"John and I used to hitch-hike places together, it was something that we did together quite a lot; cementing our friendship, getting to know our feelings, our dreams, our ambitions together. It was a very wonderful period. I look back on it with great fondness. I particularly remember John and I would be squeezed in our little single bed..." ---Paul McCartney, (Many Years From Now)
I'm going to have to be buzzkill but I promise itās in the name of love and truth and beauty.
This looks to me like John's "exciting new offer" button he wore throughout the July 1967 Greece trip, which is a very similar color. You can see him wearing it on his jacket and pinned on his hat:
At one point Paul got ahold of the hat, as seen in the Anthology director's cut:
I couldn't find any pictures of John wearing The Love of My Life button, but in my quest for button pics I found other instances of Paul wearing the LOML button throughout 1967. Paulās special button!!!!
You're John Lennon and you're listening to ram for the first time. You're already pretty worked up because the album started with 3 diss tracks definitely aimed at you: "Too Many People", "3 Legs" and "Dear Boy". They left a strong impression on you but because it's the first time you're hearing them you have already half-forgotten what they sounded like except for some poignant lyrics. To say they left you feeling agitated is a euphemism.
Ram feels like a rollercoaster that just won't stop, it keeps leaving you disoriented with every new song, every unexpected turn Paul decides to take. It's an onslaught of information, sounds and lyrics and God damnit it sounds incredible (you're never going to admit that though. Except for maybe that song that went "hands across the water". You really liked that one. Is it because it sounded like Paul was imitating your voice/ songs?).
By the way, just why aren't the lyrics printed? It's as if Paul is forcing you to carefully listen to each word he's saying and because of this you're forced to absorb both the lyrics and the music at the same time without knowing what's coming next. It's infuriating, especially because you know there are secret messages sprinkled throughout the songs and it's already becoming clear that you're going to listen to this album again and again to pin down every single coded message Paul has expertly woven into this album.
This whole experience is making your hackles rise, because you've never been on the receiving end of Paul's cryptic songs quite like this. You've always been in the studio with him or in the same room while he was composing and, yeah, there had been McCartney but that was clearly Paul messing around and trying to get by, there wasn't a real effort to get under your skin, not like what he's doing with this new album. You're feeling like you're just another member of Paul's audience, a fan listening to his work for the first time and also like Paul's primary addressee at the same time, it's confusing and it's driving you mad.
You're halfway through the album. "Heart of the country" has just finished playing. A nice little tune that still managed to piss you off because you're still angry that Paul retired to freaking Scotland and then refused to see you for 6 months despite all the olive branches you extended, including one very poignant song (ahem, instant karma! The message was there even though it was a very angry and frustrated one "Come and join the human race" "why on earth are you there?").
It sounds like he's having fun up there. The amount of mixed feelings this thought brings is staggering. However, you don't have the time to dwell on them for too long because you're immediately slapped in the face by the honky-tonk piano and the jangling guitars of the next track: "monkberry moon delight". The tone clash of this song compared to the previous one leaves you reeling a little bit, you already knew that Paul was taking you in unexpected directions but the disorientation you feel is still quite significant. You haven't fully regained your wits when Paul starts attacking you with his potent, unhinged lead vocal.
So I sat in the attic, a piano up my nose
And the wind played a dreadful cantata (cantata, cantata)
Sore was I from a crack of an enemy's hose
And the horrible sound of tomato (tomato, tomato)
You're listening closely because you're forced to and you're immediately struck by the fact that Paul is leaning heavily into absurdism here. What do these lyrics mean? One thing you've learned from this album is that the more cryptic the lyrics get, the higher is the probability that they're aimed at you. You're going to pore over this song later, you already know it.
It sounds like Paul is having a bad time trying to create music in his attic. Are you the enemy that gave him pain? Possibly. Plastic Ono Band came out 6 months ago and you didn't pull any punches, especially with the song "God". You wanted it to hurt. You're still mad that Paul decided to drive you crazy with this album in return though.
