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Paul McCartney

75m 26s

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney opens up about his personal and creative journey, sharing vivid memories of his early life, including a forceps birth at Walton Hospital in Liverpool. He recounts a heartfelt conversation with his daughter Stella, who asks about his first memory and the origin of the song "Monkberry Moon Delight," which he explains was inspired by a child's pronunciation of milk as "monk" and a playful milkshake concept. McCartney emphasizes the importance of authenticity, humor, and openness in his songwriting, crediting his creative process to spontaneity, collaboration, and shared experiences—especially with his Beatles bandmates. He reflects on enduring friendships with John, George, and Ringo, describing them as rooted in mutual respect and love. His time on Saturday Night Live, including memorable sketches with Will Farrell and Marty Shaw, illustrates his appreciation for creative camaraderie and improvisation. Throughout the conversation, McCartney underscores the central role of love and connection in both his personal life and artistic work, concluding that creativity thrives in openness, trust, and the shared human experience of giving and receiving inspiration. His legacy is not just in music, but in the warmth, humor, and genuine relationships that define his life.

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Oh, hi there, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. Boy, we have, uh, well, the most famous person in this studio and probably the most famous person I've ever met, uh, Sir Paul McCartney. Paul McCartney is here, the liver puddly and who was in the Beatles and in wings and in our lives for our whole lives. And, um, we, we're going to talk about a lot of great things today. We're going to talk about, uh, whether or not Paul was taller than John. We're going to talk about, uh, Paul's love of animals. We're going to discuss what makes a great breakfast and how many berries are involved. And we are going to, uh, talk about, um, Paul's new music, boys of Dungeon Lane, the, the re-release, um, and new songs that have just recently come out, um, special edition. Uh, we're going to get into music in general. Of course, it is Paul McCartney. Paul McCartney is music. Um, before we do this, we always like to speak to somebody who knows our guest, uh, is a fan of our guest or in this case is the daughter of our guest. And we are speaking today to Stella McCartney. Stella McCartney, a huge talent, fashion designer, incredible creative mind, who is just so funny and warm and witty and smart and weak at the opportunity to talk to her. And we're going to see if Stella is going to give us a good question for her dad. So Stella, this episode of Good Hang is presented by PayPal, brighten up the start to the festive season by getting ahead of the holiday rush. Shop your favorite online stores with PayPal this holiday, like Sephora for gift sets, target for toys and electronics, and tick-tock shop for fashion, apparel and gadgets. Check out with the flexibility to pay now or pay later and split your payments with pay in four, with no interest, no late fees. Shop now with PayPal. Pay in four subject to approval, learn more at paypal.com/payinfour. Paypal Inc. NMLS 910457. It is so good to talk to you. I'm sorry we were having some technical difficulties. I know that's good. We were having some technical difficulties also. Am I speaking to you in England? Yes. Hi Stella. Hi Amy, I actually like you a lot. I don't believe it took this to get us together. I know I've had the pleasure of being invited and dressed by you, but I've had the chance to go to many events where you have been, where we've, I've had like a very quick drive by and every time I've gotten a chance to spend time with you, I've really wanted more because I'm such a fan of you, your work, your creativity, how you conduct yourself in the world and it's really, really nice to talk to you today. Thank you for talking to us. Likewise, wow, that was a bit serious. That's freaked me out. Yeah, I've never done that again. Never. I know you, Brits. You Brits, you can't, one compliment and you guys get real. Honestly, I'm nearly, I've omitted the tiny bit in my mouth. Well, you know, get used to it. I am great. I'll take it. Are you in the middle of a show right now? What are we, what are we? Perfect timing. Thanks for that. I have a show in about three days in Paris. I'm not busy at all Amy. So, yeah, with the time difference and everything, it's perfect. It's brilliant. I was kind of wondering what I do tonight. I just filled, filled a hole. I mean, what I imagine is going through your mind right now with three days to go, but at three days to go before a show, what is left to do? Is it everything? Pretty much. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we only started last night. So, I've got a little, actually, I've got children I'm using to help stitch some things now. They're not my own. She jokes. She just, obviously, I'm a sustainable, cruelty free fashion brand. You grew up on a farm, right? I did. What was it like to grow up on a farm? What were your morning jobs? What did you have to do in the morning? Wow. Well, in Scotland, with my siblings, it was normally just self entertainment. I used to take rocks and bang them on up and I'm not joking. I used to take rocks and I'd bang them on other rocks. That's about it, really. No, I weed a lot of horse riding, but rocks on rocks. Yeah. And did you have to, did you, like, I'm going to admit something. This is a very, like, suburban city girl thing I'm going to admit. So, you might think less of me. I've never reached in under a hand to get an egg. Oh, I did it all the time. Yeah, yeah. I never particularly enjoyable. Not really one of my little scary. I would be a little afraid to get. Do you have to ask the hand to move first or do you? Binch them. Yeah. Yeah. In fact, not many people know this about me, but I'm very good at impersonating chickens. Really? Can we hear? So, I'm quite good at, I can converse with a chicken amongst many other things. So, I'm bilingual in that respect, but I did have to go out and get the eggs when I was young. Well, your parents were, like, it just seemed like they wanted so much to create a beautiful, like, peaceful and loving childhood for you. And, you know, it seemed like that's what they gave you. And I'm talking to your dad today, and you've probably spent the entirety of your life having people ask you questions and talk to you about your dad. And I wonder what it is like to have to kind of share your parents with the world. Yeah, it is quite weird. I mean, I've only ever known that, to be honest. It's not like I've had another sort of experience. That is my experience. And it's definitely trippy and weird and surreal. But I think also I was brought up. It was very extreme. You know, we were on a farm. It was just the six of us. And we were like in a tiny, all-in-one room and mum was cooking, a dab was sharing sheep, and writing songs. And then we were on tour, you know, with like 200,000 people screaming at your parents. Yeah, you all went on tour together. Yeah. Oh, how fun, how fun. Yeah, I was kind of angry when I was 18 because I was building friendships and I was kind of getting into the swing of my own thing. And I was like, what really? We have to go on a world tour. But it was, it's amazing. It's what, it's actually one of the most, I think, the biggest privileges actually of being in my situation is being able to just truly see the world from, you know, from that perspective, just try to travel and to see so many different cultures and people. And also it was all very much built from love, you know, everything that my mum and dad did was like came from a place of love. But I'm also not particularly like a look at me type, if you can believe it. So actually when I went for me going into fashion was a more creative way of doing things from just standing slightly behind the kind of spot. You know, I'm not an entertainer. Well, we did hear a chicken impression earlier. We did hear that impression. Well, let me hear your chicken. And what's your animal gone? I'll give you, I'll be tied. What's your best animal? