Light From Your Lighthouse

Written by: Paul McCartney
Recorded: December 2007 – June 2008
Producers: Paul McCartney, Youth

Released: 24 November 2008 (UK), 25 November 2008 (US)

Available on:
Electric Arguments

Personnel

Paul McCartney: vocals, acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmonium, double bass, drums, percussion

‘Light From Your Lighthouse’ is the sixth song on Electric Arguments, the third album credited to The Fireman.

The song is based on ‘Let Your Light Shine On Me’, a traditional gospel blues song by an unknown composer. The song is also known as ‘Shine On Me’, ‘Let It Shine On Me’, and ‘Light From The Lighthouse’.

McCartney’s version was based around the original chorus, but with new extended verses.

We had a ball making this album, and it was a great departure because it seemed more like improv theater. In the improv spirit, there are William Burroughs-type cut-ups in the lyrics. I came to ‘Sing The Changes’, as well as all the other songs in the album, with absolutely no concept of what the melody or lyrics would be about. So it was like writing on the spot, which I think lent an electricity to the whole sound.

It’s kind of what happens when you write a song… but on speed. You’ve just got to think of the idea there and then: ‘First thought, best thought,’ as Allen Ginsberg said. Instead of spending the next two hours molding it, I would just step up to the mike and go [singing] ‘Ooohhhawowahhasingthechanges,’ like throwing paint at the wall, and then you just stand back and take a look at it and see whether some of it looks good.