Paul McCartney wrote the song "Little Willow" in memory of Ringo Starr's first wife, Maureen Cox Starkey, who died of cancer in 1994. Paul had remained close with Maureen and her children, and wrote this song to comfort her grieving family. The song appears on the album Flaming Pie, 1997, and was included on the CD Diana, Princess of Wales: Tribute, 1997. I adore it's simple words and its lovely calming effect works on me every time I listen.An interesting side note, that's Maureen cheering at the end of the song "Get Back". When Paul says, "Thanks, Mo.", he's referring to her.
Bend little Willow
Winds gonna blow you hard and cold tonight.
Life as it happens,
No body warns you, Willow hold on tight.
Nothings gonna shake your love,
Take your love away.
No ones out to break your heart,
It only seems that way.
Sleep little willow,
Peace is gonna follow,
Time will heal your wounds.
Grow to the heavens.
Now and forever,
Always came too soon.
Nothings gonna shake your love,
Take your love away.
No ones out to break your heart,
It only seems that way.
Bend little willow,
Winds gonna blow you hard and cold tonight.
Life as it happens,
No body warns you, Willow hold on tight.
Oh this is right up my way. I love this song and the Beatles. This is a really nice photo of Paul and Ringo. Such a tragedy when someone loses the battle with cancer.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard this one. Thank you for sharing it. I simply love it. I am jealous of all your willow songs. As you might imagine, I have no Relyn songs. I do have one song, though. My Spanish name (chosen by me for high school Spanish classes) was Cecilia. My archenemy beat me to my preferred Mercedes. So, of course, "my song" is Cecilia, you're breakin' my heart...
ReplyDeleteWell, I think Cecilia, You're Breakin' My Heart is a pretty cool song, too, Relyn! Now I gotta pop in my S&G album. Am I the only one on the planet who still calls them albums?
ReplyDeleteLovely little song.
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, I had just finished watching a documentary "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" when I opened your post.
"All my life's a circle . . ."
wow, even an obscure mccartney song rocks! never heard it, either...good stuff
ReplyDeleteWe need more and more people like Mother Teressa and Diana.
ReplyDeleteThe Beatles will always be my favorites. So lovely--that really is a perfect one for the Willow Files. Oh--and no, you are not the only one who still calls them albums. We're of a certain age, I guess.
ReplyDeletehad never heard this one either...did you ever imagine you were sucha celebrity willow. smiles.
ReplyDeleteOh I love this..never heard it before
ReplyDeleteand I love S&G albums
I have a few
Sir Paul still makes my heart skip a beat.
ReplyDeleteWonderful photograph!
This was lovely Willow. Thank you for sharing. It also got me to wonder about the name of your blog. How did you choose Willow Manor?
ReplyDeleteI loved this little memory of McCartney and Ringo Starr. I was not aware that his wife had died and I didn't know the history of the song. Actually it is the first time I recall hearing it. It is lovely beyond words. Thank you for sharing it so poignantly.
ReplyDeleteNamaste,
Noelle
Gary, the house and four acres where I live was named "Willow Manor" by a former owner. There was a long line of willow trees along the culvert that runs through the property, now long gone.
ReplyDeleteLove it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Willow,
ReplyDeleteI've prided myself with my Beatles knowledge but never knew this! Thanks for the enlightenment!
This is just what I needed to hear right now, Willow. "Nothing's gonna shake you love, take your love". Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMcCartney is so good at writing those simple evocative songs. It's the first time I've heard it.
ReplyDeleteI'm really surprised how many of you are listening to this song for the first time! And I thought this was going to be a boring post.
ReplyDeleteOh my...I'm such a Beatles fan and I've never heard this song before.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard this Paul McCartney song, either. It's charming and heartfelt.
ReplyDeletewhere do you find this stuff?! What a sweet little tune and such a wonderful video to go with it.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised to say that I've not heard this one before now.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, you're not the only one who still calls them albums!
This is a new one.I shall look for it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. It's amazing how people are able to create beautiful things out of suffering and loss. I work in a Hospice and have seen many poems written by loved ones of our patients. Some of them are truly inspiring.
ReplyDeleteLove you blog. Have just found you and shall keep you in my favourites!
I love these 'Willow' songs....such wonderful memory prompts, xv.
ReplyDelete*sniff* Cancer sucks. What a guy Paul M is to write this for his friend.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful song. I never knew the story behind it. Makes me love it so much more.
ReplyDeleteI've not heard that before - lovely.
ReplyDeleteSob !
ReplyDeleteI knew the song but not the history.
that was so interesting!
ReplyDeleteThanks willow, I really enjoy these willow song theme posts. Didn't know the song or the story, found it very emotional actually.
ReplyDeleteCute video for the song. I am a big fan of Paul. I was able to see him in concert. He has a sweet spirit about him.
ReplyDeleteI heard this song before but never knew it's history. How touching, but not surprising, that Paul would comfort this family with this beautiful song. I've always thought of Paul as being somewhat enlightened in his philosophies. After all, he's the one who came up with "and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make".
ReplyDeleteOne of my very favorite CD's is Paul's recent "Memory Almost Full". Thanks for another great post, Willow!
Hadn't heard this one, Willow, and you're right, it's very nice!
ReplyDeletebeautiful song. didn't know the backstory. thanks.
ReplyDeleteOh, Willow!
ReplyDeleteI haven't heard it before, and while I love the song, I find such tenderness and love in the video. So simple and perfect.
