Paul McCartney and John Lennon were an enviable songwriting duo when the Beatles first debuted. They became the pair against which every other rock band measured itself. Even today, bands aim to have a songwriting arm as strong as these two legends. However, that legacy was sullied by the fact that the duo fell apart towards the end of the band’s tenure.
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By the time the Beatles announced their breakup, Lennon and McCartney were mainly name partners only. Their songwriting efforts were separate in every sense of the word. However, staying on the more positive side of their relationship, let’s take a look back at some of their first efforts together. One early release from the pair helped forge their partnership. However, both Lennon and McCartney agreed it wasn’t up to snuff as their career trekked on.
The Lyrics Paul McCartney and John Lennon Didn’t Think Held Up
McCartney and Lennon were great at playing off and against one another. Often, they were in perfect harmony, but at other times, it was their differences that made their songs so stellar.
“If I did something that was a little bit ahead of the curve, then John would come up with something that was a bit ahead of my curve,” McCartney once said. “And then so I’d go, ‘Well, how about this?’ and there was a lot of friendly competition.”
“If you know someone that long from your early teenage years to your late 20s, that’s an awful long time to be collaborating with someone, and you grow to know each other, and even when you’re apart, you’re still thinking about each other, you’re still referencing each other,” he continued.
“I’ll Be On My Way”
Towards the end of the Beatles’ career, those differences stopped being creative sparks and started driving a wedge between the pair. They didn’t agree on much in the latter days of their collaboration.
However, one song they did agree on was an early offering called “I’ll Be On My Way.” This simple, late ’50s song was elementary compared to the music they were making in the late ’60s. Lennon and McCartney had a rare moment of agreement when discussing this song in hindsight.
“It’s a little bit too June-moon for me, but these were very early songs, and they worked out quite well,” McCartney once said.
“That’s Paul, through and through,” Lennon added, distancing himself from the track. “Doesn’t it sound like him? Tra la la la la. Yeah, that’s Paul on the voids of driving through the country.”
This song is very McCartney. The melody is spot-on and endlessly memorable. It has all the makings of a pop hit, which became McCartney’s hallmark in the band. Lennon came to detest McCartney’s taste, as highlighted in “I’ll Be On My Way.” Revisit this track below.
(Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images)
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