Ketchup (ketchup)
Soup and puree (soup and puree)
Don't get left behind (get left behind)
Ketchup (ketchup)
Soup and puree (soup and puree)
Don't get left behind
(Don't get left behind, don't get left behind, don't get left behind)
You really wonder what he's saying here. Is it "catch up" or "ketchup"? He did mention a tomato earlier. You're unsure and you're angry because Paul didn't print the damn lyrics. "Don't get left behind" is it aimed at you? You're unsure. It could be Paul talking to himself, his worries taking over. You did make a solid debut as a solo artist with Plastic Ono Band and George had one too with All Things Must Pass. Paul's album was destroyed by the critics, it's probably only natural for him to obsess over not being left behind, trying to create something impressive to catch up with the other Beatles. You still itch to make the verse about yourself though.
When a rattle of rats had awoken
The sinews, the nerves and the veins
My piano was boldly outspoken
And attempts to repeat his refrain
"Rats" is he talking about you? No, alright, you need to calm down, you're already worked up and that isn't doing you any good. It's hard though because you're listening to ram, the new album by Paul McCartney, your ex-husband everywhere that counts except on paper (actually, maybe on there too: Lennon/McCartney); he's an insane genius of a musician and even though that is the reason why you fell for him in the first place, now the scope of his calculated anger and frustration is directed at you and analyzing the situation rationally requires a certain type of cool headedness that you have rarely possessed.
You take a deep breath while Paul carries on with his frankly impressive vocal performance. Maybe he's not attacking you here. It's more likely he's talking about the press. They've always been rats, always getting on your nerves and they've been particularly terrible to one specific singer-farmer recently. "Attempts to repeat his refrain" so Paul has realized that he needs to make a serious album. It pisses you off to admit this but that's exactly what he's been demonstrating with his latest creation so far. Ram is quite remarkable indeed. The word "attempt" catches your attention. It betrays a feeling of insecurity. To think that Paul could feel weak and insecure at this time seems laughable because you're feeling weak and insecure and when you feel that way Paul must surely feel strong. He did say it though. You don't dwell on these thoughts for long though because Paul has finished the verse and is already launching himself into the next one.
So I stood with a knot in my stomach
And I gazed at that terrible sight
He's creating tension. Every word is pronounced in a way that leaves you on the edge of your seat. What made Paul react this way? What is he gazing at?
Of two youngsters concealed in a barrel
Sucking monkberry moon delight
You let out a sharp breath. Your eyes snap wide open, your eyebrows climb up to your hairline. You stare at the record player but you're not actually looking at it. You're looking through it, trying to reach Paul because, what did he just say? Your gaze hardens, your eyebrows furrow, your lips form a straight taut line, your teeth clench.
You know exactly what he means with this line. You were right to feel wary when the song first started because this is just outrageous. These lyrics seem specifically designed to drive you insane.
The word "sucking", pronounced so clearly, gave it away immediately. Paul is talking about oral sex, and not just any oral sex he may have had in his life; he's talking about the one he had with you. "Two youngsters concealed in a barrel" two teenagers hiding and having their way with each other. "Concealed" because whatever they did, even if it were some innocent hand holding, had to be done in secret, hidden away. And Paul put it into a song. Shock and anger rush through you in equal amounts and the repeated "monkberry moon delight" that follow the verse don't help you calm down because they feel like taunts.
Maybe you jumped the gun with this interpretation but you're pretty sure you didn't. You know Paul and you know that he loves adding double meanings to his songs and if this is a song directed at you, which it very well might be considering everything that came before, then this is a double meaning only you will be able to catch. It's particularly maddening because if you're right you may want to talk to someone about what you uncovered but you'll be forced to stay silent because acknowledging this line and what it actually means is not something you can do. It would reveal everything you and Paul have worked so hard to conceal, all the sacrifices you made, even ruining the best thing that ever happened to you. No, you'll be forced to keep your mouth shut about it and go slightly insane while doing it.
The song is not even done.
