Paul McCartney once said that Little Richard was a “big influence” on his early years as an artist. “Little Richard was a big influence on me because I do a lot a sort of screamy thing that is directly based on what he does,” McCartney said of the “Tutti Frutti” singer in an interview with Far Out. “Yes Richard, if you’re watching, I admit it all.”
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After Little Richard’s death in 2020, McCartney said, “From ‘Tutti Frutti’ to ‘Long Tall Sally’ to ‘Good Golly, Miss Molly’ to ‘Lucille’, Little Richard came screaming into my life when I was a teenager. I owe a lot of what I do to Little Richard and his style, and he knew it. He would say, ‘I taught Paul everything he knows.’”
Given all that, we couldn’t help but wonder: what would a song by Little Richard and McCartney sound like? Of course, we all know the famous tunes from the former Beatle, those written solo or with his famed partner John Lennon.
But a MACCA and Little Richard collab? Given that Little Richard passed away several years ago, it’s a collaboration we’ll never experience in “real life.” So, we sought out our ol’ friends at ChatGPT to see what the bot might spit out. Here below is the result.
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Jubilation”
(Verse 1 – Little Richard style)
Well, I was rockin’ and rollin’, down on the avenue,
When I saw a man with a guitar, playing something new,
He had the moves like Jagger, and a voice so sweet,
I said, “Hey there, brother, won’t you let me meet?”
(Verse 2 – Paul McCartney style)
I was strolling along, with my guitar in hand,
When I heard that voice, it was something grand,
Little Richard stood there, with his flair and his grace,
I knew right then, we’d make the perfect embrace.
(Chorus – Both styles combined)
So, we came together, from different worlds we came,
Little Richard and McCartney, what a rockin’ flame,
With the piano and the bass, and the guitars we strum,
We’re gonna shake the world, till the morning sun.
(Verse 3 – Little Richard style)
I brought the boogie-woogie, and the “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop”,
McCartney chimed in, with his “I wanna hold your hand” bop,
We blended our sounds, into a groovy sensation,
A magical blend of rock ‘n’ roll jubilation.
(Verse 4 – Paul McCartney style)
We sang of love and heartache, of highs and of lows,
Little Richard’s screams, and my tender falsetto,
The crowd went wild, as we gave it our all,
Together we stood, tall and proud, we’ll never fall.
(Bridge – Both styles combined)
In harmony we danced, like stars in the night,
Both our souls intertwined, a musical flight,
The spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, took over the land,
Two legends together, hand in hand.
(Chorus – Both styles combined)
So, we came together, from different worlds we came,
Little Richard and McCartney, what a rockin’ flame,
With the piano and the bass, and the guitars we strum,
We’re gonna shake the world, till the morning sun.
(Outro – Both styles combined)
Little Richard and McCartney, a duo so rare,
We’ll keep on rockin’, like we don’t have a care,
With our voices united, and hearts full of glee,
We’ll keep the music alive, for eternity!
Final Thoughts
The word jubilation is so apt for this song. The two singers are so lively in their performances. While Little Richard is more percussive, whereas McCartney is a little more melody-focused, the two combine for great rock ‘n’ roll. Truer words were never, well, generated,
Little Richard and McCartney, a duo so rare,
We’ll keep on rockin’, like we don’t have a care,
With our voices united, and hearts full of glee,
We’ll keep the music alive, for eternity!
Photo by Mick Hutson/Redferns
