Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney is music. Amy hangs with the iconic musician and talks about almost becoming the coil-winding king, being a playaholic, and if he's ever smoked Monkberry Moon Delight. Host: Amy Poehler Guests: Stella McCartney and Paul McCartney Executive producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-Berman For Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, and supervising producer Joel Lovell For The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson, Aleya Zenieris, and Chris Wholers; audio producer Kaya McMullen; social producer Bridget Geerlings; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and bookers Kat Spillane and Paige Garbarini Original music: Amy Miles Brought to you by PayPal. Learn more at https://paypal.com/payin4 Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://Allstate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

• 0:00Speaker 00

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• 0:38Speaker 00

  Oh, hi there, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. Boy, we have, well, the most famous person in this studio and probably the most famous person I've ever met, Sir Paul McCartney. Paul McCartney is here, the Liverpudlian who was in The Beatles and in Wings and in our lives for our whole lives. And we, we're going to talk about a lot of great things today. We're going to talk about whether or not Paul was taller than John. We're going to talk about Paul's love of animals. We're going to discuss what makes a great breakfast and how many berries are involved. And we are going to talk about Paul's new music, Boys of Dungeon Lane, the, the re-release

• 1:22Speaker 00

  and new songs that have just recently come out, special edition. We're going to get into music in general. Of course, it is Paul McCartney. Paul McCartney is music. Before we do this, we always like to speak to somebody who knows our guest, is a fan of our guest, or in this case, is the daughter of our guest. And we are speaking today to Stella McCartney. Stella McCartney, a huge talent, fashion designer, incredible creative mind, who is just so funny and warm and witty and smart. And we got the opportunity to talk to her. And we're going to see if Stella is going to give us a good question for her dad. So Stella.

• 2:10Speaker 00

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• 2:54Speaker 00

  It is so good to talk to you. I'm sorry, we were having some technical difficulties.

• 2:57Speaker 01

  Oh, no, that's good. We were having some technical difficulties also.

• 3:01Speaker 00

  Am I speaking to you in England?

• 3:03Speaker 01

  Yes.

• 3:04Speaker 00

  Hi Stella.

• 3:05Speaker 01

  Hi, Amy. I actually like you a lot. I can't believe it took this to get us together.

• 3:11Speaker 00

  I know. I've had the pleasure of being invited and dressed by you, but I've, I've had the chance to go to many events where you have been, where we've, I've had like a very quick drive by. And every time I've gotten a chance to spend time with you, I've really wanted more because I'm such a fan of you, your work, your creativity, how you conduct yourself in the world. And it's really, really nice to talk to you today. Thank you for talking to us.

• 3:39Speaker 01

  Likewise. Wow, that was a bit serious. That freaked me out.

• 3:42Speaker 00

  Yeah, it got very serious.

• 3:43Speaker 01

  Never do that again. Never.

• 3:45Speaker 00

  I know you Brits, you Brits, you can't, one compliment and you guys get real.

• 3:50Speaker 01

  Honestly, I'm nearly, I vomited a tiny bit in my mouth then.

• 3:53Speaker 00

  Well, you know, get used to it.

• 3:54Speaker 01

  I am great. I'll take it.

• 3:56Speaker 00

  Are you in the middle of a, of a show right now? Are we, what do we?

• 4:01Speaker 01

  Perfect timing. Thanks for that. I have a show in about three days in Paris. I'm not busy at all, Amy. So, you know, with the time difference and everything, it's perfect. It's brilliant. I was kind of wondering what I'd do tonight. And this just filled, filled a hole. Filled a hole.

• 4:16Speaker 00

  What I imagine is going through your mind right now is three days to go. But at three days to go before a show, what is left to do? Is it everything?

• 4:25Speaker 01

  Pretty much. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

• 4:27Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 4:28Speaker 01

  I mean, we, we only started last night. So I've got a lot of little, actually, I've got children I'm using to help stitch some things now. They're not my own. She jokes, she jests. Obviously, I'm a sustainable, cruelty-free fashion brand.

• 4:45Speaker 00

  You grew up on a farm, right?

• 4:47Speaker 01

  I did.

• 4:48Speaker 00

  What was it like to grow up on a farm? What were your morning jobs? What did you have to do in the morning?

• 4:52Speaker 01

  Wow. Well, in Scotland with my siblings, it was normally just self-entertainment. I used to take rocks and bang them on other, and I'm not joking. I used to take rocks and I'd bang them on other rocks.

• 5:09Speaker 01

  That's about it, really. No, I, we, a lot of horse riding, but rocks on rocks.

• 5:13Speaker 00

  Yeah. And did you have to, did you, like, I'm going to admit something. This is a very like suburban city girl thing, I'm going to admit. So you might think less of me. I've never reached in under a hen to get an egg.

• 5:28Speaker 01

  Oh, I did it all the time. Yeah, yeah. And never particularly enjoyable, not really one of my, a little scary.

• 5:36Speaker 00

  I would be a little afraid to get, do you have to ask the hen to move first? Or do you?

• 5:41Speaker 01

  Bitch, yeah. Yeah. In fact, not many people know this about me, but I'm very good at impersonating chickens.

• 5:49Speaker 00

  Really? Can we hear?

• 5:58Speaker 01

  Really? I'm quite good at, I can converse with a chicken amongst many other things. Um, I, so I'm, I'm bilingual in that respect. But I did have to go out and get the eggs when I was young.

• 6:10Speaker 00

  Well, your parents were like, it just seemed like they wanted so much to create a beautiful, like peaceful and loving childhood for you. And, you know, it seemed like that's what they gave you. And I'm talking to your dad today and you've probably spent the entirety of your life having people ask you questions and talk to you about your dad. And I, I, I wonder what it is like to have to kind of share your parents with the world.

• 6:42Speaker 01

  Yeah, it, yeah, it is quite weird. I mean, I've only ever known that, to be honest. It's not like I've had another sort of experience. That is my experience. And it's definitely trippy and weird and surreal. But I think also I was brought up, it was very extremes. You know, we were on a farm. It was just the six of us and we were like in a tight, all in one room. And mum was cooking, dad was shearing sheep and writing songs. And then we were on tour, you know, with like 200,000 people screaming at your parents.

• 7:12Speaker 00

  Yeah, you all went on tour together.

• 7:14Speaker 01

  Yeah.

• 7:15Speaker 00

  Oh, how fun, how fun.

• 7:18Speaker 01

  Yeah, I was kind of angry when I was 18 because I was building friendships and I was kind of getting into the swing of my own thing. And I was like, what, really? We have to go on a world tour? But it was, it's amazing. It's, it's actually one of the most, I think the biggest privileges actually of being in my situation is being able to just truly see the world from, you know, from that perspective, just try to travel and to see so many different cultures and people. And, and also it was all very much built from love. You know, everything that my mum and dad did was like came from a place of love. But I'm also not particularly like a look at me type, if you, if you can believe it. So actually, when I went, for me, going into fashion was a more creative way of doing

• 8:01Speaker 01

  things than just standing slightly behind the kind of spot. You know, I'm not an entertainer. Wah, she says, wah.

• 8:11Speaker 01

  Imagine if I broke into song right now.

• 8:14Speaker 00

  Well, we did hear a chicken impression earlier. We did hear that impression.

• 8:17Speaker 01

  Well, let me hear your chicken. And what's your animal? Go on, I'll give you, I'll be kind. What's your best animal?

