In an episode of his podcast series, ‘A Life in Lyrics,’ Paul McCartney opened up about the origins of one of The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be.’ During the discussion, McCartney revealed an intriguing revelation about how a line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet unknowingly found its way into the song’s creation. He explained:
“It had been pointed out to me recently that Hamlet, when he has been poisoned, he actually says, ‘Let it be’ – act five, scene two. He says, ‘Let be’ the first time, then the second time he says, ‘Had I but time — as this fell sergeant, Death, Is strict in his arrest — oh, I could tell you. But let it be Horatio.’”
Apparently, McCartney wasn’t aware of the fact that the lyrics he dreamt about his mother telling him actually belonged to Shakespeare. The singer continued:
“I was interested that I was exposed to those words during a time when I was studying Shakespeare so that years later the phrase appears to me in a dream with my mother saying it.”
Paul McCartney’s Mother Was The Inspiration Behind ‘Let It Be’
Paul McCartney previously recounted a dream that influenced the creation of ‘Let It Be.’ In a 2011 interview with The Salt Lake Tribune, he described a dream visitation by his late mother, who had passed away a decade earlier. In this dream sequence, McCartney found solace as his mother appeared to empathize with his inner trouble. He mentioned in the interview that her reassuring words, ‘Let it be,’ resonated deeply within him, and added:
“I had a dream where my mother, who had been dead at that point for about 10 years, came to me in the dream, and it was as if she could see that I was troubled. And she sort of said to me, she said, ‘Let it be.’ And I remember quite clearly her saying, ‘Let it be,’ and ‘It’s going to be OK. Don’t worry.’ You know, ‘Let it be.’
McCartney also explained how he took something super personal and turned it into something everyone could relate to:
“I woke up, and I remembered the dream, and I thought, ‘Well, that’s a great idea.’ And I then sat down and wrote the song using the feeling from that dream and of my mum coming to me in the dream.”
In his podcast series, ‘A Life In Lyrics,’ Paul delves deep into the heart of 12 Beatles songs, unraveling the real stories behind their lyrics. In each episode, he offers a glimpse into the creative process. Starting with the story behind ‘Elenor Rigby,’ the final episode of the series explores The Beatles’ process of writing ‘Helter Skelter.’
You can listen to the entire episode of Paul McCartney’s podcast on ‘Let It Be’ via Spotify below.