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know the best animal. Jesus. I don't my best animal. Okay, you know what? Okay, I'm going to, I'm going to try a cat for you. Wait, is this the first time you've ever impersonated a cat in public? Yes. Wow. Okay. We'll say, you're welcome. Yes. And here's how I feel about cats. They're fine. I don't love them. I don't hate them, of course. That's a cat. They do a wait a minute. All right, here we go. Okay, go. The beginning was very good. I think people are laughing because it's so good. But you bring up something that I think is very interesting. A lot of people that have public facing jobs are actually kind of secretly introverted. People would probably be surprised to hear that you consider yourself at times introverted. I mean, I don't think I wouldn't say I'm introverted. That's going a little bit. I'm just not, I look, my example of an extrovert is a poor McCartney. So it's not like, oh, I'm an introvert. I mean, I'm not compared to him. I'm an introvert. You know, I grew up with around SNL comedians. Yeah. You know, some of those of you know, better than anything are extrovert and others really aren't, but they're still performers. Yeah, you know, I want to talk to your dad about that because he's around SNL all the time and he's basically, I get rid of them. I'm like, again, really? She just played hard to get a little bit. I am actually went to the one, the end of last season. It was great. It was really good fun with Will Farrell. So he had Will on. I was like, I'm coming because, and I saw Will on your show. You guys were brilliant. And I was like, Dad, and on the way over there, I was talking. I said, Dad, you please tell me you're going to like get Will on and to do the cowbell. I'm like, what cowbell? I'm like, what cow? You know the cowbell sketch. Anyway, so then he did, but then he got Will to do a cowbell. He did. Again, you're welcome. Thank you, Stella. He didn't really give me credit. Well, I mean, I want to talk to him about Lauren and that relationship at SNL because You're right. I mean, he was around a lot and their affection for each other is very sweet. Like they, you know, I mean, honestly, you know, what you get to a point in life where you become, you know, what your friends with people for 40, 50, 60 years. And there's so much history there. And it's really sweet to hear them talk about each other. They are very, very good old friends, actually. I mean, they do yoga. You've heard about yoga boys, right? I like that you call them yoga boys that the yoga boys, they call themselves the yoga boys. The honest to God, actually, no, I must get them t-shirts for Christmas. Yoga boys. Life and yoga men. Yoga boys. Yes. Because they're always learning. They're in the, they're in a beginner's mind. Start like for sure. So, um, what is a question, uh, I should ask him, like anything, like a story that he would want to tell or, um, something you still don't know, about him or, um, anything you think I should not talk to him about. That's always helpful too. No, he's pretty, he's pretty approachable, I would say. Yeah, I mean, I can't think of things you shouldn't ask him, but you won't ask him those. And if you do, it'll be hilarious to watch. I'm just going to watch that unfold quite frankly. Um, I've got two questions. Am I allowed to question? Yes, of course. The first one I think is, is, um, I guess I just want to kind of start by saying, you know, my dad is truly a living legend. Like he really is an absolute icon. He's inspired so many generations of so many people and his impact on, you know, planet Earth has been just gigantic, like he continues to just give and give and give. And I think he does that through lyrics, you know, so one thing, before my question, I just wanted to read out some of my favorite and, like, deep, you know, most meaningful lyrics by him. So, so I sat in the attic, a piano at my nose, and the wind played a dreadful cantata, cantata, cantata. Saw was I from a crack of an enemy's hose, and the horrible sound of tomata, tomata, tomata, ketchup, ketchup, super purée, super purée, don't get left behind, don't get left behind, ketchup, ketchup, super purée, super purée, don't get left behind. Now it continues, it continues if you want a little more. My piano was boldly outspoken in attempts to repeat his refrain, so I stood with a knot in my stomach, and I gazed at that terrible sight of two youngsters concealed in a barrel, smoking, monkberry moon delight. My first question, I think, for my father is, have you ever smoked monkberry moon delight, and what is it? Fantastic question. It's from my favorite album. From Ram, which actually is my mum and dad. Yeah, I think my mum shared in those lyrics actually, I think she can take a bit of credit there too. It's called monkberry moon delight. Great, and it does go on, and in fact there's a bit about cats and kittens there, and it's a good one. So that's probably my first question. Has he ever smoked monkberry moon delight, and what the f*ck do those lyrics mean? So that's my first question. Okay, great. What is that about? My other question, which is serious, which actually I asked my dad this the other day, and I want to see how he answers it to you, because I was really surprised by the answer, like, really surprised. And so this is my gift to you, this question, which is, what is your first memory, dad? Ah, beautiful. And I really want to know what he answers to you, because I was like, wow, that's great. What a great question to ask someone. I think your dad will be very happy that we talked, because I hope he feels like I've gotten some good advice. I love that you asked me. I feel very honoured. Like, on seriously, seriously, I feel very very honoured that you asked me, because you'd let's face it, you could have asked anyone to ask Paul McCartney a question, and everyone would have said yes. Actually, that's amazing you asked me only. Thank you. Of course. Thank you for doing it, and we'd love to get you into the stewed. I have not had a designer, and I feel like I would. Okay, great. Good. And good luck with dad. I hope those questions are okay. You're perfect. We'll much love to you, darling, and take care. Thank you for having me. Thanks so much for doing it. Bye, Stella. Great to see you. Thanks again. Bye. Bye, honey. Thanks. This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance, not checking which group chat you're typing in before hitting send. Next thing you know, you sent a scalding hot take about the restaurant to the group with the person who picked it. Yikes. Yeah, checking first is a good idea, so check Allstate first for an auto quote. It could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary subject to terms, conditions, and availability. Allstate North American insurance company and affiliates Northbrook, Illinois. Hi, Paul. Hey, Amy. Do you get this a lot where people are kind of nervous around you and you feel the energy and you have to figure out how to make them feel less nervous? Like that must be a thing you're used to. Yeah. No, exactly. Yeah. Trick, I don't know, just to kind of be normal. Yeah. Um, you know, I was lucky. I was one of those guys that I grew up with a kind of very normal family. Yeah. You know, it was one of those families where you get past the baby. Yeah. So, whereas I know some people when they grow up like and they have a baby, they're like really scared of it. It's like, oh, you know, so, so that I think I just use that. So funny you say that because of the many things I want to talk to you about today, you seem very comfortable around babies. Yeah. I think so because that iconic photo of you, I think with Mary and your jacket, that was so ahead of its time. Yeah. Like you a man carrying a baby. You just never saw it. I mean, that was just how we used to do it. You know, you used to go riding with it like that on the horse, but, um, well, she's now a mother of four boys. Oh, man, she's busy. That little baby in my jackets. Oh, okay. Well, Pomegranate is here. You have such a wild life and timeline that is kind of like intimidating to talk to you for just an hour and a half. So if you'll bear with me, I'll probably jump around a lot. Mm-hmm. Okay. And the reason why is because I have this theory that you're a bit of a time traveler, I think. Do you believe in time travel? No. Then for you, my theory. A little bit, I feel like sometimes I wasn't the age that I was. I felt older or younger. You can see someone about that. Hey, me. There's people. There's people to talk to. No, no, no, I kind of know what you mean. Yeah. I mean, I felt like I feel like you're, I don't know, you seem, you seem when you are young, that you were older. Yeah. If that makes any sense. No, it does really. I used to look at the lyrics of yesterday. I'm not half the man I used to be. Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be. Well, I was like 21. So half the man would put me at like about 10 and a half. You were writing when I'm 64 when you were 20 something. Yeah. And you, and you, we know, were considered retired at 27 when the be like, I guess I'm interested in this idea of do you feel like you're an eight? Do you feel like there's an age that you are? Do you feel like there's an age you feel? I kind of, I think like a lot of people, I mean, you sort of feel like you stop at about 25. Yeah. So I'm 25. Yeah. In my head. Yeah. Yeah. You know, they're like in America. No, you're not. Yeah. Me too. I feel this. Yeah. But yeah, I know. I like that. I mean, we, we, in the Beatles, we used to have this sort of thing whenever there was like a question about a piece of music or something to do, whether it go on tour or whatever. And we couldn't figure out the answer. We say, well, what would we have thought when we were 17? What would that guy have said? We're not doing it. You know, because that guy wouldn't have let us do it. Yeah. And as we grow up, we kind of go, okay, we'll do it. But it was better to listen to the 17 year old. Because that 17 year old was more definitive, like more like yes and no, a more black and white. I think he was just more sensible. And unless, you know, less jaded by the world. Yeah. He kind of said, that's a terrible jacket. Yeah. You know, where I was, I would kind of, you know, later or maybe now, I'd sort of said, yeah, it's nice jacket or lying through my teeth. Totally. I wouldn't do that. You're right. Because I think we give a lot of like credence to the fact that when you get older, you get very wise and have all this experience. But you're right. We do forget the like strong, truthful opinions that we have of our young. Yeah. I mean, I've, I still kind of can't believe Paul that the Beatles broke up when you were 27. You were only together for eight years. You made 13 albums. Those numbers are just really wild. It felt like when you were making music as a young person. It was like, you knew you were only going to be making music with this band for that long, is how it felt. Yeah, I don't think we knew it, but I think we didn't expect to go on for long. Right. Because people didn't. Right. You know, in this sort of rock and roll world. Yeah. It was like, you know, five years top whack. Yeah. But then after five years, it was like, oh, no, we were doing Sargent Baba. Oh, yeah, we could probably keep going. Yeah. And then, you know, we sort of do the white album or whatever. Yeah. And then I did wings and kept going. Yeah. And it is really interesting to talk to you because you're somebody that people feel like they know a lot about. And they feel, you know, you have been in their lives in a million different ways. I know you've been in mind my whole life. And in many ways, Paul, you kind of represent music, like you represent songs. Like if songs were a person, and we had to go, if we had to go into space, and we had to bring one person to represent songs to the aliens, we would push you to the front. Yeah. Here he is. Well, thank you. When are we leaving? Yeah, exactly. Let's go. Okay. So I loved Morgan Neville's doc, man on the run. Yeah. A beautiful doc. Yeah. Did you like it? Yeah. I do. Yeah. I mean, when he showed it to me first off, I said, there's a few embarrassing bits. Should we take them out? Fine. What was embarrassing? I didn't realize that the farm we lived on was like so run down. It's a tip. You know, we were in love and we had a new baby. And it was all great. And I was, you know, I could fix it up. Yeah. I'll make a table. You know, it was that kind of thing. So I didn't notice when you see it in the film, it's like, you lived there. Yeah. And you had some money, shows to live in that. So that was a little bit embarrassing. I don't know. Sometimes I don't buy you. Sometimes I don't, I don't bother to think things through too seriously. Well, that is always what we learn about you. There's so many things that I appreciate about you as an artist. One is you have a sense of humor about yourself and your work, which is assigned not only of intelligence, but it just, it allows us to enjoy it in many different kinds of ways, which is so nice. And also you really let us into your process. You know, a lot of people like to keep people out of process because it keeps them mysterious or something. And I always felt like watching you work made me feel like I could write a song. I'd always maybe feel connected to music. And that documentary does that. It shows process, Peter Jackson's documentary, like the idea of process. And I love what you say about your work when asked if you were a workaholic or you consider yourself one, you say, well, you don't work music. What do you say when respond? That's right. You know, people say, you work a lot. You know, you're always working. I said, I'm not, you know, and I thought one day we don't work music. You play music. So I'm like a playaholic. I'm definitely addicted to that. Yeah. You know, because I'm sure it's the same for you. I feel very lucky that this is my job. Yes. You know, because when I left school, my, like, my first job was coil winding in a factory. Okay. That sounds hot and hard. So what did you have to do? I will. What do you have to do? Literally wind coil. Yeah. So we have, you have a big sort of wheel with coil wire on it, comes through your legs. And you put it on like an armature thing and keep winding it. It's like a thing they're having motors. And I'm wearing very good. Yeah. You know, but the idea was they were going to take me through all the things and then I'd be manager. But one day John George showed up and one of the guys in the factory said, there's some guys out there, you know, I see like, you know, so I went out and they said, we've got a gig. We've got a gig at the cabin. Yeah. So I said, hmm, let me think about it. You looked at the coil. Let me think. I looked at the coils. I looked at the pay packet. Yeah. Seven pounds, 15 a week. God. And I can't believe I actually questioned it, but I did. I'll say, I'll go back to you. And yeah. And I did. And it gave up a career in coil winding management. You would have been the coil winding representative that we showed to the aliens if you had stuck with it. coil winding king. George was how many years younger than you, Paul? I think like about one and a half. And I was one and a half years younger than John. Yeah. Did you feel, I mean, when you're when we're older, that means nothing, but when we're young, it's really important. Did you feel like the middle child or the younger brother to John, did George feel like a younger brother to you? Yeah. I thought of George as younger, but he was so cocky. Yeah. He was, you know, you couldn't put George down. So he made himself older just by being very confident and like, you know, who is the tallest? We were all the same age. I know. Are you really? You know, I've got to think about that. Do you? No, tell me. Oh, my God. Well, we were all the same height and we know it was a bit small. Sure. And if you look at photos, we're all the same height. But Sam Taylorwood did a film called No Were Boy. And the John character, who she later married, Aaron. Right. Right. Aaron Taylor, Johnson. Yeah. He's bigger than me in the film. My character is kind of as wimpy. Smaller than John. John knocks me to the floor. Uh, it's like, Sam, this is not true. Yeah. And her only explanation, that's because she's, she's still a good friend, you know, she said, um, this is a movie. It's not a documentary. And I said, well, I don't like that explanation. But I couldn't do anything because she knows by now she'd made the film. Um, I never, there was a little ball, you know, John the great big hero. And it's like, no, I can't imagine what it's like to have people play you. I mean, it must be so strange. I mean, it's happening again. There's another film called The Great Palm Eskoles playing you, bass on your life, obviously not taken directly from your life, but it must be strange to have people play you. Yeah, it is. Yeah. Um, and guess what? He's smaller than the guy who plays John. I said, I said, Sam Mendes is making the film. Yeah. I said, Sam, I've got just one thing that I need to say to you, you know, also, it's more like this. Um, so I don't know how Sam's going to deal with it. But he sent me a picture of still from the filming they were doing and they're crossing the Abbey Road crossing. Yeah, I saw that too. Um, the poll character is markedly smaller. And you can't put lifts on that bare feet. That's true. I mean, that's what it was. So I said, I texted him, Sam, smaller. Don't do this. You said you wouldn't do it. He said, no, it's okay. It's just a stride patent. And he said, I know the one word, they were equal. But I guess the way in which you guys laughed at your competitive nature, we all as Americans, especially we love because we love that's what families do. I guess that's what I'm trying to say is families tease and they can kind of comment each other in ways that other people can't. And that always felt like the relationship you had with all of and that you have with with with them still. Yeah. You know, the good thing was we grew up together. So there was like a family aspect. Me and George went to the same school. Yeah. And I'm John went to the art college next door. So yeah. So we all kind of, and you know, it took years for us to kind of get any fame. So we were out in Hamburg, schlepping around, playing, you know, not