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The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present Hardcover – November 2, 2021

by Paul McCartney (Author), Paul Muldoon (Editor)
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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A Washington Post Notable Book
Excerpted in The New Yorker

A work of unparalleled candor and splendorous beauty, The Lyrics celebrates the creative life and the musical genius of Paul McCartney through 154 of his most meaningful songs.

From his early Liverpool days, through the historic decade of The Beatles, to Wings and his long solo career, The Lyrics pairs the definitive texts of 154 Paul McCartney songs with first-person commentaries on his life and music. Spanning two alphabetically arranged volumes, these commentaries reveal how the songs came to be and the people who inspired them: his devoted parents, Mary and Jim; his songwriting partner, John Lennon; his “Golden Earth Girl,” Linda Eastman; his wife, Nancy McCartney; and even Queen Elizabeth, among many others. Here are the origins of “Let It Be,” “Lovely Rita,” “Yesterday,” and “Mull of Kintyre,” as well as McCartney’s literary influences, including Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll, and Alan Durband, his high-school English teacher.

With images from McCartney’s personal archives―handwritten texts, paintings, and photographs, hundreds previously unseen―The Lyrics, spanning sixty-four years, becomes the definitive literary and visual record of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

165 images
Previous page
  1. Print length
    960 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Norton
  4. Publication date
    November 2, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    8.5 x 3.1 x 10.8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    163149256X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1631492563
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

paul mccartney, classic rock, music, memoir

paul mccartney, classic rock, music, memoir

paul mccartney, classic rock, music, memoir

paul mccartney, classic rock, music, memoir

Editorial Reviews

Review

"To read over the words to these 154 songs is to be impressed not merely with McCartney’s productivity but with the fertility of his imagination and the potency of his offhand, unfussy style.... The Lyrics makes clear that McCartney has written on a high level long past his Beatles years, and even the weakest lyrics in the books have a character all their own: a feeling of giddy playfulness and unguarded experimentation. They’re a joy to read because they exude the joy their maker took in their making.... Over and over, McCartney shows how deeply he is steeped in literary history and how much his output as a songwriter has in common with the works of the likes of Dickens and Shakespeare."
― David Hajdu, New York Times Book Review

"The Lyrics is a triumph. It is hugely readable, devoid of rock cliché, and full of fresh stories and opinions that even devoted fans won’t have encountered before. The pictures of McCartney and of handwritten lyrics, many of them never previously published, are worth the entry ticket on their own and the quality of the boxed product makes it a tactile pleasure and fun to possess.... The Lyrics is McCartney at his best."
― David Finklestein, The Times (UK)

"Reading The Lyrics is like standing in a master chef’s kitchen as he prepares a dish, adding a dash of this and a spoonful of that and talking to us so winningly.... The Lyrics is able to cram in much more ― show posters, set lists, handwritten notes, group photos both staged and casual.... There’s nothing like listening to Macca (as McCartney was known in his Liverpool days) talk about the rise of a band composed largely of working-class teens who changed the world forever.... Almost 60 years later, it’s still an amazing story.... Muldoon interviewed him for hours and coaxed out these charming commentaries."
― David Kirby, Washington Post

"Careening from decade to decade, and invoking John Lennon on the regular, it is likely the closest thing to a memoir McCartney will ever publish, with lyric sheets and a hefty number of unseen personal photos of his family and The Beatles."
― Kim Willis, USA Today

"Indeed, The Lyrics easily represents the finest collection of illustrations associated with McCartney's life and work. And it's beautifully rendered, to boot. Drop-dead gorgeous as books go, The Lyrics rivals the finest art imprints."
― Kenneth Womack, Salon

"With a gravity, reverence and sense of occasion that hasn't been seen since the Levites rolled out the Ark of the Covenant, the complete lyrics of Paul McCartney are published at last."
― John Walsh, Sunday Times

"An unparalleled look at [McCartney's] creativity process... The breadth of his influences is astonishing."
― Jordan Runtagh, People

About the Author

Born in Liverpool in 1942, Paul McCartney was raised in the city and educated at the Liverpool Institute. Since writing his first song at fourteen, McCartney has dreamed and dared to be different. He lives in England.

