Released: June 4, 2007

Songwriter: Paul McCartney

Producer: David Kahne

[Verse 1]
Well, I was found in the transit lounge
Of a dirty airport town
What was I doing on the road to ruin?
Well, my mama laid me down
My mama laid me down

[Verse 2]
Around my hand was a plastic band
With a picture of my face
I was crying, left to die
In this godforsaken place
This godforsaken place

[Chorus]
Only Mama knows
Why she laid me down in this godforsaken town
She was running too
What she was running from, I always wondered
I never knew
Only Mama knows
Only Mama knows

[Bridge]
I'm passing through, I'm on my way
On the road, no ETA
I'm passing through, no fixed abode
And that is why I need to try to hold on
I've got to hold on
I've got to hold on

[Verse 3]
Was it planned as a one night stand
Or did she leave in disgrace?
Well, I never, will I ever see my father's face?
See my father's face?

[Chorus]
Only Mama knows
Why she laid me down in this godforsaken town
She was running too
What she was running from, I always wondered
I never knew
Only Mama knows
Only Mama knows

Only Mama knows
Why she laid me down in this godforsaken town
She was running too
What she was running from, I always wondered
I never knew
Only Mama knows (Only Mama knows)
Only Mama knows (Only Mama knows)
(Only Mama knows)
(Only Mama knows)

[Outro]
I've got to hold on
I've got to hold on
Got to hold on

Paul McCartney

Sir James Paul McCartney, born June 18, 1942, is the single most successful music artist of all time. He found worldwide fame as the bass player and vocalist for The Beatles, and has continued to enjoy commercial success long after the band’s breakup.

His post-Beatles projects—the most lucrative of which was the band Wings, alongside then-wife Linda Eastman—have been met with mixed critical reception but he still retains a substantial public following, regularly conducting worldwide arena tours well into his later years.

His album sales with The Beatles, Wings and solo endeavours combined come to over 100 million, and his net worth was estimated to be approximately $1.2 billion circa 2018. He was knighted in 1997 and is known for his activism.