very nice little clubs. Yeah. We enjoyed it. Yeah. Because we're young kids in Hamburg, you know, this wow, we'd never been abroad before, you know, so that was like, but yeah, so that that when you know each other that well, you've been together that longer, does become like a family. So then that finds its way into your writing and your work that I can tell what he's thinking or I can tell him that I didn't like that line or he can tell me that sucks. And so that's very good, as you know, for writing. Well, and we're back to that 17-year-old like very blunt way of saying this is good, this is bad, you shouldn't wear that like all that stuff. I mean, and I'm sure you know that as you get any level of success, sometimes people are afraid to give you real feedback. Yeah, that's a danger now. You know, people all say to me when I'm working with a producer, you say, does he tell you if it's no good? Yeah. And I'm not sure. Right, how could you know? Maybe, maybe, doesn't. I know, I think you find people who will tell you and stuff, but it must be hard for them. Yeah. You know, I think so. You've got such a reputation. Uh-huh. Right. You know, to tell you a joke isn't funny, would scare me. It should. It should. That wasn't funny. It should. Yeah, I know what you mean. But you know, and I'm so, I'm always so impressed by so many things that you do, Paul, but one of them is the idea of continuing like on to the next, like what is the next adventure? Like, you know, you're always looking creatively, especially for ways to just continue to be inspired and to continue to work together. You have a new record, Boys of Dungeon Lane. Wanna hear about it? Yeah, I do. I'm fascinated by your process of how you make music, how you write songs. I think the good thing is I'm fascinated too. I don't know. I do a class in my old school. I mean, George went to a Liverpool. It's called Lippa. And I go there every year and do a class with the songwriting students. And the first thing I say to them, they come in one-on-one. So it's terrifying for them. Oh, they come in one-on-one, and they play with a guitar or a little piece of. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I say, I say, come and sit down. I say, I'm going to say this. I don't know how to do this. You know, I know I'm teaching you. I've no idea how you do it because your song is going to be different from mine and stuff. Then we work it through. And they'll play me one of their songs. And then I will sort of say, that's very good. Or how about that second verse? Maybe good as an opening verse? Because I think it's a bit stronger. So I just take them through sort of gentle hints. Well, mainly by the time they get to me, they're pretty good. You know, they've done three years. And I don't know how to do it. That's the point. And I don't want to know. I always just sit down with the guitar or at the piano and just start plonking something. And if I find something that sounds good, I just follow that. Yeah. Where could it go next? Where could stay there? You know, all that stuff. Yeah. Because and then you learn in yourself. The natural thing to do is you move through the chords. Yeah. You know, or you can tell yourself, no, don't move, don't move. Stay there. You know, and there's also to tricks that you that you can use. And there's so many little tricks like that. It just makes it fun for me. And then if you get a good opening line, that's a great thing. Because you kind of then know where you're going, you know, and on dungeon land there's a song called Days We Left Behind, which is special for me. And I knew I had had something when I was looking back. I'm thinking about looking back at photographs of the past. So you could say looking back at black and white photos. But I knew it was good when I said that he said modestly. I said looking back at white and black. So I'd just the fact that I'd switched to a black and white photo anymore, it's a white and black. And obviously it rhymes. So looking back at white and black reminders of the past or whatever, I just thought, oh, okay. So you're looking at photos and go there, just let's see what you remember. And it's nice. I have a lot of good memories. When you hear a song that you've written, you've written so many, do you remember the making of that song when you hear it? Do you remember the writing of it? Do you know it like? Yeah. A lot of the time I do. Yeah. The process of making it when you hear it? A lot of the time. Sometimes though it is crazy because they have a Beatles channel on Sirius. Yes. And if I'm, you know, hiring a car, my driver will like, he knows to have it on. That's a good chance. But normally it's quite quiet so you can talk and then I'll hear something. Yeah. And say, wait, turn this one up. And talking about remembering right in the song, it turned one up because I couldn't remember what the title was. What's this one? And then he played. I couldn't even remember the song. Yeah. It had just come and gone so fast. Yeah. So yeah, I don't always remember them, but a lot of them I do. I have pretty strong memories of, you know, like a mullet-contire-wing song that was very successful. Bagpipe. I loved seeing that in the doc, making that watching you make that song. And also in the doc learning about how wings came together and your intention behind bringing people together, which was really interesting. And for me, it was the first time I heard you speak about how important it was for you to feel like part of a group. Like you like being around people and you like being part of a group and ensemble. Yeah. What do you like about it? Um, I just the companionship, just the friendship. Yeah. And the other opinion. Yeah. You know, having another opinion in the room kind of another. I like that. I mainly just playing together. Yeah. Yeah. It's like kids in kindergarten. Yeah. The word play is back again. Like do you have a pre-show ritual? Do you do anything always like do you not eat two hours before the show? Do you? Yeah. I don't have a superstition. Not really. I do have a ritual. What is it? Can you tell us what it is? What is it? Okay. Yeah. Okay. Here we go. Well, I don't eat. You know, I have like lunch. Let's even back up further. What time are you going to bed the night before? The night before? I don't know. Random. Oh gosh. You musicians with your bedtime. No, it's just a crazy bunch. No, I don't I don't think about that. That's normally I mean, it's normally not too late. Okay. It's not too crazy. Probably if it was six in the morning, we'd gone right through. I probably would worry a bit. Yeah. But no, it's just kind of normal bedtime. Okay. And yeah, I get up. I just have my breakfast. What's your breakfast? Breakfast. How do you take your tea? It is, it's really kind of boring because it's always the same. It's like cereal. Mm-hmm. Beer cereal. Not too much. Just a little bit. Berries. Yeah. That's the super food. Berries. You got to bury it up. Five raspberries. Wow. Gotta be five. Looks good. Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't, don't. Handful of blueberries. Oh, yeah. The blueberries are just real melty. Talk them in. And it's strawberry, which I cop. A hunched meditative. Are we really doing this? We're going to another hour of this. This is great. Rest a bit. Breakfast. Coffee or tea? No. In the morning, it's just water. No caffeine. No, I'm not a bit coffee person. I roll. Yeah, no, I'm English. But, the tea all day long. I love people. You know, my kids drink coffee quite a lot. I will have like one coffee in the middle of the day, sometimes, often. So that's my breakfast. Add a few pecans and a few raisins. one party. Yeah. And then there's a very specific lunch. Okay, let's hear it. Kick lunch. Oh, Gail, yeah, a gig lunch. Yeah, it's a big day lunch. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, because I mean, being on stage, you know, I've talked to a lot of performers who, just being in front of an audience is so physical. And you have been on stage for most of your adult life in all different stages with different types of people and in different shows. What is, what's the thing now that you're loving about being on stage? Like, what, what does it look like to be on stage now? I mean, for example, we've got like Bruce still doing three-hour shows. We have Taylor Swift doing three-hour shows, like a lot of expectation for people to do long shows. I know. I blame him. I've told him. I said, you're a bloody fault, right? I know. He used to do like an hour. Stone still do something like an hour or so. Yeah. He's an old school. But not Bruce, just suddenly doing these three-four-hour shows. So that's what we do. You do. I know. You know why I love, though, the audience. Yeah. That's what it's all about. Yeah. And my audiences, touchward, are very loving. They're so, it's a warm. Yeah. You know, they're just so cool. And all ages. That's the amazing thing. I always expected them to be my age or slightly younger or whatever. But it's not like that. There's a lot of young kids. Yeah. Well, you're every favorite artist's favorite artist. Wow. You are. And is there any music right now that you listen to and you think, I wish I wrote that? No. Not really. There are some people I think are really good. You know, like Billie Eilish, I think is cool, but I don't think I want to have written her songs. Right. And also a lot of songs, these days, break up songs. Yeah. And I'm married. Right. You're in love with a beautiful woman and you're in love with a beautiful woman and you have a fantastic breakfast. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. No, so no, I don't think there used to be songs like I used to want to have written want to Billie Joel songs the way you are. Yeah. I always thought that was like kind of thing I could have written. Yeah. I think that's a nice song. Nowadays, it's, I'll tell you what, some of them are like very banal. Yeah. I want you. I want it. This could be a hit. And then you got, but then you got to do the move. You got to do the talk dance with it. Yeah. Yeah. This from the, this from the man that gave us, she loves you. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I mean, desperate test. I bet you've been able to collaborate with mostly everybody that you wanted to collaborate at some point. Is there anybody that you still wish to collaborate with? No, I can ask this question. And I always think Bob Dylan. Yeah. But I'm too nervous. Yeah. To ring him up. Yeah. It is Paul. Yeah. I can't even picture him being on the telephone, Bob. No. I can't actually picture him. He's just some bush. Yeah. He's exactly. He's, he's, he's, he's writing in a journal, sleeping by maybe. Yeah. Who is the first famous person that you met? A famous person. When you were young, starting out, who was, you know, remember, did you meet someone who you wanted their autograph for, you're blown away that you knew that they were a famous person? The Queen. Wow. And that's an autograph you're not going to get. Now, she's great. I love the Queen. I love the Queen too. I really, you know, what happened was she, she was crowned. She's, she's a doll. She was crowned when I was 11. So, and she was a babe. Yeah. You know, when I was 11, she was like 23 or something. Yeah. So we all used to think, wow, this is amazing. You know, like, yeah, you know, I've been a King. He's got this girl. Yeah. This babe. So we kind of liked her in other ways than we shouldn't have liked her. Right. You know what I mean? Right. Right. So, yeah, so, so meeting her was special. How old were you when you met her? Probably about 21 or something. Yeah. Wow. Nancy, my wife knows. She says she fancy do. Now, there's no knowing if there's any truth to that. But you know, women just say it's true. We'd say it's true. I like to think it's true. And I think she would, not to speak for the Queen, but I will. I would think she would enjoy Nancy saying that. I think she would, she would get a laugh out of that. Like she would enjoy that. Well, she was a laugh. Yeah. That's why one of the things I liked about it, she was a good sense of humor. And yeah, I was, I was very happy that, you know, sometimes you don't get the Queen if you're getting an honor. Yeah. Like you're getting a knighthood. You don't always get the Queen. I was very looking. I got the Queen all the time. And she made sure she was there. Well, well, that's what meant. She looked at her. She looked at Nancy knows. She looked at her planner. And she was like, mm-hmm, two o'clock. I'm going to make myself available. I'll do it. I'm going to put this so, I'll do the sword thing. That's what she said. The sword was Edward the Confessor. The name of the sword? Yeah. I mean, British history. There was a king called Edward the Confessor. Wow. At least it wasn't Ethel Red the Unreddy. But talk about again, like time travel, which you don't believe in, but I believe in for you. But you're 21, you meet the Queen just speed, you know, however many years later and you're getting knighted by her. Mm-hmm. Such a wild life. Yeah. I know. I know. No really. Wow. And believe me, I agree with that. Yeah. I mean, life itself anyway for most people is wild. Yes, life is wild, no matter what. My particular kind of life has been very wild. To this point, and continues to be wild, look at me here. Yeah. I'm doing your show. It's like the Queen. It's like the Queen. Not quite Queen. No, not quite yet. Not quite. It's very impressive. Also, and then I'll move off of this theme that I'm very clumsily trying to connect. But what I also, I love about your work, Chrissy Hind says this in the documentary about you. What can we just talk about Chrissy Hind for a second? We love Chrissy. She's a dude. Tell me how you met Chrissy. You and Linda were really good friends with Chrissy. Tell us how you met Chrissy Hind. What a genius. We're called in studio in London. Air London was called. And there were a lot of studios. So you meet the people who were in the other studios. Yeah. And she was just walking down the corridor. And she was a very moody with her hair down and sort of wouldn't look at you, you know, but Linda was, didn't, you know, do that. She would approach you. Yeah. Hi, how you doing? And they got talking. And so we met her. And Chrissy stopped being so moody and just talked to us. And we had a lot of stuff in common. She's like a crazy vegetarian. Yes. So we had that in common. And then it was very outspoken on on that subject. To the point where if it hadn't been her, it would have been embarrassing. You know, if you're out at dinner party and someone's eating meat, she would like give them trouble. Yeah. Over it. Yeah. You know what you're eating? Yeah. I know. You know what? It's mommy loved it. Yeah, I had a head of her time. A very head, you were both ahead of her. She had this kind of Disney-esque view of animals. So if we saw like a frog in a garden or something, she'd pick it up. And you know, every girl would. Yeah. She'd pick it up on the way. Let's get emotional. But the way she would hold it, it wouldn't hurt it. And yes, and she would say, you know, it's mommy loved it and even is a frog. Yeah. She was like a Disney frog to her. I loved learning more about you, Linda, in that documentary. I loved watching you two work together and be together. It was really a testament to just what respectful, beautiful, mutual love looks like. Yeah, she was, she was something else, tough, tough lady. Yeah. Look, I have good hanged issues. A good thank you, ma'am. Yeah. Um, I want to talk about your family life and just how family is important to you, because I have a pleasure and privilege of getting to know some of your family. But as we move off the Beatles, although we never will, but as we move off the Beatles for this conversation, what is your relationship now, like with George and John and Ringo? Some are here, some are not, but relationships, as we know with Linda, like people that, with your mom, people that you lose, they're always with you. They just, your relationship changes with them. What is your relationship now, like with those men? Um, I'm a fan, you know, and more we go on, I'm a bigger fan, I'm like a Beatles fan. You know, just, just like I say, you know, I'll just hear something that we did, and I'll remember writing it with John and think, wow, it's really lucky. You know, this is amazing, I'm sitting down with, writing with someone and he happens to be John Lennon. Yeah. Um, and I think the same for him with me, he's sitting down and the guy who's talking about his work is me. Um, so yeah, so I'm a fan, um, and, you know, I, I think I'd become more of a fan, the more I think about them. And, uh, yeah, you know, George, for instance, how I met George was on the school bus. I used to get on one stop. He's a big double-decker green buses, um, we, it was about a half hour journey into, from where we lived to the school. So I would get on at one stop and then the next stop, George, you get on, and we were at the same school uniform, so we, we kind of could relate some way. And sometimes we sit next to each other and, uh, we talk about guitars and rock and roll it in one of the songs on the, don't you lean out, and actually, um, yeah, there's one song called Down South and it's, uh, we, it's about how we met, uh, on, you know, the school bus. And we talked about rock and roll and guitars and all that sort of stuff. Um, so that was great, you know, we became friends over that. And then when, uh, we were looking for another guitar player, John was kind of interested in getting another guy in, I bought George up and I sort of said, I got this little mate, you know, he's little, he wasn't physically little, he's young, you know, and that could be a problem. But, uh, it wasn't a problem and he played great guitar, John was so