Well, I know my banana is older than the rest
You're still fuming because of the previous lines when a startled laugh escapes you. "Banana" clearly calls a certain explicit image to the mind. It is true that Paul is getting older, that you're getting older.
And my hair is a tangled beretta (beretta, beretta)
And when I leave my pyjamas to Billy Budapest
And I don't get the gist of your letter (your letter, your letter)
This seals it. The song is directed at you. You and the angry letters you've been exchanging with Paul. Also "don't get the gist"? Of course he did, he's Paul, he knows you like no other. How could he not get it?
Catch up (catch up)
Cats and kittens (cats and kittens)
Don't get left behind (get left behind)
Catch up (catch up)
Cats and kittens (cats and kittens)
Don't get left behind
(Don't get left behind, don't get left behind, don't get left behind)
More of the same catch up, don't get left behind business. What's up with the cats and kittens? You frown but then you realize something. Maybe he wanted to make his daughters laugh. You still remember how Heather went on and on about kittens during the get back sessions, even though that seems so long ago now.
Monkberry moon delight (x20)
Is this what a descent into madness feels like? Now you're certain that he's talking about you, taunting you. He's reminding you of what you once had, what you once shared and it's frustrating you like nothing else could.
Paul really let himself go here, he's shrieking, wailing, he's all over the place and it all feels like a direct attack against you. You stare at your record player in complete outrage and yet still taken by his performance. You knew the man could scream but this is just crazy.
You feel jittery, Paul's vocals are making you want to get to your feet, jump, just do something with your body. So you do. You stand up and start to pace back and forth, just a couple of steps at a time before turning back around because you still can't stop staring at your record player, because Paul is insane. And as if the repeated "monkberry moon delight" wasn't enough he starts moaning. It makes you stop in your tracks and clench your teeth so hard you can feel a slight crack but you really don't care because what the hell? Is he serious? Is he actually simulating an orgasm? Your breathing comes out harsh and unsteady, heat is rushing through your veins and you're not sure whether it's entirely because of anger anymore.
The monkberry moon delight that comes after "what is it?" is too much, you tear your gaze away from your record player and pick up your pacing again only this time it takes up the entire room while profanities escape your lips. You know you look like a caged animal but you don't care because Paul just did that and it's too soon for your brain to form an adequate and calm response.
"Whoo" exhales Paul and you immediately turn around and glare at the record as if it were Paul himself. You shouldn't have because a new screamed "monkberry moon delight" hits you square in the chest and the squirming feeling makes its comeback.
The song ends and you're panting, rooted to the place and shaking slightly. You can't believe the nerve of the man.
The album is not done though and when you reach the end of the next track, "Eat At Home," you feel hysterical, because there's no way Paul is singing about Linda and "eating at home" right after he just screamed his head off on the same topic, only with regard to the opposite gender (you). But then again, of course he would.
The "her" in question is Jane, this verse sets up the fact that Paul is in love with her, he tells us that he's giving her all his love, that she's beautiful and that he loves her. He's being absolute here, it's a full on declaration.
He sounds frustrated though. "That's all I do" it's like he's complaining to the listener. Time and time again he's demonstrated his love for her but maybe she doesn't feel like Paul is doing enough?
"And if you saw my love, you'd love her too" this touches on the fact that Jane is an actress, a beloved one at that. They make the perfect couple. There's a weight to that sentence though that feels like is getting heavier by the minute. There is a feeling of dread. It's like we're expecting a "but".
She gives me everything
And tenderly
The kiss my lover brings
She brings to me
And I love her
She's amazing, she gives him everything, tenderly "The kiss my lover brings she brings to me" could be an allusion to sex, or a metaphor for Jane showering Paul with love.
"And I love her" the refrain feels weird though. The word "and" has been added. It no longer sounds like a declaration, it's more like a reminder. It sounds like Paul is reminding himself of how lucky he is that he gets to be loved by someone as beautiful as Jane. But It also sounds performative. The added "and" is damning, it feels like a sigh.
