"Mary Had a Little Lamb" is a song written by Paul and Linda McCartney and released as a non-album single by the British–American rock band Wings in March 1972.

At the time, some observers such as Roy Carr and Tony Tyler of New Musical Express presumed the song was recorded by McCartney in response to the BBC ban of his previous single, the political "Give Ireland Back to the Irish",[1] but McCartney has denied this, saying that it was a sincere effort to write a song for children.

[4] "Mary Had a Little Lamb" was released as a single on 19 May 1972 in the UK, moved back from its original planned date of the 5th.

[5] The song was attacked by several contemporary rock critics, with one commenting that McCartney had "fallen to tripe" of this genre.

"[9] Record World said it was "the familiar nursery rhyme set to a fine McCartney melody.