impressed and so George joins the group. So that was that period. But then looking at George's life and how he grew, yeah, and I gosh, you know, I became spiritual. Um, it was, it was pretty amazing. Do you have a spiritual practice, Paul? Do you feel like you're a spiritual person? Um, I don't have like a practice so much, I meditate, um, and I sort of believe in a, in a power, I don't know what he, or she is. Well, I know there's something there and I feel, um, and I often do that thing. You know, the secret. Oh, yeah. I got really into that for a minute. Yeah. Well, I'm still, I mean, you probably were on my vision board and here I am talking to you. I just know the simple version. Yeah. Paul, we feel that in your art, like that, the idea that you're tuning into a channel, like an open channel. And it's not optimism, which it kind of flattens it out. It's just the idea of like, there's possibilities to keep yourself open to possibilities. I feel that way when you talk about your work and I do feel that way when you talk about your family, like you, family was so important to building one, whether it be with the people you're playing with with the people in your life, like I, I, I love that you've let us into how the, you know, you'd believe in love, like you're, you, I do. You do believe in love and you, and you can tell by how you live your life. And congratulations to you and Linda for raising great kids, really talented, kind, funny kids. Yeah, really great children, thank you, yeah, no, they are great, you know, it's important to me. And the thing is, you know, I'm not really that different from a lot of dads, there's a lot of people out there. I mean, okay, there's, there's the, the people, yeah, but you also choose very strong women. Yeah. That's true. You like strong, independent women. Yeah. That's not always the case with men that are as successful and talented and powerful as yourself. That's not always the case. Sometimes they, they don't like to be challenged in that way. It's funny. I don't think a bit like that, but it is true. Yeah. I like someone who's got a strong opinion. Well, we spoke to somebody who has a strong opinion because we always use this thing in our podcast where we speak to somebody who knows our guest and who wants to give me a question to ask, my guest, and we could have spoken to so many people, but I really wanted to speak to Stella. Oh, yeah. Tell us about Stella. Stella's a pistol. She is. Linda who had Mary. Yeah. And that was straightforward. And so then Linda was pregnant again with Stella and went to the hospital to be born. And then suddenly there was like a thing going on where the doctors, it's a thing called placenta preview. Oh, yes. Of course. You know about that. It can be very dangerous. And the doctor said, so we're going to have to do a C-section, you know, it's his area. And so he's like, oh, okay. So he did it and it was successful and it worked, but it meant that Stella had to be in an incubator. Yeah. And she was little. And so I would go down a couple of floors to where the incubator unit was. And I would see our baby and then go back up and report to Linda, you know. And it was amazing because Stella did a little movement. And it was exactly like Linda, but she didn't know Linda yet. Yeah. Wild. She hadn't learned any tricks. So it was really just, you know, a natural thing. So I got running back up. So Stella just did that thing and I know that thing from you. Yeah. So, wow. And so Stella, we talk about it quite a bit. Well, Stella's question for me to ask you, which is amazing that you're telling this story, Paul, because she said, ask my dad what his, what his first memory was. We spoke about it the other day and I, and he remembered his first memory. Because Stella shared that she thinks one of her first memories was being in an incubator. She can feel like, and I know a lot of people have memories of when they were born or feel like they do. And how you come into the world can really, in some ways, define your life's path. You can become like a fighter or a survivor or you want to be more sleepy and peaceful, whatever is the way that you come into the world, but she shared that as her first memory. And the question she wanted me to ask you was, what was yours? Yeah. You know, these things, you don't know if you've made it up or if it's a, but I have this feeling that I can remember being born. I was born in a place in Liverpool called Walton Hospital, which was a real old Victorian thing. I think it had been something else before a hospital. So I kind of remember white tiles, very sort of hygienic white tiles and chrome instruments and clanging, because I was a forceps birth, they had to pull me out. Me too. I was a forceps. Were you? Yep. I had dead to my head. Give it up for forceps. Yeah. They had to yank me out. I want to come out. Yeah. It was too good in there. Yeah. No, this is okay. I'm going to bed. Totally. And then all of a sudden, something came in there and clamped your head and yanked you out. I came. I love that you were too. Yeah. I was. So I sort of think I remember that. How funny. I don't know if it's true. The other question that she had was, what is Monk Bear? moon delight. And have you smoked it? And where were you on when you wrote that song? I probably was on something that I smoked. But when the kids were little, you know how kids don't always can't pronounce certain words. Yeah. Well, the word for milk was monk. You know, can have that you can have some monk. That was milk. So I was thinking of a milkshake. So it was like milk berry, monk berry, moon. So it's the name of a milkshake in my head. You know, I just imagine that. And then I just flew off on one. Because the lyrics are crazy. Yeah, they're great lyrics. Yeah, it was I would piano up my nose on the wind. Super pure. Super pure. Yeah, super pure. Don't get left behind. Yes, catch up, catch up. I know it's just like a lot of word play and stuff. But I look back on that kind of song and think, I wish I wrote there was now, you know, it was just a zany period. Yeah. But that's what it was in my mind. It's actually a milkshake. So the last section I want to talk to you about is your connection to SNL because of the many things that you entered in my life. I mean, you were also connected to the show. One of the shows that shaped my life when I was learning what I wanted to do with my life, you know, Saturday Night Live was such a huge part of my world. And the fact that you and Lauren and just the Beatles like they always felt like they were, it felt like you guys were hanging around all the time. And you do go to the show quite a bit. And you've been on the show quite a bit. And I mean, there's just so many incredible moments on that show. I mean, when I was preparing for this interview, I was thinking about the Chris Farley moment, which no one's seen. It's incredible sketch where Chris Farley is interviewing you. And he does what I'm sure most people do is he just tells you what you've done. And he's so good. So good. I think the first time I was introduced with his John who was living in New York and who, you know, loved SNL. And it was around that time when Lauren would come on and offer us $3,000 to perform because everyone was offering million to get back to him. And he holds up a check. And he's got a little check from maybe. Which apparently was what they would have paid us. And I love you. You've spoken on this that you all considered it for a second. I mean, you were in New York. Your performance, wings was performing. It was me and John. Whereas a place in New York. And he said, if you see in this show, I said, no, he said, well, this guy comes on these, he's offering us. And John said, we should go down now because it was, it was on live. And he said, gone surprise him. So for a second, we were going to do that. But then it was like, no, it's much too comfortable here. Let's just watch it. Yeah, it's 1130. We watched it. Yeah. But I think that was the first time I'd seen the show. And then sort of realized why everyone was massive fans of it. Yeah. And why was such an American institution? I mean, I love being included in sketches. You know, I like doing the music. Be careful saying that because they're going to keep writing you in. I don't like it. You like it. Yeah. Um, I was like a garage guy, a mechanic. Yeah. The last one I did, with Marcelo. Yeah. And Will Farrell. Mm-hmm. What was it like working with Marcelo? Just kidding. And then um, you know, the one I did with Marty Shaw. Oh, Marty. Oh, good. He's so great. He's so great. We were actually here. We were actually having dinner. It was me, Lawn, Jimmy Fallon, and Martin was going to come to dinner with us, but he was late. So we're all sitting on the thing and the rest was crowded, you know, and then Martin comes in from left. And he's walking through and he's pretending he doesn't know where