John and Paul: A Beatles Love Story in Songs (Part One)

Apr 1, 2025

Ian Leslie, a writer and author of "John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs," delves into the intricate relationship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. He explores their early years in Liverpool, marked by shared dreams and emotional struggles. The duo's unique bond blended friendship, rivalry, and collaboration, shaping their groundbreaking music. Leslie illustrates how their songwriting evolved from youthful encounters to iconic tracks, reflecting their complicated emotions even post-breakup, revealing a dialogue that captivated generations.

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ANECDOTE

Viral McCartney Love

Ian Leslie's Substack article "64 Reasons to Love Paul McCartney" unexpectedly went viral during the lockdown.
This led to his book John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs, which received critical acclaim and even converted Nigella Lawson into a Beatles fan.

INSIGHT

Beyond the Caricatures

Common perceptions of John and Paul are often simplified and inaccurate.
Paul is often seen as the sentimental one while John is the cynical genius, but reality is far more nuanced.

INSIGHT

Musical Duality

Lennon and McCartney's contrasting musical styles reflect their different personalities and experiences.
McCartney's melodies feel intuitive and timeless, while Lennon's music often pushes boundaries and feels otherworldly.

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In 1957 John Lennon and Paul McCartney were two ordinary teenagers who met in suburban Liverpool and decided to play rock and roll together. Twenty-three years later that friendship came to a tragic end when Lennon was murdered. But those 23 years changed the world. Lennon and McCartney became global stars, created a body of work that has never been matched in popular music, and arguably had more influence on our culture than any other figures in the past century.

InMarch 2025 writer Ian Leslie came to Intelligence Squared to tell a new history of the world’s most influential creative relationship and explain why Lennon and McCartney were a combination of friends, rivals and collaborators. Drawing from his new book John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs, Leslie explored how both Beatles had the fabric of their world ruptured at a young age, and longed to make emotional connections – with each other, and with audiences. The pop song was a vessel into which they poured feelings of grief and euphoria and everything in between. When they couldn’t speak what they felt, they sang it. After the break-up of their group, they maintained a musical dialogue at a distance, in songs full of recrimination, regret, and affection.

Leslie traced the twists and turns of the Lennon/McCartney relationship through the music it produced and the huge impact it still has on the world today.

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