She was also best known as the first wife of English musician Paul McCartney and for her photographs of celebrities and contemporary musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and The Rolling Stones. She photographed British musician Eric Clapton for Rolling Stone magazine and became the first woman to have a photograph on the cover (May 11, 1968). After she married McCartney, her photo of the two of them appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone on January 31, 1974, making her the only person to appear on the magazine's cover who was also the photographer. Her photographs were later exhibited in more than 50 galleries internationally, and at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
After the 1970 breakup of The Beatles, Paul and Linda recorded the album Ram and formed the band Wings in 1971. They garnered several Grammy Awards, becoming one of the most successful British bands of the 1970s. The McCartneys also shared an Oscar nomination for the song "Live and Let Die" for the James Bond film of the same name. She continued to be part of her husband's touring band following Wings' breakup in 1981 up until The New World Tour in 1993.
McCartney became an animal rights activist and wrote and published several vegetarian cookbooks. She also founded the vegetarian Linda McCartney Foods company with her husband. In 1995, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and died from the disease three years later at the age of 56 in her home of Tucson, Arizona.
Linda's album Wide Prairie, which included "Seaside Woman", a song recorded by Wings in 1972. Written in response to allegations from Paul's publisher that Linda's co-writing credits were inauthentic and that she was not a real songwriter, it was released posthumously in 1998 by the McCartney family.
Mister Sandman
Linda McCartney Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make him the cutest that I've ever see
Give him the word that I'm not a rover
Then tell me that my lonesome nights are over
Sandman, I'm so alone.
Don't have nobody to call my own
Please turn on your magic beam
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream
Then tell me that my lonesome nights are over
Sandman, I'm so alone.
Don't have nobody to call my own
Please turn on your magic beam
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream, Oh
In Linda McCartney's song "Mister Sandman," the lyrics depict a lonely person who longs for a dream lover to come to her. She sings to the Sandman, asking him to bring her the cutest dream lover that she's ever seen. She pleads with the Sandman to give her a word that would let her dream lover know that she's not a rover, someone who wanders or cheats on their partner, and then asks him to tell her that her lonesome nights are over. The song continues with Linda expressing her loneliness and feeling of not having anyone to call her own. She implores the Sandman to turn on his magic beam and bring her a dream lover so that she can finally feel loved and not alone.
The song "Mister Sandman" was originally written by Pat Ballard in 1954 and was made famous by the group The Chordettes. Linda McCartney's version was released in 1978 on her album "Wide Prairie." The song is filled with longing and desire, expressing a deep human emotion that many can relate to. The Sandman is a mythical character who brings people dreams, and in this song, Linda turns to him as a last resort to feel loved and wanted. The catchy melody and the simple yet effective lyrics make this song a classic that continues to resonate with people to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
Sandman, bring me a dream
Linda McCartney is asking the Sandman to bring her a dream.
Make him the cutest that I've ever see
She wants the Sandman to create the dream with the cutest guy she's ever seen.
Give him the word that I'm not a rover
Linda wants the Sandman to inform the man in the dream that she's not a player or unfaithful in any way.
Then tell me that my lonesome nights are over
She wants the Sandman to reassure her that this dream will bring an end to her lonely nights.
Sandman, I'm so alone.
Linda is expressing her loneliness to the Sandman.
Don't have nobody to call my own
She feels like she doesn't have anyone to call her own and is seeking companionship.
Please turn on your magic beam
She's hoping the Sandman can use his magic to create the perfect dream for her.
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream
Linda repeats her initial request for the Sandman to bring her a dream.
Then tell me that my lonesome nights are over
She reiterates her desire for the dream to end her lonely nights.
Sandman, I'm so alone.
Once again, Linda expresses her loneliness to the Sandman.
Don't have nobody to call my own
She feels like she doesn't have anyone to call her own and is seeking companionship.
Please turn on your magic beam
She's hoping the Sandman can use his magic to create the perfect dream for her.
Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream, Oh
Linda repeats her initial request for the Sandman to bring her a dream, with emphasis.
Contributed by Michael H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.