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Paul McCartney and Marianne Faithfull were two of the artists who helped define the British Invasion. They had strong feelings about each other. A celebrity who was very close to Paul worried the cute Beatle had an affair with Faithfull.

Paul McCartney said Marianne Faithfull was a his lifelong friend

When people think of the British Invasion, they tend to think of all-male bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who. Some of the biggest solo acts to come out of that trend were also men, like Donovan and Tom Jones. However, women also had a presence in the British Invasion. Female British singers who crossed over during that time included Petula Clark, Lulu, and Faithfull.

Faithfull had some notable connections to the guys from that scene. She famously dated The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, who co-wrote her signature song: “As Tears Go By.” She also performed one of the most touching renditions of The Beatles’ “Yesterday.” She clearly left an impact on the writer of “Yesterday.”

In a 2025 post on PaulMcCartney.com, the “Band on the Run” singer mourned Faithfull’s death. “What sad news that Marianne Faithfull has passed away,” he wrote. “She came into my life in the ’60s and was a beautiful, sweet 17-year-old who radiated innocent joy. Then, through the years, I was lucky enough to run into her and to become a lifelong friend. 

“It’s very sad to think that I won’t be meeting her again, but my memories of our encounters over the years will always bring me joy,” he added. “May god bless you Marianne and guide you in the next steps of your journey.”

Linda McCartney thought Paul McCartney had an affair with the ‘As Tears Go By’ singer

During a 2011 interview with Louder, Faithfull discussed her feelings about Paul. “I’m still very close to Paul,” he said. “I sang on ‘All You Need Is Love.’ I went to a lot of Paul’s sessions — I was there when he did ‘Lovely Rita’ and ‘Fixing a Hole.’ Always late evening.” 

Faithfull confessed she didn’t exactly get along with someone who was very close to Paul. “Paul was welcoming,” she said. “I liked Linda McCartney very much, but she didn’t like me. She wasn’t sure whether I’d had an affair with Paul. She thought everybody had because he had a lot of affairs. Not me, though. I wasn’t one of his affairs.”

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How Marianne Faithfull’s cover of The Beatles’ ‘Yesterday’ performed

Perhaps Faithfull’s most famous connection to Paul was her cover of The Beatles’ “Yesterday.” It makes a lot of sense that she recorded that tune. It’s a baroque pop ballad, so it’s musically similar to her signature song, “As Tears Go By.” While Faithfull’s “Yesterday” is beautiful, it did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. However, the tune’s parent album, Go Away from My World, reached No. 81 on the Billboard 200, charting for 16 weeks.

The Official Charts Company reports her cover became popular in the United Kingdom. There, Faithfull’s “Yesterday” reached No. 36 and charted for four weeks. Meanwhile, Go Away from My World did not chart in the U.K.

Faithfull and Paul were friends, and their musical legacies will always be intertwined.

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