Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)
Encyclopedia
"Picasso's Last Words" is a song from Paul McCartney and Wings
' album Band on the Run
. It was not released as a single.
for the program Wings: Band on the Run, to promote the November 2010 2xCD/2xDVD rerelease of the original album
, McCartney says he was on vacation in Montego Bay
, Jamaica
where he "snuck" onto the set of the film Papillon
where he met "Dustin Hoffman
and Steve McQueen
". After a dinner with Hoffman, with McCartney playing around on guitar, Hoffmann didn't believe that McCartney could write a song "about anything", so Hoffman pulled out a magazine where they saw the story of the death of Pablo Picasso
and his famous last words, "Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can't drink anymore." Paul created a demo of the song and lyrics on the spot, prompting Hoffman to exclaim to his wife: "…look, he's doing it…he's doing it!"
drummer Ginger Baker
's ARC Studios in the nearby suburb of Ikeja
. While Baker insisted to Paul that they should record the entire album there, he was reluctant and agreed he would spend one day there. "Picasso's Last Words" was recorded during that time and Baker contributed by playing a tin can full of gravel
.
Wings (band)
Wings were a British-American rock group formed in 1971 by Paul McCartney, Denny Laine and Linda McCartney that remained active until 1981....
' album Band on the Run
Band on the Run
Band on the Run is an album by Paul McCartney & Wings, released in 1973. It was Wings' third album. It became Wings' most successful album and remains the most celebrated of McCartney's post-Beatles albums...
. It was not released as a single.
Writing
In an interview on British TV channel ITV1ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
for the program Wings: Band on the Run, to promote the November 2010 2xCD/2xDVD rerelease of the original album
Band on the Run
Band on the Run is an album by Paul McCartney & Wings, released in 1973. It was Wings' third album. It became Wings' most successful album and remains the most celebrated of McCartney's post-Beatles albums...
, McCartney says he was on vacation in Montego Bay
Montego Bay
Montego Bay is the capital of St. James Parish and the second largest city in Jamaica by area and the fourth by population .It is a tourist destination with duty free shopping, cruise line terminal and the beaches...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
where he "snuck" onto the set of the film Papillon
Papillon (film)
Papillon is a 1973 film based on the best-selling novel by the French convict Henri Charrière.This motion picture was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Steve McQueen as Henri Charrière , and Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega...
where he met "Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
and Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
". After a dinner with Hoffman, with McCartney playing around on guitar, Hoffmann didn't believe that McCartney could write a song "about anything", so Hoffman pulled out a magazine where they saw the story of the death of Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
and his famous last words, "Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can't drink anymore." Paul created a demo of the song and lyrics on the spot, prompting Hoffman to exclaim to his wife: "…look, he's doing it…he's doing it!"
Recording
While recording Band on the Run in Lagos, Nigeria, Wings were invited to former CreamCream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
drummer Ginger Baker
Ginger Baker
Peter Edward "Ginger" Baker is an English drummer, best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith. He is also known for his numerous associations with World music, mainly the use of African influences...
's ARC Studios in the nearby suburb of Ikeja
Ikeja
Ikeja is an outer-ring suburb of the city of Lagos and capital of Lagos State. It is also one of Nigeria's 774 Local Government Areas . The Murtala Mohammed International Airport is located there...
. While Baker insisted to Paul that they should record the entire album there, he was reluctant and agreed he would spend one day there. "Picasso's Last Words" was recorded during that time and Baker contributed by playing a tin can full of gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
.