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McCartney: A Life in Lyrics
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McCartney: A Life in Lyrics

Episode 1Welcome to McCartney: A Life in LyricsJuly 18, 2023 · 8 min
Episodes
26
Format
Series – listen from the start
Latest episode
Apr 17, 2024
WebsiteRSS feed

About the podcast

McCartney: A Life in Lyrics offers listeners the opportunity to sit in on conversations between Paul McCartney and poet Paul Muldoon dissecting the people, experiences, and art that inspired McCartney’s songwriting. These conversations were held during the past several years as the two collaborated on the award winning book, “The Lyrics: 1965 to Present.” Over two seasons and 24 episodes of “McCartney: A Life in Lyrics”, you’ll hear a combination master class, memoir, and improvised journey with one of the most beloved figures in popular music. Each episode focuses on one song from McCartney’s iconic catalog – spanning early Beatles through his solo work. Season 2 premieres on February 7th.

“McCartney: A Life in Lyrics” is a co-production between iHeart Media, MPL and Pushkin Industries.

Cover Portrait © 1967 Paul McCartney / Photographer: Linda McCartney

Episodes 26

  1. The End

    29 minSeason 2 · Episode 12

    Coming at the end of an intensely creative period, The Beatles’ Abbey Road features some of the most adventurous compositions in the quartet’s catalog. It's fitting then that the album concludes with one of the …

  2. Michelle

    26 minSeason 2 · Episode 11

    “Michelle” from 1965’s Rubber Soul started as a kind of light-hearted party piece. But in McCartney’s quest to turn it into a legitimate Beatles song, he went on a bit of a journey to sound not only like a …

  3. Give Ireland Back to the Irish

    21 minSeason 2 · Episode 10

    This episode deals with themes and events surrounding the Northern Ireland conflict. As such, this episode may be traumatic or emotional for some listeners. Paul McCartney doesn’t view himself as a writer of …

  4. Here, There and Everywhere

    19 minSeason 2 · Episode 9

    The breadth of Paul McCartney’s influences is astounding. One of the many surprising places McCartney found inspiration was in the music of his parent’s generation. For 1966's “Here, There and Everywhere”, he …

  5. Hey Jude

    20 minSeason 2 · Episode 8

    In 1968 the longest song to ever reach number one on the Billboard charts was Paul McCartney’s epic “Hey Jude”—clocking in at seven minutes and twelve seconds. The song was written to soothe John Lennon’s son …

  6. A Day in the Life

    27 minSeason 2 · Episode 7

    Paul McCartney and John Lennon had a knack for finishing each other's songs. They collaborated by lending ideas for verses, choruses and middle eights many times over the course of their partnership. 1967’s “A …

  7. Silly Love Songs

    31 minSeason 2 · Episode 6

    From his earliest days as a songwriter, Paul McCartney was interested in love songs. But by the time of Wing’s 1976 album “At the Speed of Sound” McCartney had become tired of critics suggesting that was all he …

  8. Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)

    23 minSeason 2 · Episode 5

    “Drink to me, drink to my health” were among the last words spoken by the great Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. On somewhat of a lark, Dustin Hoffman challenged Paul McCartney to use those words to write a song …

  9. Yesterday

    30 minSeason 2 · Episode 4

    The Beatles’ songbook became standard repertoire for artists to perform almost as quickly as they kicked off “the British invasion.” But one was covered more than all the rest: Yesterday. “McCartney: A Life in …

  10. Maxwell’s Silver Hammer

    20 minSeason 2 · Episode 3

    One day in the car, Paul McCartney heard a BBC production of the absurdist play “Ubu Cocu” by french writer Alfred Jarry. Taken by the rebelliousness of the radio play, McCartney wrote a sweet-sounding tune …

  11. Band on the Run

    29 minSeason 2 · Episode 2

    Paul McCartney found himself in a tricky place after The Beatles’ break up. What did his musical future look like without the three musicians he’d spent half of his life building a musical rapport with? …

