Song

The Long And Winding Road

Release date: 11 May 1970

The long and winding road that leads to your door,
Will never disappear, I've seen that road before
It always leads me here, lead me to your door.

The wild and windy night that the rain washed away,
Has left a pool of tears crying for the day.
Why leave me standing here, let me know the way.

Many times I've been alone and many times I've cried,
Anyway you've always known the many ways I've tried,
But still they lead me back to the long, winding road,

You left me waiting here a long, long time ago.
Don't leave me standing here, lead me to your door.
Da da, da da ...

"The Long and Winding Road"
Single by The Beatles
from the album Let It Be
B-side "For You Blue"
Released 11 May 1970 (US)
Format Vinyl record (7")
Recorded 26 & 31 January 1969 at Apple; 1 April 1970 at Abbey Road
Genre Rock, symphonic music
Length 3:38
Label Apple
Writer(s) Lennon-McCartney
Producer Phil Spector
Certification Platinum (RIAA)
The Beatles singles chronology
"Let It Be"/"You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)"
(1970)
"The Long and Winding Road" / "For You Blue"
(US-1970)
"Got to Get You into My Life"
(US-1976)
Let It Be track listing
12 tracks
Side one
  1. "Two of Us"
  2. "Dig a Pony"
  3. "Across the Universe"
  4. "I Me Mine"
  5. "Dig It"
  6. "Let It Be"
  7. "Maggie Mae"
Side two
  1. "I've Got a Feeling"
  2. "One After 909"
  3. "The Long and Winding Road"
  4. "For You Blue"
  5. "Get Back"

"The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon-McCartney) that originally appeared on the Beatles' album Let It Be. It became the group's 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 13 June 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet while all four remained alive. "The Long and Winding Road" was listed with "For You Blue" as a double-sided hit when the single hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1970.

While the released version of the song was very successful, the post-production modifications to the song by producer Phil Spector angered McCartney to the point that when he made his case in court for breaking up the Beatles as a legal entity, McCartney cited the treatment of "The Long and Winding Road" as one of six reasons for doing so. New versions of the song with simpler instrumentation were subsequently released by both the Beatles and McCartney.

©1970 Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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