Why Paul McCartney Wasn’t Worried About Beatles Fans Taking Drugs
The Beatles were honest about their drug use, with Paul McCartney reflecting on its impact on fans. Here’s what the songwriter said — and why he thinks it wouldn’t “make a difference” to listeners.
Did the Beatles take drugs?
Even before the Beatles sparked “Beatlemania,” the Fab Four consumed “slimming pills” to stay awake during long gigs.
As they became more popular, the Beatles explored psychedelics. This first began when a friend added LSD to his and Harrison’s drinks. Although he was initially shocked, Lennon returned to the substance.
“In the following months, John took LSD regularly,” Cynthia Lennon wrote in her memoir John. “He was hungry for new experiences and never afraid to experiment. George had found it fascinating, too, and he also took it again, as did Paul and Ringo, but John felt it gave his life a whole new dimension.”
Paul McCartney didn’t think he was encouraging fans to take drugs — ‘I don’t think it’ll make a difference’
In 1976, McCartney answered questions about taking drugs with the other Beatles. One reporter mentioned their LSD consumption might have an impact on listeners.
“I don’t think it’ll make any difference,” McCartney said (via Beatles Interviews). “I don’t think my fans are going to take drugs just because I did… But the thing is — that’s not the point anyway. I was asked whether I had or not.”
“And from then on, the whole bit about how far it’s gonna go and how many people it’s going to encourage is up to the newspapers, and up to you on television,” he noted, mentioning the interview was only adding to the story. “And I’d rather it didn’t. But you’re asking me the question — You want me to be honest — I’ll be honest.”
Which Beatles songs were inspired by (and written about) drug consumption?
This inclination toward psychedelics was evident in the Beatles’ music — particularly Magical Mystery Tour, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Revolver. Some Beatles songs, particularly with nonsense or imaginative lyrics like “Yellow Submarine,” may have been the result of drug consumption.
Cynthia Lennon reacted to the “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” fan theory about someone taking LSD. She confirmed, however, this track was inspired by John Lennon’s son, Julian, who drew a picture of his classmate described as “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”
“The song had gone out, the whole album had been published, and somebody noticed that the letters spelt out ‘LSD,’” Lennon also noted during one interview via Far Out Magazine.
Ringo Starr mentioned his Beatles original, “Octopus’s Garden,” was written while he was “stoned,” after an octopus attacked his family’s nanny. Tracks believed to have ties to drug use include “I Am the Walrus,” “Got To Get You Into My Life,” “Doctor Robert,” and others.
How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