Paul Muldoon is the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of fourteen full-length collections of poetry, including Howdie-Skelp.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Norton (November 2, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 960 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 163149256X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1631492563
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.6 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 3.1 x 10.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:

About the author

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Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney

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Since writing his first song at the age of 14, Paul McCartney’s career has been impossibly prolific and singularly influential. In the 1960s, Paul changed the world forever with The Beatles. He didn’t stop there, and has continued to push boundaries, as a solo artist, with Wings, and collaborating with numerous world-renowned artists. He has received 18 Grammys, and in 1996 was knighted by H.M. The Queen for his services to music.

Paul is a dedicated philanthropist, passionately advocating for many causes including animal rights and environmental issues. He's also a very proud grandfather.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
3,994 global ratings
Wonderful Nostalgic and Creative Process Book
5 Stars
Wonderful Nostalgic and Creative Process Book
When I heard Paul McCartney talking about this book on an interview, I knew I had to buy it for my husband, Eric, for his birthday. I went to Amazon Prime (the source of all things good and bookish) and ordered it. It arrived in plenty of time for his birthday, and he absolutely loves it. He has a two hour commute each day and loves listening to The Beatles Channel on Sirius XM, so I'm now looking for an audio version, so he can listen to it on that long drive.It's not cheap, but well worth the cost, and beautifully bound. This is a gift I know we will be able to hand down for many generations.Photo is of Eric with two of our sons, Matt and David.
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Top reviews from the United States

William D Berne
5.0 out of 5 stars Is the the same Paul McCartney I was already introduced to?
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
Paul, once again. The same Paul in the other book I purchased at the same time. 'How the Beatles Knew'. Paul, effervescent, friendly, searching and busy discovering himself through song. And how did he do it? Well, according to one authority, he moved in with the Ashers and experimented with mind altering drugs. LSD was legal at the time, Paul saw it as an opportunity to discover himself through the mind-altered state. So he did, and this book, 'The Lyrics', show what it is that Paul discovered while consuming various amounts of the psychedelic drug LSD.

While in the mind altered state he discovered himself, deeply searching his self, his measure, his truth to become the lyricist of the CENTURY. All the while, while doing that, exclaiming GREAT claim to the psychedelic drug LSD. Want proof of his success? Buy the book, 'The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present' and you will find out for yourself.

I am sure, very sure that such CREATIVE issue as Paul produced will ever appear again. Look at those gifts as special and unique and not likely to repeated. After all you need certain conditions to create one. A Paul, LSD and the Ashers. I find it unlikely that all three conditions will ever again appear. So like it or not. You want to enjoy the success, the greatness in life, liberty and music. Now's you chance. Why don't you do what I did. Purchase both books: 'How the Beatles Knew' and 'The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present'. You will get a more complete story. Between both, it is not only a great education, it's an enlightenment.
2 people found this helpful
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Dean
5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you always wanted to know about Sir Paul
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2022
Verified Purchase
In some reviews, it has been said that 'The Lyrics' is the closest, that Mr. McCartney will ever come to releasing an autobiography. That might be true. While some people might be disappointed that their favorite Sir Paul tunes aren't talked about the the book, there are over 150+ that are. When you think about his work with the Beatles, Wings, and his solo career, that's a lot of music to cover. The songs are presented alphabetically, instead of chronologically, so that upset readers initially. I personally think, it's easier to find songs, alphabetically, because you may not remember when a song was released. There are many never before seen photos in the book, and that is always a welcome sight. I did hesitate purchasing the book, because of the price. It does have 2 parts to it, and almost 1,000 pages, so you know a lot of work and research went into putting it together. I'm glad Paul is still releasing new music, and always look forward to his next project. If you are a Beatles or Wings fan, or any of his solo work, this is a major accomplishment from a major artist, singer and songwriter. Highly Recommended!
3 people found this helpful
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Shannon
5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful book
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2024
Verified Purchase
A beautiful book inside and out. A coffee table book that is also beautiful to have out on display. Go Paul!
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chris adsit
5.0 out of 5 stars Stories on all Pauls songs
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024
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Great book for all Beatles fans
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Happy
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024
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Happy
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CSayers77
5.0 out of 5 stars A giant, informative index of songs
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
Love it! Got another one for my dad’s upcoming birthday - A huge Beatles fan. But book is two volumes, each song listed from A-K, then L-Z. There’s tons of pictures, plus a few pages of stories which are centered around each song. A great collectible for Paul fans!
4 people found this helpful
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Kathy B
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent goft
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024
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I purchased this as a gift for my husband who has been a lifelong Beatles fan. This he will cherish. Very nice books to collect
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megardels
5.0 out of 5 stars Birthday Gift
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2024
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Our son loved this gift. Great quality,
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Top reviews from other countries