• 8:23Speaker 00

  I don't know. I don't know.

• 8:25Speaker 01

  Shut up. Everyone knows their best animal. Jesus.

• 8:27Speaker 00

  I don't, my best animal. Okay, you know what? Okay, I'm going to, I'm going to try a cat for you.

• 8:33Speaker 01

  Wait, is this the first time you've ever impersonated a cat?

• 8:37Speaker 00

  In public, yes.

• 8:38Speaker 01

  Wow, okay. Well, you're welcome, viewers.

• 8:42Speaker 00

  Yeah. And here's how I feel about cats. They're fine. I don't love them. I don't hate them, of course.

• 8:48Speaker 01

  That's a cat at the door. Wait a minute.

• 8:50Speaker 00

  All right, here we go.

• 8:51Speaker 01

  Okay, go.

• 8:59Speaker 01

  The beginning was very good.

• 9:01Speaker 00

  I think people are laughing because it's so good.

• 9:05Speaker 00

  But you bring up something that I think is very interesting. A lot of people that have public facing jobs are actually kind of secretly introverted. People would probably be surprised to hear that you consider yourself at times introverted.

• 9:18Speaker 01

  I mean, I don't think, I wouldn't say I'm introverted. That's going a little far. I'm just not, I, look, my example of an extrovert is a Paul McCartney. So it's not like, oh, I'm an introvert. I mean, I'm not, compared to him, I'm an introvert. You know, I grew up with, around SNL comedians. So I'm, you know, some of those, as you know better than anything, are extro and others really aren't, but they're still performers.

• 9:41Speaker 00

  Yeah. You know, I, I want to talk to your dad about that because he's around SNL all the time. I mean, he's basically.

• 9:46Speaker 01

  I can't get rid of them. I'm like, again? Really? Jesus, play hard to get a little bit. No, I am, I actually went to the one, the end of last season. It was great. It was really good fun with Will Ferrell. So he had Will on. I was like, I am coming because of, and I saw Will on your show. You guys were brilliant. And I was like, Dad, and on the way over there, I was, I was talking, I said, Dad, you please tell me you're going to like get Will on and to do the cowbell. And he was like, what cowbell? I'm like, what? What cow, like, you know, the cowbell sketch. Anyway, so then he did, but then he got Will to do cowbell.

• 10:21Speaker 00

  He did.

• 10:22Speaker 01

  Again, you're welcome.

• 10:23Speaker 00

  Thank you, Stella.

• 10:24Speaker 01

  He didn't really give me credit, which is annoying.

• 10:29Speaker 00

  Well, I mean, I want to talk to him about Lauren and that relationship at SNL because you're right. I mean, he was around a lot and their affection for each other is very sweet. Like, they, you know, I mean, honestly, you know, you get to a point in life where you become, you know, you're friends with people for 40, 50, 60 years, and there's so much history there. And it's really sweet to hear them talk about each other.

• 10:54Speaker 01

  They are very, very good old friends, actually. I mean, they do yoga. You've heard about yoga boys, right?

• 10:59Speaker 00

  I like that you call them yoga boys.

• 11:01Speaker 01

  They're the yoga boys. They call themselves the yoga boys. Honest to God. Actually, no, I must get them t-shirts for Christmas. Yoga boys. Not even yoga men. Yoga boys.

• 11:12Speaker 00

  Yes, because they're always learning. They're in a beginner's mind.

• 11:16Speaker 01

  Childlike, for sure.

• 11:18Speaker 00

  So, what is a question I should ask him? Like, anything, like a story that he would want to tell, or something you still don't know about him, or anything you think I should not talk to him about? That's always helpful, too.

• 11:38Speaker 01

  No, he's pretty, he's pretty approachable, I would say. Yeah, I mean, I can think of things that you shouldn't ask him, but you won't ask him those. And if you do, it'll be hilarious to watch. I'm just going to watch that unfold, quite frankly. I've got two questions. Am I allowed two questions?

• 11:54Speaker 00

  Yes, of course.

• 11:55Speaker 01

  The first one, I think, is, is, I guess I just want to kind of start by saying, you know, my dad is truly a living legend. Like, he really is an absolute icon. He's inspired so many generations of so many people. And his impact on, you know, planet Earth has been just gigantic. Like, he continues to just give and give and give. And I think he does that through lyrics, you know. So, one thing, before my question, I just wanted to read out some of my favorite and, like, you know, most meaningful lyrics by him. So,

• 12:35Speaker 01

  so I sat in the attic, a piano up my nose, and the wind played a dreadful cantata. Cantata, cantata. Saw was I from a crack of an enemy's hose, and the horrible sound of tomato, tomato, tomato. Ketchup, ketchup. Soup and puree, soup and puree. Don't get left behind, don't get left behind. Ketchup, ketchup. Soup and puree, soup and puree. Don't get left behind. Now, it continues. It continues, if you want a little more. My piano was boldly outspoken in attempts to repeat his refrain, so I stood with a knot in my stomach and I gazed at

• 13:19Speaker 01

  that terrible sight of two youngsters concealed in a barrel, smoking Monkberry Moon Delight. So, my first question, I think, for my father is, have you ever smoked Monkberry Moon Delight? And what is it?

• 13:37Speaker 00

  Fantastic question.

• 13:38Speaker 01

  It's from my favorite album.

• 13:39Speaker 00

  From Ram.

• 13:40Speaker 01

  Which actually is my mom and dad.

• 13:42Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 13:43Speaker 01

  I think my mom shared in those lyrics, actually. I think she can take a bit of credit there, too. It's called Monkberry Moon Delight.

• 13:49Speaker 00

  Great.

• 13:50Speaker 01

  And it does go on. And in fact, there's a bit about cats and kittens there, and it's a good one. So, that's probably my first question. Has he ever smoked Monkberry Moon Delight? And what the fuck do those lyrics mean? So, that's my first question.

• 14:07Speaker 00

  Okay, great.

• 14:08Speaker 01

  What is that about? My other question, which is serious, which actually, I asked my dad this the other day, and I, and I want to see how he answers it to you, because I was really surprised by the answer, like, really surprised. And so, this is my gift to you, this question, which is, what is your first memory, Dad?

• 14:26Speaker 00

  Ah, beautiful.

• 14:28Speaker 01

  And I really want to know what he answers to you, because I was like, wow, that's great.

• 14:33Speaker 00

  What a great question to ask someone. I think your dad will be very happy that we talked, because I hope he feels like I've gotten some good advice.

• 14:41Speaker 01

  I love that you asked me. It was, I feel very honored. Like, on a serious, seriously, I feel very, very honored that you asked me, because you, let's face it, you could have asked anyone to ask Paul McCartney a question, and everyone would have said yes. Actually, that's amazing you asked me, Amy. Thank you.

• 14:55Speaker 00

  Of course. Thank you for doing it. And we'd love to get you into the stewed. I have not had a designer, and I feel like I would-

• 15:03Speaker 01

  Welcome.

• 15:04Speaker 00

  Okay, great. Good.

• 15:06Speaker 01

  And good luck with Dad. I hope those questions are okay.

• 15:08Speaker 00

  They're perfect.

• 15:10Speaker 01

  Well, much love to you, darling, and take care. Thank you for having me.

• 15:13Speaker 00

  Thanks so much for doing it. Bye, Stella. Great to see you. Thanks again.

• 15:17Speaker 01

  Bye.

• 15:18Speaker 00

  Bye, honey.

