The process of exploring McCartney's songbook revealed hidden meanings and memories attached to his music, providing an in-depth oral history of popular music.
McCartney's lyrics, while not strictly autobiographical, are tied to vivid memories, initial inspirations, and the transformative shift from a black and white world to a vibrant, colorful one.
Deep dives
The Journey Through McCartney's Song Book
In this podcast episode, Paul Muldoon reflects on his experience working with Sir Paul McCartney on The Lurrix, a collection that explores over 150 tracks from McCartney's song book. The process involved detailed conversations and discussions that revealed hidden meanings and memories attached to the music. Muldoon describes it as going back to an old snapshot album, reminiscing on McCartney's work and unearthing layers of significance. The conversations captured in the book provided an in-depth oral history of popular music and showcased McCartney unfiltered.
The Autobiographical Nature of McCartney's Lyrics
While McCartney has never written an autobiography, Muldoon highlights how much of McCartney's life is embedded within his lyrics. Whether or not the songs are strictly autobiographical, they are tied to vivid memories, initial inspirations, and the creative process of songwriting. McCartney himself recognizes how meanings can unknowingly seep into his lyrics, bringing unexpected insights and connections to his own work. Through their conversations, Muldoon and McCartney discovered shared experiences and the transformative shift from a black and white world to a vibrant, colorful one.
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 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 more recent solo work. McCartney, together with his friend, the poet Paul Muldoon, dissects the people, experiences, and art that inspired his songwriting. Season One drops weekly starting October 4th, and features the stories behind songs like Eleanor Rigby, Let It Be, Band on the Run and many more. Subscribe now.