Paul McCartney still gets emotional when listening to one of his songs about John Lennon

Virgin Radio

31 Jan 2022, 14:32

The first Wings album was released over half-a-century ago, but all these years later, the legendary musician still chokes up when he hears one of the songs on it.

Wild Life, the debut album by Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles band, Wings, came out in December 1971, after The Fab Four had split. Towards the end of the record is the song Dear Friend, of which McCartney said: “That’s sort of me talking to John after we’d had all the sort of disputes about The Beatles break-up. I find it very emotional when I listen to it now. I have to sort of choke it back.”

In an interview on paulmccartney.com, he continued: “I remember when I heard the song recently, listening to the roughs [remastering works-in-progress] in the car. And I thought, ‘Oh God’. That lyric, ‘Really truly, young and newly wed’. Listening to that was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s true!’ I’m trying to say to John, ‘Look, you know, it’s all cool. Have a glass of wine. Let’s be cool.’” 

John Lennon was shot dead in New York on the evening of 8th December 1980. Speaking further about Dear Friend, McCartney added: “Luckily we did get it back together, which was like a great source of joy because it would have been terrible if he’d been killed as things were at that point and I’d never got to straighten it out with him. This was me reaching out. So, I think it’s very powerful in some very simple way. But it was certainly heartfelt.”

The original line-up of Wings included Linda McCartney on keys, drummer Denny Seiwell, and The Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine.

Wild Life, on which Dear Friend features, is set for a limited-edition 50th anniversary vinyl reissue on February 4th.

Before the first Wings album, McCartney released a solo record in 1970, and another album, RAM, in 1971 with Linda McCartney.