• 15:18Speaker 01

  Thank you.

• 15:21Speaker 00

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• 15:54Speaker 00

  Hi, Paul.

• 15:55Speaker 02

  Hey, Amy.

• 15:57Speaker 00

  Do you get this a lot, where people are kind of nervous around you, and you feel the energy, and you have to figure out how to make them feel less nervous? Like, that must be a thing you're used to.

• 16:07Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 16:08Speaker 00

  Do you have a trick?

• 16:08Speaker 02

  No, exactly, yeah. Trick, I don't know, just to kind of be normal.

• 16:13Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 16:14Speaker 02

  You know, I was lucky. I was one of those guys, I grew up with a kind of very normal family.

• 16:19Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 16:20Speaker 02

  You know, it was one of those families where you get past the baby.

• 16:22Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 16:23Speaker 02

  And so, whereas I know some people, when they grow up, like, and they have a baby, they're like, really scared of it. It's like, oh, no, you know. So, so that, I think, I just use that.

• 16:37Speaker 00

  It's so funny you say that, because of the many things I want to talk to you about today. You seem very comfortable around babies.

• 16:42Speaker 02

  Yeah, I think so.

• 16:45Speaker 00

  Because that iconic photo of you, I think, with Mary in your jacket, that was so ahead of its time. Like, you, a man, carrying a baby. You just never saw it. Never saw it.

• 16:57Speaker 02

  I mean, that was just how we used to do it, you know. I used to go riding with her like that.

• 17:02Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 17:02Speaker 02

  On the horse. But, yeah.

• 17:06Speaker 00

  I mean, the 70s.

• 17:07Speaker 02

  Well, she's now a mother of four boys.

• 17:10Speaker 00

  Oh, man, she's busy.

• 17:11Speaker 02

  That little baby in my jacket.

• 17:12Speaker 00

  Oh, okay. Well, Paul McCartney is here. You have such a wild life and timeline that is kind of like intimidating to talk to for just an hour and a half. So, if you'll bear with me, I'll probably jump around a lot.

• 17:24Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm.

• 17:25Speaker 00

  Okay. And the reason why is because I have this theory that you're a bit of a time traveler, I think. Do you believe in time travel?

• 17:33Speaker 02

  No.

• 17:34Speaker 00

  Oh, well, then forget my theory.

• 17:36Speaker 02

  Do you?

• 17:36Speaker 00

  A little bit. I feel like sometimes I wasn't the age that I was. I felt older or younger.

• 17:41Speaker 02

  You can see someone about that, Amy. There's people-

• 17:47Speaker 00

  There's professionals.

• 17:48Speaker 02

  The people to talk to. No, no, I kind of know what you mean.

• 17:52Speaker 00

  Yeah, like, I mean, I felt like, I feel like you're, I don't know, you seem, you seemed, when you were young, that you were older, if that makes any sense.

• 18:03Speaker 02

  No, it does, really. And I used to look at the lyrics of "Yesterday." "I'm not half the man I used to be." Suddenly, "I'm not half the man I used to be." Well, I was like, 21, so half the man would put me in like, about 10 and a half.

• 18:20Speaker 00

  You were writing "When I'm 64," when you were 20-something.

• 18:23Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 18:23Speaker 00

  And you, and you, you know, were considered retired at 27, when the Beatles, like, I guess, I'm interested in this idea of, do you feel like you're an age, do you feel like there's an age that you are? Do you feel like there's an age you feel?

• 18:39Speaker 02

  I kind of, I think, like a lot of people, I mean, you sort of feel like you stop at about 25.

• 18:47Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 18:48Speaker 02

  So, I'm 25.

• 18:49Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 18:50Speaker 02

  In my head.

• 18:51Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 18:52Speaker 02

  You know, then I look in America, no, you're not.

• 18:55Speaker 00

  Yeah, me too. I feel this-

• 18:56Speaker 02

  You're old.

• 18:57Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 18:58Speaker 02

  But, yeah, no, I like that. I mean, we, in The Beatles, we used to have this sort of thing, whenever there was like, a question about a piece of music, or something to do, whether we go on tour or whatever, and we couldn't figure out the answer, we'd say, what would we have thought when we were 17? What would that guy have said? "We're not doing it." You know, because that guy wouldn't have let us do it.

• 19:26Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 19:27Speaker 02

  And as we grow up, we kind of go, okay, we'll do it. But it was better to listen to the 17-year-old.

• 19:33Speaker 00

  Because that 17-year-old was more definitive, like, more like yes and no, like, more black and white?

• 19:38Speaker 02

  I think he was just more sensible, and, and less, you know, less jaded by the world.

• 19:46Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 19:47Speaker 02

  He'd kind of say, "That's a terrible jacket."

• 19:49Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 19:50Speaker 02

  You know, whereas I would kind of, you know, later, or maybe now, I'd sort of say, "Yeah, it's a nice jacket," or lying through my teeth.

• 20:01Speaker 00

  Totally.

• 20:02Speaker 02

  He wouldn't do that.

• 20:03Speaker 00

  You're right, because I think we give a lot of, like, credence to the fact that when you get older, you get very wise, and you have all this experience. But you're right, we do forget the, like, strong, truthful opinions that we have when we're young.

• 20:16Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 20:17Speaker 00

  I mean, I've, I still kind of can't believe, Paul, that The Beatles broke up when you were 27. You were only together for eight years. You made 13 albums. Those numbers are just really wild. It felt like when you were making music as a young person, it was like, you, you knew you were only going to be making music with this band for that long, is how it felt.

• 20:41Speaker 02

  Yeah, I don't think we knew it, but I think we, we didn't expect to, to go on for long.

• 20:48Speaker 00

  Right.

• 20:49Speaker 02

  Because people didn't.

• 20:51Speaker 00

  Right.

• 20:51Speaker 02

  You know, in this sort of rock and roll world.

• 20:53Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 20:54Speaker 02

  It was like, you know, five years, top whack.

• 20:57Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 20:59Speaker 02

  But then after five years, it was like, oh, no, we're done. We're doing Sergeant Pepper.

• 21:03Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 21:04Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah, we could probably keep going.

• 21:06Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 21:07Speaker 02

  And then, you know, we sort of did the White Album, or whatever.

• 21:10Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 21:11Speaker 02

  And then I did Wings, and kept going.

• 21:14Speaker 00

  Yeah. And, and it is really interesting to talk to you, because you're somebody that people feel like they know a lot about. And they feel, you know, you have been in their lives in a million different ways. I know you've been in mine my whole life. And in many ways, Paul, you kind of represent music. Like, you represent songs. Like, if songs were a person, and we had to go, if we had to go into space, and we had to bring one person to represent songs to the aliens, we would push you to the front.

• 21:48Speaker 02

  Yeah. Here he is.

• 21:53Speaker 02

  Well, thank you.

• 21:57Speaker 02

  When are we leaving?

• 21:58Speaker 00

  Yeah, exactly.

• 21:59Speaker 02

  Let's go.

• 22:00Speaker 00

  Okay, so I loved Morgan Neville's doc, Man on the Run.

• 22:04Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 22:04Speaker 00

  A beautiful doc.

• 22:05Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 22:06Speaker 00

  Did you like it?

• 22:07Speaker 02

  Yeah, I do, yeah. I mean, when he showed it to me first off, I said, there's a few embarrassing bits. Should we take them out?

• 22:18Speaker 00

  Fun. What was embarrassing?

