Where Were You Last Night? – The Traveling Wilburys

The tone of the acoustics on this track is the standout for me here, and combined with that tasty rhythm and the congenial vocal harmonies we’re accustomed to hearing from them, it makes this yet another keeper from the supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys. It’s just got a great sound.

You can also tell they were having a lot of fun making this record, given the frivolous nature of the lyrics and their playful alternating of vocals. The song’s lead vocals here are by Bob Dylan and George Harrison. The song tells of a love interest who has gone AWOL, and they ask where she’s been and who she’s been seen with. Worst of all, she’s making a name for herself. It’s all a bit twisted and tongue-in-cheek really, but in keeping with the humour throughout the record.

This cool little toe-tapping number is taken from their second and final studio album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 (1990). Volume 3 seems less well-honed in its endeavour compared to their classic Volume 1 debut. Petty described the album as “a little more rough and ready, a bit more raucous” than Vol. 1.

Also, considering the fairly recent tragic passing of Roy Orbison, I imagine the group wasn’t trying to live up to or measure themselves by what they’d done previously. You simply can’t replace someone like Roy.

“We’d become this unit, we were all good pals … We always knew we were going to do another one, and now it’s just the four of us.”
— Jeff Lynne

Harrison was the most active in promoting the Wilburys, carrying out interviews well into 1989. He said he was “waiting for all the other Wilburys to finish being solo artists” so that they could renew the collaboration. Despite Volume 3 not being anywhere near as popular as Volume 1, it still contains some very good songs that have unfortunately flown under the radar when people recall the music of the Traveling Wilburys.

I assumed Vol. 2 was skipped in memory of Roy Orbison, but according to Jeff Lynne, “That was George’s idea. He said, ‘Let’s confuse the buggers‘.” After Roy’s passing, the remaining four members adopted new pseudonyms for Vol. 3 – Spike (George Harrison), Clayton (Jeff Lynne), Muddy (Tom Petty) and Boo (Bob Dylan).

Vol. 3 was dedicated to Orbison as “Lefty Wilbury”, the pseudonym Orbison had used in 1988 in honour of his hero, Lefty Frizzell.

After the Wilburys (Wikipedia):

According to Jim Keltner, the decision on the group’s future after Vol. 3 lay with Harrison. Keltner said that from his conversations with Lynne, Petty and Dylan, they were all keen to reunite, whereas Harrison wavered in his enthusiasm.

Where were you last night?
You were so uptight
What did you do? Who did you see?
Were you with someone who reminded you of me?
Where were you last night?

Where were you last week?
Were you up a creek?
Did you stay up pacing the floor?
Got me worried
You ignore me more and more

Where were you last night?
You weren’t around me
When they found me
Where were you last night?

You better stop your messin’ around
Your name is going round from town to town
It’s making me sad, making me feel bad
Where were you last night?

Where were you last year?
You sure as hell weren’t here
You weren’t waiting where you said
You sent someone in your place instead

Where were you last night?
It’s getting to me
Making me gloomy
Where were you last night?

References:
1. Traveling Wilburys – Wikipedia