Skip to Content

The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics

The Beatles, January 1964. Paul McCartney shown in the Champs Elysees, Paris, France.

“Many times over the years, Paul McCartney has been asked to write his autobiography. It’s a request he’s always denied,” says the poet Paul Muldoon in a trailer for the forthcoming podcast, A Life in Lyrics. “But as we ventured out on this journey, line by line, it became clear how much of McCartney’s biography is indeed embedded in the lyrics.” Over the course of 12 episodes, released weekly, Muldoon and the Beatles frontman will dissect a selection of his discography, works such as “Penny Lane,” “Magical Mystery Tour,” and “Helter Skelter.” Each song will receive its own episode, in which it is the subject of McCartney’s contemplation and reminiscence. As indicated by Muldoon, the two men will analyze a life and legacy through lyrics that hold historical and emotional subtext. Season One of A Life in Lyrics premieres on October 4. —Jack Sullivan

Photo: Popperfoto/Getty Images