Paul McCartney Plays Surprise Third Performance During Season Finale of ‘Saturday Night Live’

Fans got more Paul McCartney than they expected during the season 51 finale of Saturday Night Live. During the Will Ferrell-hosted episode on May 16, instead of playing the traditional two songs as the night’s musical guest, the former Beatle performed three times on SNL‘s stage.

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The show always comes to an end with goodbyes, where the host, cast, and special guests come up on the stage to close out the episode. As that was going on, McCartney snuck behind the crowd and gathered his musicians to play one more song—1980’s “Coming Up.”

The cast proceeded to dance and sing along as the credits rolled, putting an end to the latest season of Saturday Night Live.

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Earlier in the episode, McCartney performed “Days We Left Behind,” a song set to appear on his forthcoming album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane.

During his second time on stage, McCartney opted to play “Band on the Run.” The song was the title track of Wings’ 1973 album.

During McCartney’s three times on stage, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith accompanied him on drums.

In addition to McCartney’s performances, the music legend also popped up during Ferrell’s monologue and in a sketch about car mechanics.

What to Know About Paul McCartney’s Forthcoming Album

Due out May 29, The Boys of Dungeon Lane is McCartney’s first solo release since 2020’s McCartney III. According to Billboard, the LP features “bold tempo and stylistic changes.”

The outlet further reported that McCartney played all the instruments but the strings and orchestration himself on the record.

Of particular note to Beatles fans is the fact that the album will feature a duet with Ringo Starr. Titled “Home to Us,” the track, which features Starr on the drums, sees the men “trading vocals line by line as they sing about growing up,” per the outlet.

The outlet further revealed that the song, “the most Beatle-esque track on the album,” includes “tempo shifts, key changes and layered vocals with assists from the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde and Texas’ Sharleen Spiteri.”

Photo by: Rosalind O’Connor/NBC via Getty Images