Paul McCartney on how 'Yesterday' came to him in a dream
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Sir Paul McCartney has released a new book full of insight and stories about his career which spans 50 years. The book, Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, includes the former member of The Beatles talking about the meaning behind his most famous songs, including some run-ins with his Fab Four pals. Within the book he revealed John Lennon turned “nasty” after the band split up in 1970.
McCartney wrote: “When we broke up and everyone was now flailing around … I don’t really understand why.
“Maybe because we grew up in Liverpool, where it was always good to get in the first punch of a fight.”
The punches Lennon was throwing came in the form of his first solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. The record included the song God, which housed some lyrics pointed directly at The Beatles.
And McCartney wasn’t happy about this. He wrote: “John was firing missiles at me with his songs, and one or two of them were quite cruel.”
McCartney continued: “I don’t know what he hoped to gain, other than punching me in the face. The whole thing really annoyed me.
“John would say things like: ‘It was rubbish. The Beatles were crap.’ Also: ‘I don’t believe in The Beatles, I don’t believe in Jesus, I don’t believe in God.’
“Those were quite hurtful barbs to be flinging around and I was the person they were being flung at, and it hurt.”
Although McCartney didn’t quite do the same back, he was not happy about Lennon’s comments at all.
Charlie Watts: Paul McCartney pays tribute to Rolling Stones star
McCartney went on: “So, I’m having to read all this stuff, and on the one hand I’m thinking: ‘Oh f*** off you f****** idiot.’
“But on the other hand I’m thinking: ‘Why would you say that? Are you annoyed at me or are you jealous or what?'”
“And thinking back 50 years later,” the star added. “I still wonder how he must have felt.”
Eventually, things cooled down between the two.
McCartney noted that Lennon became a little calmer in 1975 after the birth of his second son, Sean Ono Lennon.
He wrote: “We had even more in common, and we’d often talk about being parents.”
Lennon spent most of the next five years looking after Sean and staying away from the music industry.
That is until he heard one of McCartney’s newer songs.
McCartney recalled: “John described Coming Up somewhere as ’a good piece of work.’ He’d been lying around not doing much, and it sort of shocked him out of inertia. So it was nice to hear that it had struck a chord with him.”
Shortly thereafter Lennon began working on his 1980 comeback album, Double Fantasy.
On December 8 that year, Lennon was assassinated.
Paul McCartney’s book Lyrics: 1956 to the Present is out now.
SOURCE
Source: Read Full Article
