Band on the Run (Single)

The single Band on the Run was issued in America on April 8, 1974.  It was the fourth and bestselling single from the album of the same name.  In the US the B-side was Nineteen hundred and eighty-five, but in other parts of the world the band opted to put an unreleased track called Zoo gang as the B-side.

McCartney told DJ Paul Gambaccini that the song started with the line "if we ever get out of here".  A line which Paul attributes to George Harrison.  Apparently George uttered the line while sitting through a particularly long and boring meeting at Apple.  McCartney says that George was saying something like 'we are all prisoners in some way'.  Paul thought "that would be a good way to start an album".