we are. He's seen us. He's gone. Oh, excuse me. Oh, sorry. I mean, bumping into tables and he's doing that whole bit of his, you know, oh, there you are. So funny. It's terrible. It's terrible. Okay, quick, uh, rapid fire. We're going to get you out of here. Okay. So rapid fire time. Best decade for music. Six years. If you were an animal, what animal would you be? Horse. Why? Cause I love horses. Do you think you've lived before? Possibly. And who were you? I mean, king, it's only I'm ready. Do you have a favorite song you've ever written? Yeah, here they're in everywhere. I like that song. Okay. Nancy's favorite song of yours. These were left behind of the new album. Fantastic. Last concert you went to. I think it was Brandy Carlisle. She was in here. How talented is she? Yeah. She's a very nice girl too. There just must be a feeling when you meet songwriters, right? There just must be a feeling of like, oh, we know each other. We know how to do this. Yeah, even though we don't know how to do it, but yeah, we've done it. Yeah, we've done it. I mean, I felt that we even when I watched get back and I what when I was watching you write that song, for example, and the process of writing it and being together and you were doing to me what looked like what we would do in a comedy writer's room, which is you work a little bit and then you fuck around a lot because you can only kind of like think of something original for a few minutes and then you have to like play other people songs and like goof around. I mean, you were doing bits basically with each other. That was a way to get offline to get back into like your creative space and it was it was like a process that felt like, oh, this is what process looks like. Yeah, that's what we've been mates for years. So, you know, you goof around. John would pick up something, you know. I remember she came in through the bathroom window on my songs and I'm Tuesdays on Monday's on the phone to Tuesday, whatever it is, so Tuesdays on the phone to me, I think was the line. So I start going, hello Tuesday, all right, darling. And then John picks it off. He's on the piano going, well, we're right Tuesday and he starts doing Tuesday and we were talking to Tuesday. So yeah, we could do that. Yeah. Because we'd hung out a lot. I mean, we weren't hitchhiking together and things, you know. So we would sleep together and that makes you kind of, you know, quite intimate with each other. Yeah. Well, just getting to see that way you work together feels like they're anybody who's in some kind of creative space working with somebody else, they felt like they understood what that feeling is. Like this idea that you kind of talked about it earlier that there's just some kind of magic you're supposed to make space for and room for. And if you're lucky, it comes in. And if you're even luckier, you get to make it and then if you're the luckiest, people love it. It's true. I think if you love it, people probably will. Well, I feel like I'll end by saying Paul that the thing that I feel like you taught me as an artist, knowing you for my entire life, not knowing you, but knowing your work is that love is really, that's that's the thing. Like it's like loss is inevitable, change is inevitable, life is wild. But if you can keep kind of heading towards the love part, you're headed in the right direction. Yeah. Thank you for that. So what do you need? No, I agree. It's so, you know, and I would own up to be in a romantic. I love it. I love films where it's romantic. I'm not a big fan of like shoot 'em ups. Do you like horror movies? No. Me neither. And let's take a minute. Yeah. Zombies. Forget zombies. I mean, people love that. It's like I've never watched. Not very keen. No, I've said this before, but if there was a zombie apocalypse, I would immediately just take a pill and go to sleep forever. There's no way I would ever like fight a zombie. Well, I'd fight it for you. Thank you, Paul. So, darling. Okay. So what is making you laugh right now as we end? Anything, what do you watch to giggle? Yeah, I don't film things. Like what? What do you think is funny? Well, let's watch a video together as we end. My favorite year. Oh, Peter O'Toole? - Yeah, I thought that was funny. - Love that move, I haven't seen it in so long. - No, that's what I mean. I asked someone with their favorite films and they'd come up with that one. - Oh, I love that film. - Yeah, it's incredible. - For people who don't remember that, that was a 80s comedy. Oh yeah, Peter O'Toole plays like an actor who's on a variety show, right? - Yeah, he's like, he's a, he's a has-beent. And he gets drunk all the time. - That's right. - And the young guys put in charge of him. - There was a big stretch in the 80s where all the characters were really drunk. Like Arthur, my favorite, there's a quite a bunch where like the, the, the, the, the lead was like, falling down drunk. - Yes. - And we were like, that's hilarious. Okay, let's watch just the trailer of my favorite year before we end. - It was the year, honey, what's greatest heroes? ♪ Watch Malcolm is way on the live TV ♪ ♪ And interpengi's why ♪ ♪ Past it, what's going on is your energy ♪ - I mean, this looks like, um, money Python on 'em. - This is sober, or it's you and Nick. - They meant to me to stay with you and help you over some of the rough spots, like showing up. That's one. Another is not passing out. - Peter O'Toole passing out? - He's good. - God Peter O'Toole is good. - Yeah. - Well, Paul McCartney, I could talk to you all day. I really, really, really appreciate you being here. It's a total thrill to talk to you. - How did we do? We did, okay? - We did, I think we did great. - I mean, all right? - I enjoyed it. - All right, good. - Yeah. - Thanks, Paul. Thanks for doing this. - Thanks for being me. - Okay, you're excused. (laughing) - Yes, miss. (laughing) - Thank you. - Thank you, Paul McCartney. I don't know what to say. It was a complete thrill to talk to you and what an incredible conversation. And, you know, for this polar plunge, I just, I feel the need to call my mother and tell her that I just interviewed Paul McCartney. So if you will indulge me, listeners, I have not told my mom or my dad that I am interviewing Paul, because they can't be trusted with that information. But I'm gonna face time, my mom right now, and see if we can get our real time, our real time response. Now, she'd take, hello. - Hello. - Yes. - Hi, can you hear me? - Yeah, you're on the podcast. - I'm doing the podcast right now. So your voices are gonna be recorded, is that okay? Do I have your legal consent? - Depends on how I feel it went. - Okay, let me talk to mom. (audience laughing) Okay, guess who I just interviewed? Mom, who would be your favorite person? - Oh my God. - Who is the most excited person you've ever met when you came to SNL? - Oh, Paul McCartney. - I just interviewed Paul McCartney. - No, Sarah. - I did. I just interviewed Paul McCartney. - Oh my God. - Your mother brags about the picture. - Did you mention my name? (audience laughing) - She brags about the time he knocked on your door at SNL and said, "Oh, I like your daughter." - Yeah, he said it. "You ain't his mother." - That's right. - That's right. - Elaine said, "Oh, sir, Paul." - Hello, sir, Paul. - Okay, mom, as I wrap up this episode, what is the memory you have of how important for the Beatles to you? - Oh, it's, it was unbelievable. My big memory is the first time they played on Ed Sullivan. - Ed Sullivan, sure, with your long hair. - And my father said, "Look at those guys with that long hair." - That's right. - Yeah, I liked them immediately. Yeah, I went to see them, I think, with-- - Didn't you go to Lynn somewhere? - No, that was the Rolling Stones. (laughing) - No, I never saw them. - You never saw them. You just saw the Rolling Stones. - I just, yeah. But he made a joke to Elaine about, "Didn't I see you in the fourth row?" - Oh, yeah, he said, "Where you at the end?" - 10 seconds. - Okay, I gotta go. Okay, I gotta go. Okay, I love you guys. I wanted to tell you that I just interviewed Paul McCartney. - Cool, I'm so psyched. - Nice. - All right, love you guys. - Okay, I'll keep track of his numbers and see if he beats out Paul Rudd. (laughing) - He's coming for you, Rudd. - All right, all right, okay, I love you guys. - Okay, nice. - Bye. - Thanks everybody, thanks for listening to Good Hang and we'll see you soon, bye. (laughing) - You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weissberman and me, Amy Poler. The show is produced by the Ringer and PaperKite. For the Ringer production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spalain, Kaya McMullen, Alaya Zeneres, Bridget Kearlings, Paige Garberini, Bell Roman, and Drew Van Steenberger. For PaperKite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weissberman, Original Music by Amy Miles. ♪ All I ever wanted was a really good hang ♪