  12. Love Me Do

    25 minSeason 2 · Episode 1

    Countless decisions, large and small, aided The Beatles’ ascent to the top of popular culture. The release of their debut single, “Love Me Do,” in the UK in the fall of 1962 was one of those decisions. Their …

  13. Welcome to Season 2 of McCartney: A Life in Lyrics

    2 minSeason 2Trailer

    Vote for “McCartney: A Life in Lyrics“ as the Webby Awards’ Best Music Podcast now: https://bit.ly/4jmkrDf Season Two of McCartney: A Life in Lyrics comes out weekly starting February 7th, and features the …

  14. Helter Skelter

    23 minSeason 1 · Episode 12

    Season 1 of “McCartney: A Life in Lyrics” concludes with a band in flux. The Beatles had evolved significantly by 1968 from when they first released “Love Me Do.” Back then, they were only competing with the …

  15. Too Many People

    26 minSeason 1 · Episode 11

    Many observers have tried to pinpoint the specific events that lead to Lennon-McCartney, the formidable songwriting partnership, transitioning to Lennon v. McCartney. But the fact is there is no single truth …

  16. Jenny Wren / Blackbird

    24 minSeason 1 · Episode 10

    “Long Tailed Winter Bird,” “Bluebird,” and “Single Pigeon” are just a few of the many bird-oriented songs Paul McCartney has written over the years. His love of ornithology extends back before his songwriting …

  17. Magical Mystery Tour

    23 minSeason 1 · Episode 9

    “Magical Mystery Tour” was inspired by a holiday bus from Liverpool to a mystery destination—often ending up in the carnivalesque seaside town of Blackpool. It’s one of the best examples of The Beatles further …

  18. Live and Let Die

    18 minSeason 1 · Episode 8

    James Bond themes were handled by soulful or sultry vocalists in the decade since 1963’s “From Russia With Love.” Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones and even Louis Armstrong had taken turns singing themes and secondary …

  19. Here Today

    23 minSeason 1 · Episode 7

    Warning: This episode begins with a description of the assassination of John Lennon. John Lennon’s assassination has reverberated across decades, country and culture. On the 8th of December, 1980 the world lost …

  20. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey

    20 minSeason 1 · Episode 6

    As Paul McCartney’s life moved further away from the centering force of Liverpool, the distance, both physical and cultural, started becoming increasingly apparent. It's a distance described by Paul as …

  21. Penny Lane

    22 minSeason 1 · Episode 5

    As a young boy, Paul McCartney soaked up the radio plays his mother listened to while cleaning around their house. They gave McCartney an expansive understanding of characterization, something he’s been able to …

  22. When Winter Comes / Mull of Kintyre

    25 minSeason 1 · Episode 4

    At the dawn of the Beatles’ dissolution, Paul McCartney and his wife, Linda, started to spend an increasing amount of time in the Scottish countryside. Sequestered at their farm near the Mull of Kintyre …

  23. Let It Be

    21 minSeason 1 · Episode 3

    Paul McCartney’s mother Mary passed away in 1956, when Paul was only 14 years old. Over a decade later, she appeared to him in a dream, lending a few immortal words of wisdom: “Let it be.” These words arrived …

  24. Back In the U.S.S.R.

    18 minSeason 1 · Episode 2

    What’s Paul McCartney, a Liverpudlian, doing writing about the Soviet Union in 1968? Turns out McCartney was doing a little Chuck Berry, a bit of The Beach Boys, some pastiche and a lot of subversion. Opening …

  25. Eleanor Rigby

    19 minSeason 1 · Episode 1

    Face cream, a Bristol liquor business, and a lifelong reverence for the elderly are just a few of the rather ordinary and disparate inspirations Paul McCartney brought together in the creation of a masterpiece …

  26. Welcome to McCartney: A Life in Lyrics

    8 minSeason 1

    Welcome to "McCartney: A Life in Lyrics". This podcast will take you into the mind of one of the greatest songwriters of all time: Paul McCartney. The result is a combination master class, memoir, and …

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