"I Don`t Know" is a song by English musician Paul McCartney, released by Capitol Records as a double A-side single alongside "Come On to Me", ahead of McCartney`s 17th studio album, Egypt Station.[3][4]

McCartney`s website described "I Don`t Know" as a "plaintive, soul-soothing ballad as only Paul can deliver."[3]

In the `Casual Conversation with Jarvis Cocker at LIPA` (25 July 2018), McCartney said that in his opinion John Lennon would like this song.[5]

Background, composition, and recording

In the `Words Between Tracks` about writing a song, McCartney said:

"I wrote this after going through a difficult period. Like people have nothing sort of madly serious or anything, but just one of those days when it’s like, "Oh my god, am I doing wrong here", you know. And sometimes that’s a good way to write a song, because you’re coming from your soul. And we often used to say that writing a song was like talking to a psychiatrist, a therapist or something. Because you’re saying it… You are saying it in a song rather than in a room to a specialist. Yeah, so it was me just thinking this problem out, and putting it into a song."[6]

The track was recorded at Henson Studios in Los Angeles, with additional sessions recorded at Hog Hill Mill (Sussex) and Abbey Road Studios. "I Don`t Know" was also engineered by Steve Orchard, Alex Pasco, Billy Bush, Julian Burg and Greg Kurstin.[7]

Release

The song was officially issued on 20 June 2018. On 11 October 2018, the official Paul McCartney website announced that the exclusive version of the double A-side single would be released as part of Record Store Day. The hand-numbered vinyl was limited to 5,000 copies and was available at independent record stores around the world on 23 November 2018.[8]

Reception

"I Don`t Know" received favorable reviews from critics. In The Guardian, Alexis Petridis wrote that "I Don`t Know" is "impossibly sumptuous" and "shows [McCartney`s] extraordinary melodic facility is completely intact".[9] Pitchfork described it as having a "bleakness ... almost unprecedented in McCartney`s catalog".[10] A review in The Times praised its "beautiful piano melody" and compared it to McCartney`s early solo work—"equally breezy and sad".[11]

Personnel

• Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, percussion, drums
• Greg Kurstin – electric guitar, Mellotron, synthesizer, cello, clarinet, timpani
• Rob Millett – cimbalom

Charts