(Credits: Linda McCartney)
Sun 26 May 2024 16:00, UK
The Beatles never adhered to strict rules about who sang which songs. While the songwriters usually decided on the vocals and the track’s sound, it wasn’t uncommon for John Lennon to sing a Paul McCartney song or for George Harrison to receive help from ‘The Nerk Twins’. After Lennon’s death, McCartney felt a strong urge to honor his old friend whenever possible, but he never dared to perform ‘Imagine’.
Once The Beatles disbanded, Lennon and McCartney pursued different paths. Their separation widened further when Allen Klein entered the picture, but that didn’t stop them from channeling their personal emotions into their music. McCartney may have maintained a brave face on albums like RAM, but Lennon had more to express.
After becoming one of the most recognizable faces on the planet, Lennon decided to take some time to work on himself while creating Plastic Ono Band. Having found his inner peace, ‘Imagine’ was his way of sharing that message with the world, asking people to envision a world where everyone lives as one.
Although Lennon admitted that ‘Imagine’ was a sugar-coated take on his political beliefs, it resonated deeply with the public. To them, it was a simple song about treating each other better. However, McCartney insisted he would never perform the song live.
During a tour in 1990, McCartney wanted to commemorate Lennon on what would have been his 50th birthday. He considered a major tribute but decided against performing ‘Imagine’. He told Rolling Stone, “There’s no shame in doing these songs. In fact, I considered doing a major tribute to John… But then people started saying, ‘Why don’t you do ‘Imagine’?’ And I thought, ‘Fucking hell, Diana Ross does ‘Imagine’. They all do ‘Imagine’. That’s when I backed off the whole thing.”
That didn’t mean he couldn’t still pay tribute to his friend in other ways. During his regular touring setlist, McCartney often created a medley of different Lennon songs to honor his friend, including bits of ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ and ending with ‘Give Peace a Chance’.
Even today, McCartney isn’t afraid to include a few Beatles surprises in his setlist. While there are old favorites like ‘Hey Jude’, McCartney often throws in deep cuts like Lennon’s ‘Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite’, which sometimes trips him up when trying to play it in time.
Regardless of how he chooses to pay tribute to his friend now, McCartney has never sounded more reverent of Lennon than on his own song ‘Here Today’. Compared to the thousands of tribute songs throughout history, McCartney captured an entire relationship of memories within three minutes. Every time he plays that tune, it feels like the spirit of Lennon is listening along with all of us.