• 22:19Speaker 02

  I didn't realize that the farm we lived on was like so rundown.

• 22:26Speaker 02

  It's a tip. You know, we were in love and we had a new baby and it was all great. And I was, you know, I could fix it up.

• 22:36Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 22:36Speaker 02

  No problem. I'll make a table. You know, it was that kind of thing. So I didn't notice. When you see it in the film, it's like, you lived there?

• 22:46Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 22:47Speaker 02

  And you had some money?

• 22:49Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 22:49Speaker 02

  You chose to live in that. So that was a little bit embarrassing. I don't know. Sometimes, I don't know about you. Sometimes I don't bother to think things through too seriously.

• 23:02Speaker 00

  Well, that is always what we learn about you. There's so many things that I appreciate about you as an artist. One is you have a sense of humor about yourself and your work, which is a sign, not only of intelligence, but it just, it allows us to enjoy it in many different kinds of ways, which is so nice. And also, you really let us into your process. You know, a lot of people like to keep people out of process because it keeps them mysterious or something. And I always felt like watching you work made me feel like I could write a song. It always made me feel connected to music. And that documentary does that. It shows process. Peter Jackson's documentary, like the idea of process. And I love what you say about your work.

• 23:47Speaker 00

  When asked if you were a workaholic or you consider yourself one, you say, well, you don't work music. What do you say in response to that?

• 23:54Speaker 02

  That's right. You know, people say, oh, you work a lot. You know, you're always working. I say, I'm not, you know. And I thought one day, well, we don't work music, we play music. So I'm like a playaholic. I'm definitely addicted to that.

• 24:11Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 24:11Speaker 02

  You know, because I'm sure it's the same for you. I feel very lucky that this is my job.

• 24:18Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 24:19Speaker 02

  You know, because when I left school, like my first job was coil winding in a factory.

• 24:28Speaker 00

  Okay, that sounds hot and hard. So what did you have to do?

• 24:33Speaker 02

  Rugged.

• 24:35Speaker 02

  I were rugged.

• 24:37Speaker 00

  What'd you have to do? Literally wind coil?

• 24:40Speaker 02

  Yeah. So you have a big sort of wheel with coil wire on it. Comes through your legs and you put it on like an armature thing and keep winding it. And it's like a thing, they're having motors. And mine weren't very good.

• 25:01Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 25:02Speaker 02

  You know, but the idea was they were going to take me through all the things and then I'd be manager. But one day, John and George showed up and and one of the guys in the factory said, there's some guys out there, you know, want to see you, like, you know. So I went out and they said, we've got a gig. We've got a gig at the cavern.

• 25:25Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 25:26Speaker 02

  So I said, well, I don't know, let me think about it.

• 25:29Speaker 00

  You looked at the coil?

• 25:30Speaker 02

  I looked at the coils. I looked at the pay packet.

• 25:34Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 25:34Speaker 02

  Seven pounds fifteen a week. God. And I can't believe I actually questioned it, but I did. I said, I'll get back to you. And yeah, and I did. And it gave up a career in coil winding management.

• 25:53Speaker 00

  You would have been the coil winding representative that we showed to the aliens if you had stuck with it.

• 25:58Speaker 02

  Coil winding king.

• 25:59Speaker 00

  George was how many years younger than you, Paul?

• 26:02Speaker 02

  I think like about one and a half. And I was one and a half years younger than John.

• 26:07Speaker 00

  Yeah. Did you feel, I mean, when you're, when we're older, that means nothing. But when we're young, it's really important. Did you feel like the middle child or the younger brother to John? And did George feel like a younger brother to you?

• 26:21Speaker 02

  Yeah, I thought of George as younger. But he was so cocky.

• 26:27Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 26:28Speaker 02

  He was, you know, you couldn't put George down. So he made himself older just by being very confident and like, you know.

• 26:36Speaker 00

  Who is the tallest?

• 26:38Speaker 02

  We were all the same height.

• 26:40Speaker 00

  I know. You really were.

• 26:42Speaker 02

  You know I've got to think about that, do you?

• 26:44Speaker 00

  No, well, tell me more.

• 26:45Speaker 02

  Oh, my God. Well, we were all the same height and Ringo was a bit smaller.

• 26:50Speaker 00

  Sure.

• 26:52Speaker 02

  And if you look at photos, we're all the same height. But Sam Taylor- Wood did a film called Nowhere Boy. And the John character, who she later married, Erin.

• 27:05Speaker 00

  Right, right, Erin Taylor-Johnson.

• 27:08Speaker 02

  Yeah, he's bigger than me in the film. My character is kind of wimpy. Smaller than John. John knocks me to the floor. And it's like, Sam, this is not true.

• 27:28Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 27:28Speaker 02

  And her only explanation, bless her, because she's still a good friend, you know. She said, this is a movie, it's not a documentary. And I thought, hmm, well, I don't like that explanation. But I couldn't do anything because by now she'd made the film.

• 27:49Speaker 02

  And there was I, little Paul, you know. John, a great big hero. And it's like, no.

• 27:56Speaker 00

  I can't imagine what it's like to have people play you. I mean, it must be so strange. I mean, it's happening again. There's another film, Paul, the great Paul Meskell is playing you. Based on your life, obviously not taken directly from your life. But it must be strange to have people play you.

• 28:13Speaker 02

  Yeah, it is. It is.

• 28:15Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 28:16Speaker 02

  And guess what? He's smaller than the guy who plays John.

• 28:22Speaker 00

  Awesome.

• 28:23Speaker 02

  I said, Sam Mendes is making the film.

• 28:26Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 28:27Speaker 02

  I said, Sam, I've got just one thing I need to say to you. You know, Paul's a bit small at least. So I don't know how Sam's going to deal with it. But he sent me a picture, a still from the filming they were doing. And they're crossing the Abbey Road crossing.

• 28:47Speaker 00

  Yeah, I saw that too.

• 28:48Speaker 02

  And the Paul character is markedly smaller.

• 28:53Speaker 00

  And you can't put lifts on that bare feet.

• 28:56Speaker 02

  That's true. Maybe that's what it was. So I texted him, Sam, smaller. Don't do this. You said you wouldn't do it. He said, no, it's okay. It's just the stride pattern. And he sent me another one where they were equal.

• 29:14Speaker 00

  But I guess the way in which you guys laughed at your competitive nature, we all, as Americans especially, we love. Because we, we love, that's what families do, I guess, is what I'm trying to say. Is families tease and they can kind of come at each other in ways that other people can't. And that always felt like the relationship you had with all of, and that you have with them still.

• 29:40Speaker 02

  Yeah, you know, the good thing was we grew up together. So there was like a family aspect. Me and George went to the same school.

• 29:51Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 29:52Speaker 02

  And John went to the art college next door. So we're all kind of, and you know, it took years for us to kind of get any fame. So we were out in Hamburg, schlepping around, playing, you know, at not very nice little clubs.

• 30:12Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 30:12Speaker 02

  We enjoyed it.

• 30:13Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 30:14Speaker 02

  Because we were young kids in Hamburg, you know, this wow. We'd never been abroad before, you know, so that was like. But yeah, so that, when you know each other that well and you've been together that long, it does become like a family. So then that finds its way into your writing and your work. That I can tell what he's thinking. Or I can tell him that I didn't like that line.

• 30:43Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 30:44Speaker 02

  Or he can tell me, that sucks.

• 30:48Speaker 02

  And so that's very good, as you know, for writing.

