Why Paul McCartney is really haunted by John Lennon’s death
Former ‘peace and love’ hippie Sir Paul McCartney is reportedly increasingly haunted by the death of John Lennon and the collapse of the peace-driven ideals they once believed could change the world, as the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran have the Beatles legend fearing that humanity may never achieve the unity imagined in Lennon’s iconic anthem Imagine.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the ex-Beatle recently reflected emotionally on his late bandmate during an interview for BBC Radio 2 Songs of my years while promoting his new album The boys from Dungeon Lane.
McCartney, 83, used the chat to revisit Lennon’s 1971 anti-war classic Imagine, the tragic murder victim and revealed how deeply the song resonated with him decades after his late bandmate – whose Beatles tracks included All you need is love – was murdered outside the Dakota Building in New York in 1980 at the age of 40.
McCartney’s conversation about his old friend’s musical legacy comes amid renewed global tensions, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and escalating instability involving Iran – conflicts told friends Radar have made McCartney increasingly despondent about the prospect of lasting peace.
McCartney told the BBC: “(To suggest is) just one of John’s great songs. There are so many songs you can choose. If you start getting at John, what about George? George has some incredible ones. But for the program you have to slim it down.
“I think John’s song is simply magical. And many other people think so too.”
The singer-songwriter continued: “In my mind, because I’ve worked with John so many times, I see him writing it. To see him do that piano part.
“I think it’s a beautiful image of what the world could be like. Unfortunately, when I hear that, the back of my mind thinks it’s not going to happen. Or, ‘Wouldn’t it be great?’ How lucky would we be if all these things happened?
“I think a lot of people like to think about that, like to imagine that kind of reality, especially with so many things happening these days.”
Sources close to McCartney said Lennon’s death continues to weigh heavily on him as it symbolized the destruction of a hopeful era in which both music icons once passionately believed.
An insider said: ‘Paul is still extremely sad about the loss of John, but what really haunts him now about John is seeing how broken the world has become. Wars, political hatred and violence give him the feeling that the dream they once sang about is slipping further and further away.’
Another source said the current global climate has intensified McCartney’s reflections on mortality and legacy.
The insider added: “Ukraine, Iran and everything happening internationally has affected him deeply. Paul truly believed that music could bring people together, but he now admits privately that he fears there may never be peace on a global scale.”
McCartney rose to fame alongside Lennon, George Harrison, who died in 2001 aged 58, and Ringo Starr, now 85, as part of The Beatles before becoming one of the most successful solo artists in music history.
Interest in the band has increased again after Peter Jackson’s recent Apple documentary The Beatles: Go Back and the anticipation surrounding Sam Mendes’ upcoming four-part Beatles biopic project.
During his BBC interview, McCartney also discussed recording with The Rolling Stones after being invited to contribute bass to the group’s new album.
He said, “I’m standing there playing, and I’m thinking, ‘I’m playing with the Stones.’
“I should be blasé and say, ‘Yes, I’ve known them for years.’ But it was special because now I’m suddenly playing with them.”
McCartney described his new album this way: The boys from Dungeon Laneas a deeply nostalgic album rooted in memories of his childhood in Liverpool before global fame changed his life forever.
