The new season of this podcast takes you back in time to discover the stories and the backstories behind some of The Beatles’ most iconic as well as their lesser-known songs
(From left) John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr arrive in the USA in 1964. Pic courtesy/Wikimedia Commons
In his book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, co-authored with the Irish poet Paul Muldoon, Paul McCartney wrote, “Some people like to refer to a diary to recall day-to-day events from the past, but I have no such notebooks. What I do have are my songs which serve much the same purpose.” He recollected how these songs spanned his entire life. Even when he got his first guitar at the age of 14, he naturally gravitated towards writing songs. “Since then, I’ve never stopped,” noted the Beatles legend. Muldoon and McCartney began the McCartney: A Life in Lyrics podcast to return to the conversations and backstories they had started in the book. These have largely been about the lyrics McCartney wrote or co-wrote.
This month, they launched the second season of the podcast. Muldoon introduces each episode by calling the podcast “a masterclass, a memoir, and an improvised journey” with the artiste. The episodes are usually between 20 and 30 minutes long. Their conversations are punctuated by tunes from artistes who inspired the Liverpudlian band. There’s a popular story of how the title, A Hard Day’s Night came from what a weary Ringo Starr once said in an interview. But most of us don’t know the stories behind the other songs. What young McCartney and Lennon were up to when they created Love Me Do or what role did the radio play in their lives.
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For a Beatles fan, the podcast is a treat. The fourth episode, released last week, is particularly the most delightful, and at the same time emotional, out of the four so far. McCartney reveals that the melody of Yesterday, a song covered by thousands of artistes including Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, was something he heard in a dream. What follows is a story with lively descriptions of how he tried to chase the tune to its creator.
When a band tours for a decade and releases albums prolifically, going on to become the most influential one in the history of rock and roll, a peek — away from all the noise about their break-up and relationships — into their songwriting, is a precious quest. The decision to take the collection in the book to a podcast was also wise. It’s the perfect medium to incorporate songs as one speaks about them, and the episodes can be best enjoyed early morning or at tea time.
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