Our first Beatles video-cover is a song written by Paul, who based the lyrics on a challenge made to him by his Aunt Lil. Infact she said to him, «Why do you always write songs about love all the time?…» The rest is history…
«We always try to do something different. And this idea's a bit different. Years ago my Auntie Lil said to me, “Why can't you ever write about a horse or the summit conference or something interesting?” So I thought, “All right, Auntie Lil. I'll show you.”» —Paul McCartney, 1966
«Paul. I think I might have helped with some of the lyrics, Yes, I did. But it was mainly Paul's tune.» —John Lennon, 1972
«“Paperback Writer” is son of “Day Tripper” … meaning a rock 'n roll song with a guitar lick on a fuzzy loud guitar.» —John Lennon, 1980
«I arrived at Weybridge and told John I had this idea of trying to write off to a publishers to become a paperback writer, and I said, “I think it should be written like a letter.” I took a bit of paper out and I said it should be something like, “Dear Sir or Madam, as the case may be…” and I proceeded to write it just like a letter in front of him, occasionally rhyming it … And then we went upstairs and put the melody to it. John and I sat down and finished it all up, but it was tilted towards me — the original idea was mine. I had no music, but it's just a little bluesy song, not a lot of melody. Then I had the idea to do the harmonies, and we arranged that in the studio.» —Paul McCartney, 1994
Recorded and mixed by Massimo Gerini.
Video by Brizio Romagnoli.
Paperback writer (Paperback writer)
Dear Sir or Madam will you read my book
It took me years to write, will you take a look
It's based on a novel by a man named Lear
And I need a job,
So I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer
It's the dirty story of a dirty man
And his clinging wife doesn't understand
His son is working for the Daily Mail
It's a steady job,
But he wants to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer
Paperback writer (Paperback writer)
It's a thousand pages give or take a few
I'll be writing more in a week or two
I can make it longer if you like the style
I can change it round
And I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer
If you really like it you can have the rights
It could make a million for you overnight
If you must return if you can send it here
But I need a break
And I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer
Paperback writer (Paperback writer)
(Paperback writer) Paperback writer
(Paperback writer) Paperback writer…
We were there, in 2011, when Paul McCartney came in Italy with his On the Run Tour. It was November 26 at the Unipol Arena in Bologna. Here is a song from that concert, filmed by us: Paperback Writer (with a great new instrumental part before the last verse).
