If You Thought Paul McCartney’s ‘SNL’ Encore Sounded Familiar (But Not Because of Paul), Here’s Why

Paul McCartney closed out the 51st season of Saturday Night Live on May 16, 2026, with not one, not two, but three stunning musical performances. The pioneering musical icon started with “Days We Left Behind”, a touching, “In My Life”-esque song from his 21st studio album, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane. His second song, which most thought would be his last, per show tradition, was a fun rendition of “Band On The Run” by Wings.

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The performances couldn’t realistically be described as McCartney at his peak, at least vocally speaking. His voice was softer, perhaps a bit unsteady, though the backing vocals buoyed him nicely. But his playing was still top-notch, and his stage presence was full of signature McCartney charm, complete with hip shakes and crooked smiles.

While Macca didn’t sound the way he did when he was in his thirties—show us the 83-year-old who does—the performances were still an incredible homage to one of the greatest musical artists of our time. Photographs of a young McCartney with his childhood friends, Beatles bandmates, and Wings bandmates (including his wife, Linda) reminded the audience just how much life and loss McCartney had experienced. This inevitably imbues the music with a deeper sense of meaning and hindsight.

And then, it kept going.

Paul McCartney Joined ‘SNL’ History As One of the Few Encore Performers

After Will Ferrell, Paul McCartney, and the rest of the Saturday Night Live cast took the stage for their tradition of saying goodbye and hugging each other as the credits rolled, there was a somewhat awkward pause between the show host and musical guest. Once McCartney walked stage right to his band’s setup, the audience understood why. Whereas most musical guests only perform two songs on SNL, McCartney added a third song to his set, joining the ranks of other encore acts, like U2 and Bruce Springsteen.

Anyone who was crossing their fingers for a Beatles tune was likely disappointed to hear McCartney start “Coming Up” from his sophomore solo release, McCartney II, from 1980. But that likely didn’t last long. The band gave a high-energy performance that hooked listeners, regardless of whether they knew the track. Will Ferrell hopping on stage and taking a spot at the microphone to sing with Paul—the same stance that John Lennon had taken so many times in the 1960s—made it even more special.

Why Did That One Riff Sound so Familiar?

Attentive listeners might have caught a familiar melody quoted in the second half of “Coming Up”. Attentive musicians probably recognized the twisted smirk of satisfaction on Paul McCartney’s face when they started playing it. If you were wondering why that nasty little blues riff sounded so familiar, it’s not because it was a Beatles, Wings, or Paul song at all. They were quoting “Peter Gunn”, the theme song for the PI show of the same name. Henry Mancini composed the theme music, which has now become a ubiquitous part of the musical canon, entirely separate from the television program itself.

The quote was brief and certainly not a song-wide feature. But it was a fun interjection of pop culture that added levity and groove to the track. McCartney frequently includes this snippet of “Peter Gunn” in his live performances of “Coming Up”. Thankfully, those of us who haven’t been lucky enough to see Paul McCartney in person got a glimpse of this clever quotation through his Saturday Night Live encore.

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