• 30:52Speaker 00

  Well, and we're back to that seventeen year old, like very blunt way of saying, this is good, this is bad, you shouldn't wear that, like all that stuff. I mean, and I'm sure you know that as you get any level of success, sometimes people are afraid to give you real feedback.

• 31:08Speaker 02

  Yeah, that's a danger now. You know, people all say to me when I'm working with a producer, they say, does he tell you if it's no good?

• 31:17Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 31:18Speaker 02

  And I'm not sure.

• 31:21Speaker 00

  Right, how could you know?

• 31:22Speaker 02

  Maybe, maybe he doesn't.

• 31:26Speaker 02

  I know, I think you find people who will tell you and stuff. But it must be hard for them.

• 31:33Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 31:33Speaker 02

  You know.

• 31:34Speaker 00

  I think so.

• 31:35Speaker 02

  Because you've got such a reputation.

• 31:37Speaker 00

  Uh huh, right.

• 31:39Speaker 02

  You know, to tell you a joke isn't funny would scare me.

• 31:44Speaker 00

  It should, good.

• 31:45Speaker 02

  It should.

• 31:48Speaker 02

  That wasn't funny. It should.

• 31:52Speaker 00

  Yeah, I know what you mean. But you know what? I'm so, I'm always so impressed by so many things that you do, Paul. But one of them is the idea of continuing like on to the next. Like, what is the next adventure? Like, you know, you, you're always looking creatively especially for ways to just continue to be inspired and to continue to work together. You have a new record, Boys of Dungeon Lane.

• 32:17Speaker 02

  Want to hear about it?

• 32:18Speaker 00

  Yeah, I do. I'm fascinated by your process of how you make music, how you write songs.

• 32:22Speaker 02

  I think the good thing is I'm fascinated too. I don't know. I do a class in my old school that me and George went to in Liverpool. It's called Lipper. And I go there every year and do a class with the songwriting students. And the first thing I say to them, and they come in one on one. So it's terrifying for them.

• 32:49Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 32:49Speaker 02

  You know?

• 32:50Speaker 00

  Oh, they come in one on one and they play.

• 32:53Speaker 02

  One on one with a guitar or a little piece of.

• 32:56Speaker 00

  Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

• 32:58Speaker 02

  And I say, I say, come and sit down. I say, I'm gonna say this, I don't know how to do this. You know, I'm, I know I'm teaching you. I've no idea how you do it. Because your song's gonna be different from mine and stuff. Then we work it through and they'll play me one of their songs. And then I will sort of say, that's very good. Or how about that second verse? Maybe good as an opening verse? Because I think it's a bit stronger. So I just take them through sort of gentle hints. Well, mainly by the time they get to me, they're, they're pretty good. You know, they've done three years.

• 33:38Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 33:39Speaker 02

  And I don't know how to do it. That's the point. And I don't want to know. You know? I always just sit down with a guitar or at the piano and just start plonking something. And if I find something that sounds good, I just follow that.

• 34:01Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 34:03Speaker 02

  Oh, that's not bad. That's not bad. Where could it go next? Well, it could stay there. You know, all that stuff.

• 34:09Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 34:10Speaker 02

  Because, and then you, you learn in yourself. The natural thing to do is you move through the chords.

• 34:17Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 34:20Speaker 02

  You know? Or you can tell yourself, no, don't move.

• 34:28Speaker 02

  Stay there. You know? And there's all sorts of tricks that you, that you can use. And there's so many little tricks like that. It just makes it fun for me. And then if you get a good opening line, that's a great thing. Because you kind of then know where you're going, you know? And on Dungeon Lane, there's a, there's a song called Days We Left Behind, which is special for me. And I knew I had, I had something when I. It was, it was looking back. I'm, I'm thinking about looking back at photographs of the past.

• 35:13Speaker 02

  So you could say, looking back at black and white photos. But I, I knew it was good when I said, he said modestly, I said, looking back at white and black. So I just, the fact that I'd switched, it was not a black and white photo anymore. It's a, it's a white and black. So, and obviously it rhymes. So looking back at white and black reminders of the past or whatever. I just thought, oh, okay.

• 35:41Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 35:42Speaker 02

  So you're looking at photos and, and you go there. Just let's see what you remember.

• 35:50Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 35:51Speaker 02

  You know?

• 35:51Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 35:51Speaker 02

  And, and it's nice. I, I have a lot of good memories.

• 35:56Speaker 00

  When you hear a song that you've written, you've written so many. Do you remember the making of that song when you hear it? Do you remember the writing of it? Do you know, like?

• 36:05Speaker 02

  Yeah. A lot of the time I do, yeah.

• 36:09Speaker 00

  The process of making it when you hear it?

• 36:11Speaker 02

  A lot of the time. Sometimes, though, it is crazy because they have a Beatles channel on Sirius.

• 36:20Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 36:21Speaker 02

  And my, if I'm, you know, hiring a car, my driver will like, he knows to have it on.

• 36:36Speaker 02

  That's a good channel. But normally it's quite quiet, so you can talk and things. And then I'll hear something.

• 36:44Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 36:45Speaker 02

  And say, oh, wait a minute, turn this one up. And talking about remembering writing the song, he turned one up because I couldn't remember what the title was. I thought, what's this one? And then he played. I couldn't even remember the song.

• 37:01Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 37:01Speaker 02

  It had just come and gone so fast.

• 37:04Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 37:06Speaker 02

  So, yeah, I don't always remember them, but a lot of them I, I do. I have pretty strong memories of, yeah, like Molokhantaya, a Wings song that was, it was very successful. Band, Bagpipe.

• 37:23Speaker 00

  I loved seeing that in the doc, making that, like, watching you make that song. And also in the doc, learning about the, how, how Wings came together and your intention behind bringing people together, which was really interesting. And, and for me, it was the first time I heard you speak about how important it was for you to feel like part of a group. Like, you like being around people and you like being part of a group, an ensemble.

• 37:53Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 37:53Speaker 00

  What do you like about it?

• 37:56Speaker 02

  Just the companionship, just the friendship.

• 37:58Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 37:59Speaker 02

  And the other opinion.

• 38:02Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 38:02Speaker 02

  You know, having another opinion in the room, kind of another. I like that. I mainly just playing together.

• 38:11Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 38:11Speaker 02

  You know, it's like kids in kindergarten.

• 38:14Speaker 00

  Yeah, the play, the word play is back again. Like, do you have a pre-show ritual? Do you do anything always? Like, do you not eat two hours before the show? Do you?

• 38:25Speaker 02

  Yeah, I don't eat.

• 38:26Speaker 00

  Have a superstition?

• 38:28Speaker 02

  Not really. I do have a ritual.

• 38:31Speaker 00

  What is it? Would you tell us what it is?

• 38:33Speaker 02

  What is it? Okay, yeah.

• 38:35Speaker 00

  Okay, here we go.

• 38:36Speaker 02

  Well, I don't eat. You know, I have like lunch.

• 38:39Speaker 00

  Let's even back up further. What time are you going to bed the night before?

• 38:43Speaker 02

  The night before? I don't know. Random.

• 38:45Speaker 00

  Oh, God.

• 38:46Speaker 02

  It doesn't matter.

• 38:47Speaker 00

  You musicians with your bedtime.

• 38:49Speaker 02

  I know, we're just a crazy bunch.

• 38:51Speaker 00

  Crazy bunch.

• 38:52Speaker 02

  No, I don't, I don't think about that. That's normally, I mean, it's normally not too late.

