The Wings, however, had a much farther-reaching appeal, thanks largely to the enormous charisma of heartthrob frontman Spud Nathan (nee Jonathan Udensi), who led the group through such romantic hits as "Kissing You So Hard," "Gone With the Sun" and "Single Boy" and the song featured here, "If You Don't Love Me Girl."
The Wings story took a tragic turn in 1974 when Nathan - while riding to a gig in a car driven by guitarist Manford Best - was killed in an accident on the infamous Njaba Bridge in Imo State. (A decade later, another car crash on that same bridge would claim the life of ex-Funkees and Osibisa guitarist Jake Sollo.)
Nathan's death catapulted The Wings into a tailspin. Most of the band (and their fans) blamed Best for the accident since he had been behind the wheel. Also, he had allegedly had sex with a groupie in the brand new car before it had the chance to be properly "blessed," which was considered to be some bad, bad juju. To add insult to injury, while the rest of the band wanted to go on a yearlong hiatus to mourn Spud, Best insisted that The Wings resume activity immediately with him in the lead singer spot. Eventually, the band went on hiatus for two years while Best broke away and formed Super Wings to relatively little success, due to fan resentment over his role in Spud's death.
Note: If you are listening to "Wings", the Paul McCartney band and have landed on this page, it is recommended that you change your tags to either Wings or Paul McCartney & Wings.
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five
The Wings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She may be right
She may be fine
She may get love but she won't get mine
'Cause I got you
Oh, oh I, oh oh I
Well I just can't enough of that sweet stuff
(Shake it, baby, don't break it)
Oh my mama said the time would come
When I would find myself in, love with you
I didn't think
I never dreamed
That I would be around, to see it all come true
Whoa oh oh I, oh oh I
Well I just can't get enough of that sweet stuff
My little lady gets behind
Ah no one left alive in 1985, will ever do
She may be right
She may be fine
She may get love but she won't get mine
'Cause I got you
Oh oh I, oh oh I
Well I just can't get enough of that sweet stuff
My little lady left behind
The lyrics to The Wings's "Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five" explore themes of love, time and the inevitability of change. It is set in the year 1985, a time that represents the future, a time when no one left alive will ever do what the singer's lover can do. The lyrics suggest that the singer's love for his partner is so strong that even if someone else comes along who is right, fine and may receive love, they will never receive his love because it is reserved for his lover: "She may get love but she won't get mine, 'cause I got you". The use of the year 1985 serves to highlight the passage of time and the fact that even in the future, the love between the singer and his lover will remain constant.
The verse "Oh my mama said the time would come, When I would find myself in love with you" suggests that the love between the singer and his partner is preordained or fated, and reinforces the idea that love transcends time. The repetition of the line "Well I just can't get enough of that sweet stuff, My little lady gets behind" further emphasises the deep love and attachment the singer has for his partner.
Overall, the lyrics to "Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five" convey a message of eternal love and devotion, even in the face of the passage of time and the changes it brings.
Line by Line Meaning
On no one left alive in 1985, will ever do
No person living in 1985 could ever be as good as you (the person the singer is addressing)
She may be right
The singer acknowledges that the person he's addressing may be logically correct or justified in her actions or opinions
She may be fine
The singer acknowledges that the person he's addressing may be physically attractive or pleasing
She may get love but she won't get mine
The singer will not give his love to anyone else but the person he's addressing
'Cause I got you
The singer's reason for not giving his love to anyone else is that he's already with the person he's addressing
Oh, oh I, oh oh I
The singer is expressing his love and attachment to the person he's addressing
Well I just can't enough of that sweet stuff
The singer is saying that he can't get enough of his love interest's affection or attention
My little lady gets behind
The singer's love interest follows him and supports him in whatever he does
(Shake it, baby, don't break it)
This line is likely just an exclamation or encouragement for his love interest to dance or move to the music
Oh my mama said the time would come
The singer is reflecting on something his mother told him about love and relationships
When I would find myself in, love with you
His mother predicted that he would fall in love with the person he's addressing
I didn't think
The singer didn't expect to actually fall in love with the person his mother predicted he would
I never dreamed
The singer didn't even consider the possibility of falling in love with this person as a dream or fantasy
That I would be around, to see it all come true
The singer didn't expect to still be alive to see his predicted love come to fruition
Whoa oh oh I, oh oh I
The singer is still expressing his love and attachment to the person he's addressing
Ah no one left alive in 1985, will ever do
The singer is repeating his sentiment that no one from his own time period could ever be as good as the person he's addressing
She may be right
The singer again acknowledges that his love interest may be correct in her actions or opinions
She may be fine
The singer again acknowledges that his love interest may be physically attractive or pleasing
She may get love but she won't get mine
The singer repeats that his exclusivity in love belongs only to the person he's addressing
'Cause I got you
The singer reiterates his reason for not giving his love to anyone else
Oh oh I, oh oh I
The singer ends on his expression of love and attachment to the person he's addressing
Well I just can't get enough of that sweet stuff
The singer repeats his insatiable desire for his love interest's affection or attention
My little lady left behind
The singer's love interest follows him as he moves forward in life
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LINDA MCCARTNEY, PAUL MCCARTNEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind