The Co-Credited Song John Lennon Said Paul McCartney Didn’t Actually Work On

Throughout the Beatles tenure, Paul McCartney and John Lennon racked up quite the songwriting catalog. The pair had their name tied to some of the biggest hits in rock history, but that wasn’t always indicative of an equal amount of effort. Because the pair were writing partners, they took to including one another in the credits of their songs even if they didn’t write on them together. Apparently, that is a trend that continued in their solo careers.

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The Co-Credited Song John Lennon Said Paul McCartney Didn’t Actually Work On

Hit it
C’mon, ev’rybody’s talking about
Ministers, sinisters, banisters and canisters
Bishops and Fishops and Rabbis and Popeyes and bye-bye, bye-byes

All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance

John Lennon released “Give Peace a Chance” as a scathing diatribe towards naysayers who condemned him and his peace-making efforts. Though the song was actually written by Lennon and his partner, Yoko Ono, the song is credited to McCartney as well.

“I didn’t write it with Paul, but again, out of guilt, we always had that thing that our names would go on songs even if we didn’t write them,” Lennon once explained. “It was never a legal deal between Paul and me, just an agreement when we were 15 or 16 to put both our names on our songs. I’d put his name on ‘Give Peace A Chance’ though he had nothing to do with it. It was a silly thing to do, actually. It should have been Lennon-Ono.”

Yes, McCartney didn’t actually pen this song–and he likely wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with it at the time. McCartney wasn’t always the most politically outspoken of the group. In fact, he often leaned into blithe songwriting. Lennon’s turn towards the socially conscious wasn’t favored by his former writing partner. However, it did earn him this free songwriting credit on a song that defined a generation.

Revisit this track, below.

Let me tell you now
Ev’rybody’s talking ’bout
Revolution, evolution, masturbation, flagellation, regulation, integrations
Meditations, United Nations, congratulations

All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images)