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TL;DR:

  • Joe Elliott of Def Leppard likes one Wings song better than all The Beatles’ songs.
  • He said it sounded like someone having a picnic in a field in the countryside.
  • He said he likes to listen to one of Wings’ albums when he lights a candle and takes a bath.
Paul McCartney in a scarf during his Wings era
Paul McCartney during the Wings era | Richard E. Aaron / Contributor

Joe Elliott of the classic rock band Def Leppard discussed his favorite Wings song. He said it sounded incredibly different from The Beatles’ songs. In addition, he contrasted it with some of Wings’ biggest hits.

Joe Elliott of Def Leppard respects ‘Live and Let Die’ but it’s not his favorite Wings song

In a 2022 article from Stereogum, Elliott discussed his favorite song Paul ever wrote. “With the greatest respect to everything he’s ever written in the world ever, and the obvious ‘Live and Let Dies‘ and ‘Band on the Runs‘ and ‘Jet‘ and etc., I’m going for ‘Little Lamb Dragonfly’ off Red Rose Speedway,” he said.

“When I first heard that song, I was 13 or 14,” he added. “There was something very melancholic about it that just sucked me in. It sounded like someone doing poetic license on phrases, sat on a blanket at some country field having a picnic.

“It sounded the furthest away from what you’d expect The Beatles to be doing,” Elliott continued. “It wasn’t ‘Helter Skelter’ or ‘Strawberry Fields Forever,’ where they were pushing boundaries. It was just a guy, a gentle guitar part, really beautiful melodies. Still, to this day when I hear it, I get all kind of … squidgy. It’s a beautiful lament, almost like a nursery rhyme.”

Joe Elliott of Def Leppard revealed which Wings album he listens to in the bath

Elliott said listening to “Little Lamb Dragonfly” triggered flashbacks of where he was when he first heard it. He believed this proved it was a good song. In addition, he said “Little Lamb Dragonfly” had everything one could ask for in an acoustic song, and that it served as a good contrast to “Band on the Run” and “Live and Let Die.”

Furthermore, Elliott praised the song’s parent album, Red Rose Speedway. He said it was is favorite Paul album to listen to when he wants to light some candles and take a bath. On the other hand, Band on the Run is his favorite Paul album to listen to when he wants to rock out. He classified Red Rose Speedway and Band on the Run as “mood albums.”

How the song performed in the United States and the United Kingdom

“Little Lamb Dragonfly” was never a single, so it did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, Red Rose Speedway reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for three weeks, staying on the chart for 32 weeks in total.

The Official Charts Company reports “Little Lamb Dragonfly” didn’t chart in the United Kingdom either. On the other hand, Red Rose Speedway peaked at No. 5 in the U.K., and remained on the chart for 16 weeks.

“Little Lamb Dragonfly” wasn’t a hit like “Band on the Run” but Elliott is a bigger fan of the former.

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