Paul McCartney Shares How Songwriting Helped Him Grieve John Lennon's Death
When John Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment building in New York City in 1980, the remaining three members of The Beatles were understandably devastated. It was a horrible time for all of them, and one of them turned to one of the only constants in his life as a means to grieve and move on: songwriting.
In the latest episode of his podcast Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics, the former Beatle talked at length about a song he penned following the tragedy, "Here Today." The singer-songwriter shared that the track is "basically a memory song" and "a love song to John."
He went on to comment that the inspiration for the track wasn't anything grand. It isn't about the most important conversation they had or the most impressive moments from their time with The Beatles. Instead, the tune sees him "remembering things about our relationship and things about the million things we'd done together. From just being in each other's front parlors or bedrooms, or walking on the street together, or hitchhiking."
McCartney referred to the experience of writing the somber "Here Today" as both "very moving" and "very emotional." "I was just sitting there in this bare room thinking of John and realizing I'd lost him," the Grammy winner stated in the conversation.
Source: Hugh McIntyre/forbes.com
