Concert unknown. Paul McCartney wrote this song. It was inspired by his mother, Mary, who died when he was 14. Many people thought "Mother Mary" was a biblical reference when they heard it. Paul McCartney wrote this song. It was inspired by his mother, Mary, who died when he was 14. Many people thought "Mother Mary" was a biblical reference when they heard it.

This song began as a ballad without the guitar solos at the end, and Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded it that way for the first time in 1972. The lyrics are about a man explaining to a girl why he can't settle down and make a commitment. The opening lines, "If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?" were inspired by Allen Collins' girlfriend Kathy, who had asked him this very question during a fight.

Concert unknown. 1972. Until this song, Gaye rarely participated in the songwriting process. For this album, he took control of the production so he could make a statement as an artist. Motown management was skeptical, but Gaye was an established star and had enough power to pull it off, going so far as to use an orchestra on this track. Gaye's lyrics in this song were inspired by the stories his brother Frankie told him when he came back from the Vietnam War.