Not every song has to try and save the world, nor does it have to elucidate some deep truth about the human condition. It’s OK now and again to just go for catchiness and whimsy, allowing listeners to have a little bit of a laugh while they groove along to the tune.
Paul McCartney has always possessed a deep affinity for the occasional lark of a song. From his 1980 album McCartney II, “Temporary Secretary” served just that purpose, and its mixture of computerized blips and bleeps with lyrical irreverence makes it a fun outlier in an impressive body of work.
And So Begin the Solo Years … Again
In 1970, Paul McCartney went solo for the first time with his album McCartney. But that was pretty much it for his solo output for a while. Ram, his 1971 album, was credited to his wife Linda and him. Also in 1971, McCartney assembled the first version of Wings, the band with whom he would record for the bulk of the ‘70s.
After Wings’ 1979 album Back to the Egg failed to reach the usual commercial standards the band had established, McCartney decided to do a solo one-off album. Like the initial McCartney album, McCartney II would be a DIY affair. The difference is this one would utilize the latest technology to achieve the music, instead of the rustic approach of that 1970 LP.
McCartney II, released in 1980, would restart Paul’s resurgent solo career in earnest, as he would never again record with Wings. “Temporary Secretary” is a highlight of the record, as synths and sequences create a playfully robotic atmosphere. For the lyrics, McCartney remembered his occasional need for part-time help and then built the story up from there, as he explained in a 2011 interview with The Quietus:
“I did have temporary secretaries. After I left Apple [Corps] I still had business stuff coming up, so in trying to figure out how I could cope with that there were a couple of times I just grabbed someone to just put my letters in order and help. But that track isn’t about a specific person.”
What is the Lyrical Meaning of “Temporary Secretary”?
On the surface, “Temporary Secretary” is a playful, somewhat tawdry little tale about a guy who uses the pretense of needing temporary help to find some romantic company. More than anything, however, it’s a case of Paul McCartney having a lot of fun with intricate wordplay, a songwriting technique in which he often indulged going all the way back to his Beatles days.
Right off the bat, we can tell that this guy might not have the purest of intentions when he requests help: Mister Marks can you find for me / Someone strong and sweet fitting on my knee. Even though he occasionally mentions the need for strong secretarial skills, you get the feeling that’s not his main priority: She can keep her job if she gets it wrong.
“Temporary Secretary” really hits its groove in the middle eight, when McCartney, singing in flatline vocals like an automaton, starts to pick up the lyrical pace: She can be a diplomat / But I don’t need a girl like that / She can be a neurosurgeon / If she’s doing nothing urgent. It’s a lot of silliness, but inspired silliness nonetheless.
McCartney II featured a few experimental tracks up alongside sure-footed pop songs (like the big hit “Coming Up”). “Temporary Secretary” gave McCartney a chance to play around a bit with a song that might not have held any deep meaning, but certainly went down smooth with listeners who were OK with a bit of creative lunacy.
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Photo Robert R. McElroy/Getty Images
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