The Beatle’s memoir contains stories of his life, inspiration, and the music that changed the world, set against the lyrics of 154 of his most important songs.
“The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present” by Paul McCartney (Liveright) is a massive,960-page memoir and career overview by the Beatle, spanning 154 of his most important songs and the stories of their composition, as well as his life, partnerships, and the people who inspired him. In the excerpt below, McCartney writes about his Old English sheepdog, Martha, which was an inspiration for his 1968 song “Martha My Dear,” from The Beatles’ “White Album.” Because my mum and dad both worked and were out all day, and my brother Mike and I were at school, there was no one to look after a dog. I remember one time we heard tell of puppies being given away in the next street, so we legged it round the corner, where, sure enough, there was a litter of puppies. We took a very cute little puppy home, but my mother told us we couldn’t keep it. We were crestfallen. Totally crushed. When I grew up and was in The Beatles, I had a house of my own in London. More than that, I actually had a housekeeper looking after the house. The time was ripe to get a dog.
