The Meaning Behind the First Song Denny Laine Wrote on His Own for Wings, “Time to Hide”

Before Wings’ fifth album Wings at the Speed of Sound, Denny Laine co-wrote “No Words” for the band’s 1973 album Band on the Run with Paul McCartney. By the time the band was working on its 1976 album, Wings at the Speed of Sound, Laine would contribute more singing on three tracks, including one that he wrote on his own “Time to Hide.”

Peaking at No. 2 on the UK charts, Wings At The Speed Of Sound gave the band another hit with the Paul and Linda McCartney-penned “Silly Love Songs,” which went to No. 5 on the UK and U.S. charts and also featured Laine on vocals with the two.

Laine’s First ‘Solo’ Wings Song

Recorded at Abbey Road from 1975 through early ’76, the McCartneys wrote 10 of the tracks on the album with the exception of “Wino Junko,” written and sung by late Wings guitarist James McCulloch and drummer Colin Eric Allen.

Along with “Silly Love Songs,” Laine also sang on “The Note You Never Wrote,” and “Time to Hide.”

“It was my song,” said Laine in the liner notes of the album. “And the fact that Paul wanted to record it was a compliment. His contribution was helping with the arrangement, mine was more the arrangement of verses, choruses. Then we’d go to the half-tempo thing in the middle, and that was to show off the harmonies. Wings was a great harmony band.”

The Meaning

Laine’s lyrics follow a protagonist running from love—and possibly from the law—and needs a little time to hide away before committing to get himself together. It’s a story of two people and also explores the larger concept of supporting loved ones in their times of need.

If I have to run
I’m not runnin’ out on you
If I have to shake a little
Sand out of my shoes
I’m runnin’ from the law
Or they’ll put me inside

Baby, won’t you let me have
A little time to hide
Baby, won’t you let me have
A little time to hide

I’ve been on the run
Since the Good Lord knows when
And the day I die
I’ll still be runnin’ then
Runnin’ from the days
When I would lay me down and cry

The Music

Driven by Laine’s piercing vocals, “Time to Hide” is one of his standout moments during his Wings era. On the track, Paul McCartney also plays an electric guitar using a Gizmotron, a device created by 10cc’s Lol Creme and Kevin Godley, that bows the strings of the instrument, mimicking a more orchestral string arrangement. McCartney previously used the Gizmo on the band’s 1975 album Venus and Mars on the track “Spirits Of Ancient Egypt.”

“Half of the thing was harmonica,” said Laine. “It was a little chance because I used to play a lot of harmonica with The Moody Blues. And the other half was Paul playing guitar with Gizmo, which gave it a really different sound.”

Wings at the Speed of Sound went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Photo: Fin Costello/Redferns