Paul McCartney’s Belated Recognition About John Lennon’s Role

Their groundbreaking albums, fantastic sales figures, big crowds packed with millions of screaming teenagers, and many great stories about the Beatles make it seem like their massive success was inevitable. It was remarkable that they could maintain their artistic and commercial achievements throughout a decade of a musical journey thanks to their constant drive to produce and innovate. They acquired a unique position in the industry very early, leading to a mass cultural upheaval.

Although all the band members had something exceptional to add to the band’s original works, John Lennon and Paul McCartney shined out as the fundamental creative forces of the band. Their fruitful songwriting partnership earned most of the credits in their vast catalog. The two unlocked the key turning the Beatles into an unstoppable force. Let’s see what Paul McCartney thinks about their special creative bond and John Lennon’s contribution to his continuous musical self-improvement.

How Did John Lennon Help Paul McCartney In Their Creative Process?

The famous songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney demonstrated the brilliance of working in pairs. However, the two also had an unstable and tense relationship from time to time. Yet, they successfully turned this tension into a highly productive and creative force, along with the support from their bandmates and managing team.

Paul McCartney also opened up about their prolific collaboration and the dynamics within the band during an interview with Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt in November 2021. The musician explained that Lennon would always intervene and share his thoughts when he wrote a song verse. The late singer would never hesitate to criticize it if he thought it was terrible. McCartney now realized what a critical point it was in their creative process.

Here is how Paul McCartney explained John Lennon’s key role in their partnership:

“If I write a song called, ‘It’s Getting Better All The Time,’ then John would likely chirp in with, ‘It couldn’t get much worse.’ Now I realize, ‘Wow, that’s very valuable in the creative process to have someone who doesn’t just go, ‘That’s nice.’ So we had that ping-ponging technique. I’d write a line, he’d write a second line, or he’d write a line. It was really good; we were very helpful to one another. And now I can look back on it in a loving way and think, that was very special.”

Maybe the Beatles icon wasn’t aware of how valuable it was back then. Still, McCartney later recognized their creative partnership’s brilliance and the excellent support they gave each other in every condition. He feels grateful to John Lennon for constantly pushing him to do better.