Mull of Kintyre

Our eldest loves music and is either singing to himself or wants something played for him all the time. The last year+ most of his favorites have been from Twenty Trucks, which I'm pretty much over tbh, but that's going to be life with little ones. Recently, however, he has a new favorite.

I got another free trial of SiriusXM with the purchase of our new family car (we ended up with a VW Atlas, I prefer a smaller SUV and we can fit three car seats across the middle row), and I've been listening to the Beatles Channel a lot. A little while ago, with #1 in the car, we heard something previously unknown to us, Mull of Kintyre by Paul McCartney and Wings. This quickly became his favorite song, mostly due to the inclusion of bagpipes, and he went from requesting the 'bagpipes song' to learning its name and singing it incessantly in rapid succession. As a result, for about a month now, this song is in all of our heads basically all the time (even the almost two-year-old) and it's requested daily, both at home and on almost every car ride.

This isn't a complaint, because I do really like the song (even if more variety would be nice). Like our son, I greatly enjoy hearing the bagpipes. It, obviously, reminds me of Scotland. What makes it even cooler, outside the fact it's a peaceful and catchy tune, is the fact it's about a real place, and one not far from where our travels have taken us.

Kintyre is a peninsula, on the western coast in Scotland, that stretches south between the islands of Islay and Arran. We've been to the peninsula, though only to Kennacraig to catch a ferry. Campbeltown, an important whisky location (talked about here), is the biggest city on Kintyre and is near its southern end. Beyond Campbeltown is the Mull, or the tip, of the peninsula. From what I can tell there's not a lot there: a pretty coastline, a view of Ireland, a historic lighthouse. Not that it matters. The song is about how much Paul loves the location, where he owns a house, and how he always thinks of it when he's away. I can't help but soak up the nostalgia.

Mull of Kintyre Oh, mist rolling in from the sea My desire is always to be here Oh, Mull of Kintyre

Far have I traveled and much have I seen Dark distant mountains with valleys of green Past painted deserts, the sunset's on fire As he carries me home to the Mull of Kintyre

Mull of Kintyre Oh, mist rolling in from the sea My desire is always to be here Oh, Mull of Kintyre

Sweep through the heather like deer in the glen Carry me back to the days I knew then Nights when we sang like a heavenly choir Of the life and the times of the Mull of Kintyre

Mull of Kintyre Oh, mist rolling in from the sea My desire is always to be here Oh, Mull of Kintyre

Smiles in the sunshine and tears in the rain Still take me back to where my memories remain Flickering embers grow higher and higher As they carry me back to the Mull of Kintyre

Mull of Kintyre Oh, mist rolling in from the sea My desire is always to be here Oh, Mull of Kintyre

Apparently this song was a huge hit in the UK in 1977, and was Wings' biggest single ever there. That surprised me, as I would've expected it to be Live and Let Die, but nope, it's this. The fact that I hadn't even heard of it (if you have), shouldn't be a surprise, my musical knowledge is usually limited to radio hits. And in my defense it doesn't appear to have been a chart topper in the US. So I'm glad a Sirius DJ played it and we got to learn it.

Now, at least for a few minutes, you'll have the same song stuck in your head that I do. Because I'm certainly humming it right now.