• 38:56Speaker 00

  Okay.

• 38:57Speaker 02

  It's not too crazy. Probably if it was six in the morning, we'd gone right through. I probably would worry a bit.

• 39:03Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 39:03Speaker 02

  But no, it's, it's kind of normal bedtime, I think.

• 39:06Speaker 00

  Okay, then.

• 39:06Speaker 02

  And, yeah, I get up, I just have my breakfast.

• 39:11Speaker 00

  What's your breakfast?

• 39:12Speaker 02

  Breakfast.

• 39:13Speaker 00

  How do you take your tea?

• 39:14Speaker 02

  It is, it's really kind of boring because it's always the same. It's like cereal. A bit of cereal, not too much, just a little bit.

• 39:29Speaker 02

  Berries.

• 39:30Speaker 00

  Yeah, that's the superfood.

• 39:32Speaker 02

  Berries.

• 39:32Speaker 00

  You gotta bury it up.

• 39:33Speaker 02

  Five raspberries.

• 39:36Speaker 00

  Whoa.

• 39:36Speaker 02

  Gotta be five. Looks good. One in the middle.

• 39:42Speaker 02

  Handful of blueberries.

• 39:44Speaker 00

  Oh, yeah. The blueberries are just really milly.

• 39:47Speaker 02

  Chuck them in. And a strawberry, which I cut up.

• 39:52Speaker 00

  Uh huh, meditative.

• 39:56Speaker 02

  Are we really doing this?

• 39:58Speaker 00

  We're gonna do another hour of this.

• 39:59Speaker 02

  This is great. Recipe, breakfast.

• 40:02Speaker 00

  Do you take coffee or tea?

• 40:03Speaker 02

  No, in the morning, it's just water. Water.

• 40:09Speaker 00

  No caffeine?

• 40:10Speaker 02

  No, I'm not a big coffee person.

• 40:13Speaker 00

  Really?

• 40:13Speaker 02

  Yeah, no, I'm English.

• 40:15Speaker 00

  But the tea all day long.

• 40:18Speaker 02

  A lot of people, you know, my kids drink coffee quite a lot. I will have like one coffee in the middle of the day sometime, often. Yeah, but so that's my breakfast. Add a few pecans and a few raisins.

• 40:33Speaker 00

  If you want to party.

• 40:35Speaker 02

  Yeah. And then there's a very specific lunch.

• 40:41Speaker 00

  Okay, let's hear it.

• 40:42Speaker 02

  Gig lunch.

• 40:43Speaker 00

  Oh, a gig, oh, yeah, a gig lunch.

• 40:45Speaker 02

  It's gig day lunch.

• 40:46Speaker 00

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Because, I mean, being on stage, I mean, I've talked to a lot of performers who, just being in, in front of an audience is so physical. And you have been on stage for most of your adult life in all different stages with different types of people and in different shows. What is, what's the thing now that you're loving about being on stage? Like, what, what does it look like to be on stage now? I mean, for example, we've got like Bruce still doing three hour shows. We have Taylor Swift doing three hour shows. Like, a lot of expectation for people to do long shows.

• 41:22Speaker 02

  I know, I blame him. I've told him. I said, it's your bloody fault, mate.

• 41:27Speaker 00

  I know.

• 41:28Speaker 02

  We used to do like an hour. Stones still do something like an hour or so.

• 41:33Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 41:34Speaker 02

  Old school. But now Bruce is suddenly doing these three, four hour things. So that's what we do.

• 41:42Speaker 00

  You do, I know.

• 41:44Speaker 02

  You know what I love, though? The audience.

• 41:46Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 41:47Speaker 02

  That's what it's all about.

• 41:48Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 41:49Speaker 02

  That, and my audiences, touch wood, are very loving. They're, they're so, it's so warm.

• 41:59Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 41:59Speaker 02

  You know, they're just so cool and all ages.

• 42:03Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 42:03Speaker 02

  That's the amazing thing. I always, I expected them to be my age or slightly younger or whatever. But it's not like that. There's a lot of young kids.

• 42:15Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 42:16Speaker 02

  And.

• 42:17Speaker 00

  Well, you're every favorite artist's favorite artist.

• 42:20Speaker 02

  Wow.

• 42:20Speaker 00

  You are. And, and, and is there any music right now that you listen to and you think, oh, I wish I wrote that?

• 42:29Speaker 02

  No.

• 42:32Speaker 00

  Very good.

• 42:32Speaker 02

  Not, not, not really. There, there are some people I think are really good. You know, like Billie Eilish, I think is cool. But I don't think I want to have written her songs.

• 42:47Speaker 00

  Right.

• 42:47Speaker 02

  And also, a lot of songs these days are breakup songs.

• 42:51Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 42:52Speaker 02

  And I'm married.

• 42:53Speaker 00

  Right. You're in love with a beautiful woman and, you're in love with a beautiful woman and you have a fantastic breakfast.

• 43:04Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 43:04Speaker 00

  Yeah, yeah.

• 43:06Speaker 02

  Um, that's true. No, so, uh, no, I don't think there, there used to be songs, like, I used to wanna have written, um, one of Billy Joel's songs, The Way You Are.

• 43:20Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 43:21Speaker 02

  I always thought that was like, kinda thing I could have written.

• 43:24Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 43:25Speaker 02

  I think that's a nice song. Nowadays, it's, uh, I'll tell you what, so, some of them are like,

• 43:34Speaker 02

  very, uh, banal.

• 43:37Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 43:39Speaker 02

  I want your, ooh, ooh.

• 43:42Speaker 02

  I want it, ooh, ooh.

• 43:47Speaker 02

  This could be a hit. And then you go, but you, then you gotta do the moves.

• 43:52Speaker 00

  You gotta do the TikTok dance with it, yeah.

• 43:54Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 43:57Speaker 00

  This from the, this from the man that gave us, She Loves You, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.

• 44:02Speaker 02

  Yeah, okay.

• 44:03Speaker 00

  So, I mean, Joss Pretest.

• 44:07Speaker 00

  I'm, I bet you've been able to collaborate with mostly everybody that you've wanted to collaborate at some point. Is there anybody that you still wish to collaborate with?

• 44:16Speaker 02

  No, I ask this question, and I always think Bob Dylan.

• 44:20Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 44:21Speaker 02

  But I'm too nervous.

• 44:24Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 44:25Speaker 02

  To, to ring him up. Bob. But it is Paul.

• 44:31Speaker 00

  Yeah. I can't even picture him being on the telephone, Bob.

• 44:34Speaker 02

  No.

• 44:35Speaker 00

  I can't actually picture him using.

• 44:36Speaker 02

  No, he's in some bush somewhere.

• 44:37Speaker 00

  Yeah, he's in a bush, exactly.

• 44:39Speaker 02

  He's, he's.

• 44:40Speaker 00

  Yep, he's writing in a journal.

• 44:41Speaker 02

  In a sleeping bag, maybe.

• 44:43Speaker 00

  Yes, yeah. Who was the first famous person that you met?

• 44:49Speaker 02

  Um, first famous person?

• 44:51Speaker 00

  When you were young, starting out, who was, you know, remember, did you meet someone who you wanted their autograph, or you were blown away that you knew that they were a famous person?

• 44:59Speaker 02

  The Queen.

• 45:00Speaker 00

  Whoa.

• 45:03Speaker 02

  And that's an autograph you're not gonna get.

• 45:07Speaker 02

  Now, she's great. I love the Queen.