Thank you for sharing this joy!
i appreciate the story behind this beautiful song, I'll share it with my oldest daughter who is a huge Beatles fan.
ReplyDeleteLovely little song. I have not heard it before now. Nice song of tribute.
ReplyDeleteSuch a tender little song, beautifully sung by Sir Paul. Thanks for sharing with us Willow.
ReplyDeleteJeanne
This was lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting this willow! I had never heard it, and now it's becoming a favourite....:)
ReplyDeleteIt is just amazing me how many willow songs have been written!...Altho I am one of the first Beatles fans this is a song that I wasn't familiar with...thanks for introducing me to it:) I still call them albums to and I have a difficult time buying songs separately....they seem best put together in a package:)
ReplyDeleteI have the Diana CD and have enjoyed that song countless times without knowing the story behind it. Will listen with a new ear next time. Touching.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful, thank you! :-)
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful song, simple, charming and so infinitely moving. He is indeed a musical genius.
ReplyDeleteBend little willow...
ReplyDeleteThe portraits of the two of them is nice. I don't remember much about the song but I do remember it.
In the day. LOL I listened at boot camp, in the Army, to Johnny Ray singing, "Cry."
Beautiful. I'd never heard it either.
ReplyDeletebeautiful and new to me very soft and mellow
ReplyDeleteI always find those strands from the life and work of the Beatles that link back to the world from which they came moving and a tad poignant. Maureen was a Liverpool hairdresser, a Beatles fan from the Cavern. Her cultural context, as theirs, was of the '50s, a world of unfeasible dreams and modest aspirations. Paul McCartney has always retained a powerful sense of that which prevailed before the great cultural revolution of which they were so crucial a part. Maureen - Mo - must have been for him something of a symbol of those formative times and this overlooked little song acknowledges that perfectly.
ReplyDeleteGreat lyrics! :) The Bach
ReplyDeleteLovely song -- I'm not familiar with it.
ReplyDeleteTotally lovely! What a gift of love.
ReplyDelete(I adore the graphics on the video as well...)
Those are lovely words, Willow. Cancer is no respector of persons. Ringo was my favourite out of the four of them in the sixties.
ReplyDeleteYOUR NEW HEADER IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! -- barbara
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barbara! I did a photo shoot of a dandelion a few weeks ago, and I'm really happy with the results!
ReplyDeletehad never heard that song, by Paul Mc Cartney. It is lovely, thanks for posting the video and the words. We should all learn to bend a little.
ReplyDeleteI've returned in a quieter moment to listen to the song again.
ReplyDeleteI'm crying.
of course.
and that photo.
love.
thank you so much for giving this song to me. to my soul.
I can't even explain it.
Deb, I'm glad it was so meaningful to you, dear friend. It's been in my head all day, and is especially encouraging to me, as well. xx
ReplyDeleteI have never heard this song. Thank you for introducing it to me. Lovely
ReplyDeleteI reckon it wouldn't have been easy being a Beatles wife, & this gorgeous tribute piece by Macca really acknowledges it perfectly.
ReplyDeleteMillie ^_^
Oh, dear - and I thought I was going to be the only one who had never heard Little Willow before. I guess it's before my time (yeah, right!) Thank you, Willow.
ReplyDeleteI swear I've never heard that song and because of its significance I love it the more. Thank you for filling us in...and including a touching photo.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a lover of McCartney these days...I find him arrogant although his impact on me as a teenager stands untouched. The Beatles are as much a part of me as the air I breathe.
Diana...no comment!
ps, your interests, movies, music and books make up a great post in themselves.
I have always liked this on the Diana CD. Thank you for enlightening me as to its origins. A lovely story.
ReplyDeleteGreat new header!!!!!!!!The Beatles are on my gym playlist to give me energy.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful song. Wow. I am so loving your collection of willow arts. You really are a magpie! Fantastic.
ReplyDeleteI love this song, always did, it's one of my favourite songs:) thanks so much for posting it here, Willow, and for your comment on my blog, which brought me back to your delightful place here...
ReplyDeleteA refreshing pause (I'm working on a translation and it must be 30 degrees in here, which is real hot for Paris:)
love
andrea
What a lovely, pure song..and words from the heart..thank you so much for reminding me of one I'd forgotten..beautiful moment of the day!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know this song. So simple and so beautiful. Thank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteWillow, thank you for this. FLAMING PIE is such a sweet collection, and this is one of its true jewels. What a delight to have this precious little song so close. Now that I know you, it has a a speical meaning!
ReplyDeleteSeems we were both thinking of Di this week. How far are you from Grand Rapids? (See my recent post.)
FireLight, I was lucky enough to see that wonderful Diana exhibit in Dayton a few years back. It was quite an experience. Quite haunting, actually.
ReplyDeleteI love this song, too. I didn't know its origins. It will have an added meaning for me now because I am a cancer survivor (six years now).
ReplyDeleteI don't recall ever hearing this this song. It's just beautiful. You have such a collection of Willow music. I hadn't realized until you started sharing this music, just how often the word had been memorialized in song.
ReplyDeleteLike many here I haven't heard this lovely song before. Thank you.
ReplyDeletethese are sweet tender words adn I love the simple little doodle video that goes with it too. :) Lovely.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one who hadn't heard this song before. It is very beautiful and comforting. I love the simple video too. Very touching, thank you for this post.
ReplyDelete