A love like ours
Could never die
As long as I
Have you near me
Most important verse. Let's now analyze the pronouns "her" and "you" that we find throughout the song.
It's weird to constantly change pronouns throughout the song when talking about a singular person, it sounds unnatural. Then why is Paul first addressing Jane as "she/her" then switching to "you" then back again to "she/her"? Since he's talking about her and her only it would've been quite easy to say "I love you" and "and I love you". But he didn't. For this song to grammatically make sense Paul has to be talking about 2 different people. The people in question being Jane (her) and the mysterious "you".
The fact that "you" is someone other than Jane is cemented by the rules of basic grammar.
We have to look at the songwriting history of the song. The lyrics are entirely Paul's except for this middle eight. Paul wrote it together with John (it was suggested that the song sounded a bit too repetitive so they took to the piano and came up with this verse). I am of the belief that the mysterious "you" in this song is John. Because of this, this middle eight becomes particularly interesting.
John himself reaches into the song, becoming a part of it. This verse states that he always comes first in Paul's heart, despite what Paul was trying to previously say. This love song that was born as a declaration of love for Jane gets hijacked by the real recipient of Paul's feelings.
This middle eight sounds like John interjecting into the song, and fully at that by taking part in the writing process.
Since this is sung by Paul alone though, it also sounds like Paul is recognizing and admitting to what they wrote together.
"A love like ours could never die as long as I have you near me" they are afraid of being separated. They're young, they're scared of the distance the world is inevitably going to put between them so they find solace in this song where, because it was written by the two of them, they're as close as they can be. Intertwined into song for eternity.
Bright are the stars that shine
Dark is the sky
I know this love of mine
Will never die
And I love her
Paul is alone again, John has left him to come to his own conclusions about who he really loves, we feel this because the double tracking briefly disappears for the first time in the song. Paul's voice rings clear and true. As he gazes at the night sky he admits that the undying love he feels is not for Jane, but for John. He does this by mirroring the words used in the middle eight "A love like ours could never die" -> "I know this love of mine will never die". Paul recognizes that what he said in the middle eight, accompanied in writing by John, is the truth.
However true and timeless his love may be though, this is still a song about Jane, his girlfriend, this was born as a declaration of love to her. So, despite the magnitude of love he feels for John, he goes back to the original subject. "And I love her". It feels like resignation, the bad kind. He wants to be with John but he can't, society won't accept them. What he feels for Jane IS love but the problem is that it can't compare to what he feels for John. That's why the refrain now sounds like a lie. This feeling is even more evident when Paul sings this verse a second time. It's almost easy to picture silent tears rolling down his cheeks as the final words roll off his tongue.
And I love her
I am of the opinion that this song is about Paul's love for Jane and John. I think Paul truly loved Jane but his love for John was just something else, it overshadowed everything because it was (and still is) so deep and powerful.
*There is also something to be said about the way the lead guitar is used (thanks George for being amazing); in the second verse it gives off a feeling of unrest, almost anxiety- coincidentally this is where the refrain changes from "I love her" to "and I love her".
** The song also has an incredibly melancholic feeling to it, weird since it should be a happy declaration of love
I have something to add to this analysis, I only briefly touched upon the lyric "bright are the stars that shine, dark is the sky", but I've since then found a possible meaning to it.
"The stars" are probably John and Paul, they shine brightly because of their fame and their love for each other.
"Dark is the sky" The sky is probably society, the world they live in, it's dark, almost in an ominous way and it surrounds them completely. They're different, as stars they shine brightly but that makes them noticable, their love is at risk in the dark and unforgiving world that surrounds them.
John had come in one day and said he was leaving the Beatles. He said, "It's kind of exciting. It's like telling someone you want a divorce." But, uh, I was thinking, "What do I do now?". Because it'd been my whole life, really. You know, I've had growing up, going to school, and then becoming the Beatles. It was a puzzle I had to kind of unravel.
Paul McCartney - Man on the Run (2026)
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