The Wings Song that Makes Paul McCartney ‘Emotional’ When He Listens to it

Paul McCartney has written several personal and meaningful songs, but he usually can perform or listen to them without breaking down. However, the former Beatle admits that one song he made with Wings still makes him “emotional” because of its connection to John Lennon. 

Paul McCartney wrote Wings’ ‘Dear Friend’ about John Lennon

After The Beatles ended, Paul McCartney formed a new band called Wings. In 1971, Wings released their first studio album Wild Life, which featured the song “Dear Friend.” At the time, Lennon and McCartney had somewhat of a public feud and addressed their grievances in what would be the equivalent of diss tracks. Lennon had released “How Do You Sleep,” a counter to McCartney’s “Too Many People,” which Lennon believed contained personal attacks. 

In an interview with his website, Paulmccartney.com, McCartney said “Dear Friend” was a response to “How Do You Sleep,” asking if he and Lennon could cool down. Fortunately, the former Beatles saved their relationship before Lennon’s assassination in 1980. 

“I remember when I heard the song recently, listening to the roughs 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.’ And 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.”

McCartney gets ‘emotional’ listening to ‘Dear Friend’

The Beatles’ breakup shocked the world, but it was something that had been building up as tensions between the band were rising. Lennon and McCartney had been friends for a while, having met while growing up in Liverpool. Still, they were starting to go in different directions by the end of the 1960s. 

McCartney and Lennon were in a tough spot in their relationship when he wrote “Dear Friend,” he said he becomes emotional listening to it now as he was trying to earn his friendship back. 

“With ‘Dear Friend’, that’s sort of me talking to John after we’d had all the sort of disputes about The Beatles break up,” McCartney shared. “I find it very emotional when I listen to it now. I have to sort of choke it back.”

McCartney wrote a tribute song to Lennon following his death 

“Here Today” was released by McCartney in 1982 on his album Tug of War. The song was a tribute to Lennon and was written as an imaginary conversation between the two former bandmates. In an interview with Esquire, McCartney said he often gets “emotional” while performing this song, especially when he sees how the track impacts audience members. 

“If I ever spot anyone crying during ‘Here Today’, that can set me off,” McCartney explained. “I mean, on one level, it’s only a song and on another, it’s a very emotional thing for me. And when I see some girl totally reduced to tears and looking at me singing, it catches me by surprise. This really means something to her. I’m not just a singer. I’m doing something more here.”