• 45:09Speaker 00

  I love the Queen, too.

• 45:10Speaker 02

  I, I really, well, you know, what happened was, she, she was crowned. She's, she's a doll. She was crowned, um, when I was 11.

• 45:24Speaker 02

  So, and she was a babe.

• 45:26Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 45:27Speaker 02

  You know, when, when I was 11, she was like 23 or something, you know? So, we all used to think, wow, this is amazing, you know, like.

• 45:35Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 45:36Speaker 02

  You know, having a king, he's got this girl.

• 45:39Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 45:39Speaker 02

  This babe. So, we kind of liked her in other ways than we shouldn't have liked her.

• 45:46Speaker 00

  Right.

• 45:46Speaker 02

  You know what I mean?

• 45:47Speaker 00

  Right, right.

• 45:48Speaker 02

  So, yeah, so, so, meeting her was special.

• 45:51Speaker 00

  How old were you when you met her?

• 45:53Speaker 02

  Um, probably about 21 or something.

• 45:55Speaker 00

  Yeah, wow.

• 45:57Speaker 02

  Nancy, my wife now, she says she fancied you. Now, there's no knowing if there's any truth to that.

• 46:04Speaker 00

  But let's just say it's true.

• 46:07Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 46:07Speaker 00

  Let's say it's true.

• 46:08Speaker 02

  I like to think it's true.

• 46:09Speaker 00

  And I think she would, not to speak for the Queen, but I will. I would think she would enjoy Nancy saying that. I think she would, she would get a laugh out of that. Like, she would enjoy that.

• 46:20Speaker 02

  Well, she was a laugh.

• 46:21Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 46:22Speaker 02

  That's one of the things I liked about her. She was a good sense of humor. And, uh, yeah, I was, I was very happy that, um, you know, sometimes you don't get the Queen if you're getting an honor.

• 46:34Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 46:35Speaker 02

  Like, you're getting a knighthood. You don't always get the Queen. I was very lucky. I got the Queen all the time. And.

• 46:42Speaker 00

  Well, she made sure she was there.

• 46:43Speaker 02

  Wow, well, that's what Nancy would say.

• 46:45Speaker 00

  She looked at her, she looked at Nancy's nose. She looked at her planner, and she was like, mm-hmm, 2 o'clock. I'm gonna make myself available.

• 46:53Speaker 02

  I'll do him.

• 46:55Speaker 00

  I'm gonna put this, so, I'll do the sword thing. That's what she said.

• 46:58Speaker 02

  The sword was Edward the Confessor.

• 47:02Speaker 00

  The name of the sword?

• 47:03Speaker 02

  Yeah. I mean, British history, there was a king called Edward the Confessor.

• 47:09Speaker 00

  Wow.

• 47:10Speaker 02

  At least it wasn't Ethelred the Unready.

• 47:14Speaker 00

  But talk about, again, like, time travel, which you don't believe in, but I believe in for you. But you're 21, you meet the Queen, just speed, you know, however many years later, and you're getting knighted by her. Such a wild life, Paul.

• 47:29Speaker 02

  Yeah, I know. I know. No, really.

• 47:32Speaker 00

  Wow.

• 47:33Speaker 02

  And, believe me, I, I, I agree with that.

• 47:36Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 47:37Speaker 02

  I mean, I mean, life itself, anyway, for, for most people, is wild.

• 47:41Speaker 00

  Yes, life is wild, no matter what.

• 47:43Speaker 02

  My particular kind of life.

• 47:45Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 47:46Speaker 02

  Has been very wild up to this point, and continues to be wild. Look at me here.

• 47:51Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 47:51Speaker 02

  I'm doing your show.

• 47:52Speaker 00

  It's like the Queen. It's like being with the Queen.

• 47:56Speaker 02

  Not, it's not quite Queen level.

• 47:58Speaker 00

  No, not quite yet. Not quite.

• 48:00Speaker 02

  It's very impressive.

• 48:08Speaker 00

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• 50:57Speaker 00

  Also, and then I'll, and then I'll move off of this, this theme that I'm very clumsily trying to, to connect. But what I also, I love about your work, Chrissy Hynde says this in, in the documentary about you. Um, what, can we just talk about Chrissy Hynde for a second?

• 51:13Speaker 02

  We love Chrissy. She's a dude.

• 51:16Speaker 00

  Tell me how you met Chrissy. You and Linda were really good friends with Chrissy.

• 51:20Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 51:21Speaker 00

  Tell us how you met Chrissy Hynde. What a genius.

• 51:24Speaker 02

  Recording studio in London, um, Air London it was called. And there were a lot of studios, so you meet the people who are in the other studios, you know?

• 51:34Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 51:35Speaker 02

  And she was just walking down the corridor, and she was very moody with her hair down, and sort of wouldn't look at you, you know? But Linda was, didn't, you know, do that. She would approach you.

• 51:49Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 51:49Speaker 02

  Hi, how you doing? You know, and they got talking, and, uh, so we met her. And, and Chrissy stopped being so moody, and just talked to us, and, and we had a lot of stuff in common. She's like, uh, crazy vegetarian.

• 52:08Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 52:09Speaker 02

  So, we had that in common. And Linda was very outspoken on, on that.

• 52:16Speaker 00

  Yes.

• 52:16Speaker 02

  Subject. Um, to the point where, uh, if it hadn't been her, it would have been embarrassing. You know, if you're at a dinner party, and someone's eating meat, she would like give them trouble.

• 52:32Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 52:33Speaker 02

  Over it.

• 52:33Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 52:34Speaker 02

  You know what you're eating? Yeah, well, I know, you know, but, uh, but mommy loved it.

• 52:41Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 52:43Speaker 00

  Ahead of her time, a very ahead, you were both ahead of.

• 52:48Speaker 02

  Yeah, she had this kind of Disneyesque view of animals. So, the, um, if, if we saw like a frog in, in a garden or something, she'd pick it up. And, you know, not every girl would.

• 53:03Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 53:04Speaker 02

  You know, she'd pick it up. And the way, ah, let's get that motion out, but the way she would hold it.

• 53:11Speaker 02

  Um, it wouldn't hurt it.

• 53:20Speaker 02

  And yeah.

• 53:21Speaker 00

  Yeah, beautiful.

• 53:23Speaker 02

  And she would say, you know, it's mommy loved it. And even it's a frog.

• 53:26Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 53:27Speaker 02

  She was like a Disney frog.

• 53:29Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 53:29Speaker 02

  To her.

• 53:30Speaker 00

  I loved learning more about you and Linda in that documentary. I loved watching you two.

• 53:36Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 53:36Speaker 00

  Work together and be together. It was really a testament to just what respectful, beautiful, mutual love looks like.

• 53:46Speaker 02

  Yeah. She was, she was something else.

• 53:50Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 53:50Speaker 02

  A tough, tough lady.

• 53:52Speaker 00

  Yeah. Look, I have good hang tissues.

• 53:54Speaker 02

  Good, thank you, ma'am. Yeah.

• 53:59Speaker 00

  I want to talk about your family life and just how family is important to you because I have the pleasure and privilege of getting to know some of your family. But as we move off The Beatles, although we never will, but as we move off The Beatles for this conversation, what is your relationship now like with George and John and Ringo? Some are here, some are not, but relationships, as we know with Linda, like people that with your mom, people that you lose, they're always with you. They just, your relationship changes with them. What is your relationship now like with those men?

