Inspiration
In 1977, Paul McCartney hired three yachts, and with both his family and his band on board, travelled to the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. A mobile studio was installed on board the Fair Carol for the forthcoming recording sessions of the new album "London Town". Paul and his family dwelled on board another yacht, the Wanderlust, whose name served as a song title on Paul's Tug of Was album two years later.
Although not obvious, "Wanderlust" is directly about Paul McCartney's 1979 marijuana bust in Japan. Without going into any specifics, the song references McCartney's thoughts on the stupidity of the herb being illegal, being tipped off by the ship's captain, and the general loss of liberty that he was feeling. There is a melancholy to the music and arrangement, which is full without being cluttered. Melodically, there are some eerie similarities to some of the songs on his Red Rose Speedway, which was done following his marijuana arrest in Sweden in the early '70s. This is more likely a coincidence yet makes for even more intriguing listening.