Paul McCartney Named Wings’ ‘Jet’ After His Family’s Shetland Pony
Paul McCartney named Wings’ “Jet” after his family’s Shetland pony that lived on their Scottish farm. Initially, the former Beatle didn’t want to live on the farm he’d purchased before marrying his first wife, Linda. However, it didn’t take Paul long to realize that it was a peaceful sanctuary, especially during one of the toughest times in his life.
The singer-songwriter escaped to his farm in Scotland following The Beatles’ split
After Paul and his first wife, Linda, eloped, they moved to the farm Paul had recently purchased in Scotland. They craved privacy and quiet during one of the most stressful times in their lives. The Beatles were breaking up. Initially, Paul didn’t want to go to Scotland, but Linda was, and eventually, he realized it was worth it.
In The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, Paul wrote that his wife opened his eyes to how beautiful the place was and what it had to offer their growing family. The farm became “a refuge of sorts, and it was nice to get away from London and everything – both the good and bad – that comes with the city,” he wrote.
Paul drove a tractor and tended to the family’s animals. Meanwhile, Linda experimented with vegetarian dishes and started writing her cookbooks. Their kids got to experience great things growing up. They were completely cut off from the “hurly-burly” and made their own fun.
Paul thinks Linda loved the farm because it helped her find a new side to her work as a photographer. He also admitted that he would never have dreamt of taking up horse riding had he not met Linda. The couple found themselves in Scotland. It gave them a “wonderful freedom to try new things” just for themselves.
Paul had loved nature since he was a kid, and being at the farm gave him the freedom to just think after a hectic 10 or so years of being with The Beatles. It inspired Paul to write “Junior’s Farm,” specifically lyrics like: “Down to Junior’s Farm where I want to lay low.”
“It was such a relief to get out of those business meetings with people in suits, who were so serious all the time, and to go off to Scotland and be able just to sit around in a T-shirt and corduroys,” Paul wrote. “I was very much in that mindset when I wrote this song. The basic message is, let’s get out of here. You might say it’s my post- Beatles get-ting-out-of-town song.”
Paul also wrote “Jet” on his family’s farm.
Paul McCartney named Wings’ ‘Jet’ after his family’s Shetland Pony
Life on their Scottish farm was extraordinary and boosted Paul and Linda’s creativity. One day, Paul wrote “Jet” after taking his guitar and walking to the top of a hill where an old fortress once sat. It was the kind of place where the Vikings would’ve come up while the natives poured oil on them. It was one of the spots near the farm where Paul and his family liked to hang out.
When Paul got to the fortress, he let his mind wander, and somehow, his wife’s relationship with her strict father came to mind. That’s where “Sgt. Major” came from.
When Paul finished writing “Jet,” he named the song after his family’s Shetland pony. Paul and Linda bought it for their kids. At the time, Mary was four, and Stella was two.
However, Paul wrote that knowing that Jet is a pony is about as important or unimportant as knowing that Martha in Paul’s Beatles song, “Martha My Dear,” is a sheepdog.
Paul McCartney wrote ‘Jet’ with The Beatles in mind
Linda’s father and the family’s Shetland pony weren’t the only things that helped shape Paul and Wings’ “Jet.” Paul used some of his Beatles songwriting skills to write the tune. The Fab Four learned how to make hits early on. They couldn’t write flops. It would’ve been unnatural.
Around the time that Paul wrote “Jet,” he was deliberately trying to make Wings sound different from The Beatles. However, Paul needed the skills he used in The Beatles to make hits for his new band. “The tricks of the trade still applied, so when it came to ‘Jet,’ I had loads of tricks that I could use,” Paul wrote. “One of them is shouting; that works. A shout is always a good song opener.”
Many things inspired Paul on “Jet.” However, it’s doubtful that he pictures Jet the Shetland pony or his father-in-law anymore when he performs the song. His songs have morphed in his head all these years later.