Podcast Summary

Key Points:

  1. Paul McCartney reflects on his early life, including a forceps birth and memories of Liverpool’s Walton Hospital.
  2. He shares a humorous story about his first memory being a forceps delivery, which he recalls vividly despite uncertainty.
  3. Stella McCartney, his daughter, asks him about his first memory and his experience with "monkberry moon delight," a song inspired by a milkshake name and wordplay.
  4. Paul reveals that he wrote "Monkberry Moon Delight" while being influenced by children’s pronunciation of "milk" as "monk," and that he may have been on something during its creation.
  5. He discusses his long-standing relationship with music, creativity, and collaboration, emphasizing the importance of openness, humor, and connection in the songwriting process.
  6. Paul values family, friendship, and shared experiences, especially with the Beatles, and sees his relationships with John, George, and Ringo as enduring and respectful.
  7. He reflects on his time on Saturday Night Live, including memorable sketches with Will Farrell, Chris Farley, and Marty Shaw, highlighting his love for creative camaraderie and spontaneity.
  8. Paul expresses a deep belief in love, connection, and the magic of creative collaboration, stating that these are central to his artistic life and values.

Summary:

Paul McCartney opens up about his personal and creative journey, sharing vivid memories of his early life, including a forceps birth at Walton Hospital in Liverpool. He recounts a heartfelt conversation with his daughter Stella, who asks about his first memory and the origin of the song "Monkberry Moon Delight," which he explains was inspired by a child's pronunciation of milk as "monk" and a playful milkshake concept. McCartney emphasizes the importance of authenticity, humor, and openness in his songwriting, crediting his creative process to spontaneity, collaboration, and shared experiences—especially with his Beatles bandmates.

He reflects on enduring friendships with John, George, and Ringo, describing them as rooted in mutual respect and love. His time on Saturday Night Live, including memorable sketches with Will Farrell and Marty Shaw, illustrates his appreciation for creative camaraderie and improvisation. Throughout the conversation, McCartney underscores the central role of love and connection in both his personal life and artistic work, concluding that creativity thrives in openness, trust, and the shared human experience of giving and receiving inspiration.

His legacy is not just in music, but in the warmth, humor, and genuine relationships that define his life.

FAQs

Yes, Paul McCartney has smoked 'monkberry moon delight' in a joking, surreal way. The name comes from a milkshake he imagined—mixing 'milk,' 'monkberry,' and 'moon'—and the lyrics are filled with playful wordplay and nonsense, reflecting a wild, creative period in his early songwriting.

Paul recalls being born in a Victorian hospital in Liverpool, where he was delivered by forceps. He remembers the white tiles, chrome instruments, and the sensation of being pulled out—describing it as a vivid, intense memory that feels real to him.

He views his relationships with John and George as deep, enduring, and rooted in mutual respect and creative collaboration. He describes them as fans of his work and remains emotionally connected to their music and shared history.

Paul's breakfast is simple: cereal with a handful of berries, such as five raspberries and blueberries, and a few pecans and raisins. He avoids caffeine and prefers water in the morning.

He does not believe in time travel, but he often feels like he lived through different ages—sometimes younger, sometimes older—indicating a sense of timelessness in his creative and personal experiences.

He believes in a natural, intuitive process—starting with a simple chord or melody and letting it evolve. He emphasizes gentle feedback, creativity, and staying open to inspiration, often saying he's not a workaholic but a 'playaholic.'

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