Paul McCartney has launched his new podcast, “A Life In Lyrics,” with two episodes. The podcast is based on “The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present,” the acclaimed anthology released in 2021 and curated by McCartney with Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon. In this podcast, the two discuss the lyrics of 154 songs written by McCartney throughout his career.
“A Life In Lyrics” is a scaled-down version of the anthology, consisting of 12 episodes released weekly. It takes listeners into the writing process of some of McCartney’s masterpieces for The Beatles. The first episode is dedicated to “Eleanor Rigby” (from “Revolver” in 1966), while the second episode tells the story of “Back in the U.S.S.R.” (from the “White Album” in 1968). A second season with 12 episodes is scheduled for February 2024.
Regarding “Eleanor Rigby,” for example, Mecca reveals some anecdotes about the song, such as how the title was suggested by a name on a gravestone and a verse inspired by his mother’s constant use of creams. Mecca describes seeing the song as a film: “There are two protagonists who are lonely; she and then him. There’s no compassion for him, but he is alone. So ‘All the lonely people now’ becomes the chorus. She moves, and he is the one who buries her: he cleans his hands, walks away from the grave, ‘no one was saved.'”
The next episode of “A Life In Lyrics” is scheduled for October 11th. You can listen to the podcast on all digital platforms as well as on YouTube.