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.
He added that “Here Today” did help him grieve and deal with the loss, which he referred to as “powerful.” The act of writing the track was a form of therapy for the chart-topper, as it allowed McCartney “to have a conversation with him,” which was, in his words, “some form of solace.” “Somehow I was with him again,” McCartney felt.
“Here Today” was featured on McCartney’s 1982 album Tug of War. It was never released as a single from the No. 1 full-length, which would go on to earn several major Grammy nominations. While it may have been overshadowed by other tunes on the project, such as “Ebony and Ivory” with Steve Wonder, many die-hard fans remember it as an incredibly important recording from McCartney.
Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics is a new podcast from iHeartPodcasts and Pushkin that sees the Beatle sharing stories of how he wrote some of his biggest and most memorable songs. McCartney speaks with poet Paul Muldoon on the program, which has already been renewed for a second season.
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