Paul McCartney is asked about his favourite Lennon composition (18 November 2020).
BUXTON: Speaking of John, I have a question from Louis Theroux.
BUXTON: And he wants to know what your favourite Lennon song was, from the Beatles era.
PAUL: From the Beatles era, there’s a few. You know, they always ask you, “What’s your favourite song?” But there’s a few. “Strawberry Fields Forever” I loved. “Across The Universe” I loved. “Julia”, which is about the mum he couldn’t live with. So I loved the poignancy of that. ‘Cus I’d been with him, ‘round to Julia’s house to visit her. And I could— I knew how deeply he loved her. So, “Julia” I’d go with. And then later, from his post-Beatles work, “Beautiful Boy”, about Sean, was I think a really great song.
BUXTON: Yes, with the “Life is what happens to you / While you’re busy making other plans” line.
PAUL: You know, the boy’s no slouch! I mean, now I can look back on it and think, “God, what a lovely guy! How privileged was I to run into him, in Liverpool?” And I think we both felt the same about each other. Just a really quite chance meeting. It was through a mate of mine that I met John, but it was by chance, there was no set up. We didn’t go to the same school, but I went to the same school as the guy who introduced us. So, you know, thinking back on it, I do think, “Oh god, we were very lucky.” I was thinking the other day, actually— I thought, “I wish I just sat and hugged him, all the time we were together.” But as you know, Adam, that would probably be slightly out of line. But it’s the kind of thing you think, you know, “What about that?” But guys didn’t do that kind of thing where I’m from.
BUXTON: Yeah, maybe that’s what alcohol’s for, though.
PAUL: [Laughs] What, hugging a lot?
BUXTON: Yeah, enabling you to hug and be hugged.
PAUL: Yeah, well, I know what you mean…
BUXTON: It shouldn’t just be alcohol.
PAUL: I know what you mean. You know, what happens in later years, now looking back on it all, you just think of little things. You think, “Oh, that’s why that happened!” Or whatever. Or you may just think, “Oh, just sit around and hug him forever.” ‘Cus that’s the depth of my feeling, for him.