overdubs added at Abbey Road on 17 November, including a re-recording of Denny Seiwell’s drums. More backing vocals and percussion were also added to complete the song.
Red Rose Speedway was originally conceived as a double album. Although various tracklistings were considered, the final version intended for release had ‘Big Barn Bed’ as the fourth song.
‘Big Barn Bed’ was performed during Wings’ 1973 British Tour. The band also played it as the opening song in that year’s James Paul McCartney television special.
McCartney played the song on a ukulele during some of the Out There Tour soundchecks in 2013.
‘Big Barn Bed’ was included on the four-CD version of the 2016 compilation Pure McCartney.