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Matheus Marcos Maus
5.0 out of 5 stars O que dizer? IN-CRÍ-VEL!
Reviewed in Brazil on November 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
Nesta coletânea o Sir Paul McCartney usa suas músicas desde os Beatles que vão até sua carreira solo para contar sua trajetória de músico, com isso posso afirmar que é uma biografia através da história de suas músicas.

Cada música tem imagens, a história por trás, como surgiu a letra ou o que o motivou a escrevê-la, como também a letra na íntegra. Algumas ainda contam com imagem dos rascunhos e trechos das partituras.

Esta é uma obra incrível para qualquer fã dos Beatles, do Sir Paul McCartney, como pra qualquer amante da música e de sua história.

Não tem como não gostar!
2 people found this helpful
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Bryan Gleeson
5.0 out of 5 stars Best of all McCartney books
Reviewed in Canada on August 4, 2022
Verified Purchase
Love this book. I have always been a McCartney fan and to be able to look up the song and read about it is great. I really like the pictures of the hand written lyrics and pictures throughout the book. The accompanying stories are great too.
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Balo
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastico !!!
Reviewed in Mexico on December 21, 2021
Verified Purchase
McCartney se caracteriza por entregarnos artículos impresos de alta manufactura, este no es la excepción y todo lo contrario nos presenta un articulo de gran calidad.

Nos presenta un poco de las historias de cada canción que enlista acompañada de fotos de su archivo personal.

Un viaje de 1956 a la fecha ...
2 people found this helpful
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Fred Monneron
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabuleux !
Reviewed in France on February 20, 2022
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Génial pour tout fan de McCartney et des Beatles
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denisa
5.0 out of 5 stars Kann man 10 Sterne geben und warum nicht?
Reviewed in Germany on December 8, 2021
Verified Purchase
Also, an alle Beatles Fans: GO, kaufen!!!
Lyrics von allen Songs. Kommt im Schuber, zwei Volumen, wunderschön, der Inhalt erst?!? Zu jedem Song ein Kommentar von Sir Paul wie was wann warum entstanden ist—wirklich alle Songs, auch die mit John geschriebenen, Wings auch. Ich habe es heute bekommen und bin vermutlich ne Woche beschäftigt. Sooo dick. Ein Traum! Wer das auf deutsch kauft kommt ggf m.M.n. nach unten dann wenn es soweit ist übrigens. Mein Typ wollte es mir zu Weihnachten schenken, Pustekuchen, lieferbar ab Januar. Ich würde es sofort mindestens noch zwei Mal kaufen, für meinen Papa und für mich zur Not.
Korrektur: es fehlen Lieder 😢, angeblich 154 da, „in my life“ zb ist nicht dabei—meckern auf sehr hohem Niveau
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denisa
5.0 out of 5 stars Kann man 10 Sterne geben und warum nicht?
Reviewed in Germany on December 8, 2021
Also, an alle Beatles Fans: GO, kaufen!!!
Lyrics von allen Songs. Kommt im Schuber, zwei Volumen, wunderschön, der Inhalt erst?!? Zu jedem Song ein Kommentar von Sir Paul wie was wann warum entstanden ist—wirklich alle Songs, auch die mit John geschriebenen, Wings auch. Ich habe es heute bekommen und bin vermutlich ne Woche beschäftigt. Sooo dick. Ein Traum! Wer das auf deutsch kauft kommt ggf m.M.n. nach unten dann wenn es soweit ist übrigens. Mein Typ wollte es mir zu Weihnachten schenken, Pustekuchen, lieferbar ab Januar. Ich würde es sofort mindestens noch zwei Mal kaufen, für meinen Papa und für mich zur Not.
Korrektur: es fehlen Lieder 😢, angeblich 154 da, „in my life“ zb ist nicht dabei—meckern auf sehr hohem Niveau
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