What Do the Lyrics to the Beatles' "Paperback Writer" Mean?
Released as a single in 1966, “Paperback Writer” topped the charts in several countries, from the United Kingdom to the United States, Ireland and Australia. Truly, it’s got a sublime melody and a catchy rhythm. It’s a song you find yourself singing almost by accident. But how did McCartney come to write the lyrics?
Well, he can thank his Aunt Lil. “Years ago, my Auntie Lil said to me, ‘Why do you always write songs about love all the time? Can’t you ever write about a horse or the summit conference or something interesting?'” McCartney said in 1966, according to author Nicholas Schaffner in the 1978 book, The Beatles Forever. “So, I thought, ‘All right, Auntie Lil.'”
McCartney, who was the song’s primary writer but who wrote “Paperback Writer” with John Lennon, landed on the subject of a paperback book writer when one day he saw Beatles drummer Ringo Starr backstage at a concert venue reading a book. That’s when he knew what the subject of his next song would be.
Source: Jacob Uitti/americansongwriter.com