• 54:37Speaker 02

  I'm a fan, you know, and the more we go on, I'm a bigger fan. I'm like a Beatles fan, you know? Just because like I say, you know, I'll just hear something that we did and I'll remember writing it with John and think, wow, I was really lucky. You know, this is amazing. I'm sitting down with, writing with someone and he happens to be John Lennon.

• 55:03Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 55:04Speaker 02

  And I think the same for him with me. He's sitting down and the guy who's talking about his work is me. So, yeah, so I'm a fan. And, you know, I think I've become more of a fan, the more I think about them. And, yeah, you know, George, for instance, how I met George was on the school bus. I used to get on one stop, these big double decker green buses. It was about a half hour journey into, from where we lived to the school. So I would get on at one stop and then the next stop, George would get on.

• 55:49Speaker 02

  And we wore the same school uniform, so we kind of could relate some way. And sometimes we'd sit next to each other and we'd talk about guitars and rock and roll. It's in one of the songs on the Don Jelaine album, actually.

• 56:05Speaker 00

  Oh, really?

• 56:06Speaker 02

  Yeah, there's one song called Down South. And it's about how we met on, you know, the school bus. And we talked about rock and roll and guitars and all that sort of stuff. So that was great, you know, we became friends over that. And then when we were looking for another guitar player, John was kind of interested in getting another guy in. I put George up and I sort of said, I got this little mate, you know? He's little. He wasn't physically little, but he's young, you know? And that could be a problem. But it wasn't a problem and he played great guitar.

• 56:48Speaker 02

  John was so impressed and so George joins the group. So that was that period. But then looking at George's life. And how he grew.

• 56:58Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 56:58Speaker 02

  And my gosh, you know, I became spiritual.

• 57:05Speaker 02

  It was, it was pretty amazing.

• 57:07Speaker 00

  Do you have a spiritual practice, Paul? Do you feel like you're a spiritual person?

• 57:11Speaker 02

  I don't have like a practice so much. I meditate.

• 57:17Speaker 02

  And no, I sort of believe in a, in a power. I don't know what he or she is. Well, I know there's something there and I'd feel. And I often do that thing, you know, the secret?

• 57:32Speaker 00

  Oh, yeah.

• 57:33Speaker 02

  Hey.

• 57:33Speaker 00

  I got really into that for a minute.

• 57:35Speaker 02

  Yeah. Well, I'm still, still into it.

• 57:38Speaker 00

  You probably were on my vision board and here I am talking to you.

• 57:42Speaker 02

  I, I just know the simple version.

• 57:44Speaker 00

  Yeah, yeah. But Paul, we feel that in your art, like the, the idea that you're tuning into a channel, like an open channel. And it's not optimism, which it kind of flattens it out. It's just the idea of like, there's possibilities, you've got to keep yourself open to possibilities.

• 57:59Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 57:59Speaker 00

  I feel that way when you talk about your work and I do feel that way when you talk about your family. Like you, family was so important to you, building one, whether it be with the people you're playing with, with the people in your life. Like I, I, I love that you've led us into how the, you know, you believe in love, like you're, you.

• 58:22Speaker 02

  I do.

• 58:22Speaker 00

  You do believe in love and, and you, and you can tell by how you live your life. And congratulations to you and Linda for raising great kids, really talented, kind, funny kids. Really great children.

• 58:38Speaker 02

  Thank you, yeah. No, they are great, you know? It's important to me. And the thing is, you know, I'm not really that different from a lot of dads. There's a lot of people out there. I mean, okay, there's the, the people.

• 58:52Speaker 00

  But you also choose very strong women.

• 58:55Speaker 02

  Yeah, that's true.

• 58:56Speaker 00

  You like, you like strong, independent women.

• 58:58Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 58:59Speaker 00

  That's not always the case with men that are as successful and talented and powerful as yourself. That's not always the case. Sometimes they, they don't like to be challenged in that way.

• 59:10Speaker 02

  It's funny, I, I don't think of it like that, but it is true. Yeah, I like someone who's got a strong opinion.

• 59:18Speaker 00

  Well, we spoke to somebody who has a strong opinion because we always do this thing on our podcast where we speak to somebody who knows our guest and who wants to give me a question to ask my guest. And I, we could have spoken to so many people, but I really wanted to speak to Stella.

• 59:36Speaker 02

  Oh, yeah.

• 59:38Speaker 00

  Tell us about Stella.

• 59:39Speaker 02

  Stella's a pistol.

• 59:41Speaker 00

  She is.

• 59:42Speaker 02

  Linda had Mary.

• 59:43Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 59:44Speaker 02

  And that was straightforward. And so then Linda was pregnant again with Stella and went to the hospital for, to be born. And then suddenly there was like a thing going on where the doctors, it's a thing called placenta previa.

• 1:00:06Speaker 00

  Oh, yes, of course. It can be very dangerous.

• 1:00:09Speaker 02

  And the doctor said, so we're going to have to do a C-section, you know, cesarean. So he's like, oh, okay. So he did it and it was successful and it worked, but it meant that Stella had to be in an incubator.

• 1:00:24Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:00:25Speaker 02

  When she was little. And so I would go down a couple of floors to where the incubator unit was and I would see our baby and then go back up and report to Linda, you know? And it was amazing because, so Stella did a little movement.

• 1:00:47Speaker 02

  And it was exactly like Linda, but she didn't know Linda yet.

• 1:00:52Speaker 00

  Yeah, wild.

• 1:00:53Speaker 02

  She hadn't, she hadn't learned any tricks. So it was really just, you know?

• 1:00:59Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:01:00Speaker 02

  A natural thing. So I got running back up, I said, Stella, just do that thing. And I know that thing from you, you know? So, so Stella, we talk about it quite a bit.

• 1:01:10Speaker 00

  Well, Stella's question for me to ask you, which is amazing that you're telling this story, Paul, because she said, ask my dad what his, what his first memory was. We spoke about it the other day and I, and he remembered his first memory because Stella shared that she thinks one of her first memories was being in an incubator.

• 1:01:35Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:01:35Speaker 00

  She can feel like, and I know a lot of people have memories of when they were born or feel like they do. And how you come into the world can really, in some ways, define your life's path. You can become like a fighter or a survivor, or you want to be more sleepy and peaceful, whatever is the way that you come into the world. But she shared that as her first, first memory. And the question she wanted me to ask you was, what was yours?

• 1:02:02Speaker 02

  Yeah, you know, these things, you don't know if you've made it up.

• 1:02:07Speaker 00

  Yeah, sure.

• 1:02:08Speaker 02

  Or if it's, but I, I have this feeling that I can remember being born. I was born in a place in Liverpool called Walton Hospital, which was a real old Victorian thing. I think it had been something else before a hospital. So I, I kind of remember white tiles, very sort of hygienic white tiles and chrome instruments and the clanging, because I was a forceps birth. They had to pull me out.

• 1:02:43Speaker 00

  Me too, I was a forceps.

• 1:02:44Speaker 02

  Were you?

• 1:02:44Speaker 00

  Yep. I had dents in my head.

• 1:02:46Speaker 02

  Give it up for forcep people.

• 1:02:49Speaker 00

  They had to yank me out. I wouldn't come out.

• 1:02:52Speaker 02

  Yeah. It was too good in there. You know, this is okay, I'm getting fed.

• 1:02:57Speaker 00

  Totally. And then all of a sudden something came in there and clamped your head.

• 1:03:01Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:03:01Speaker 00

  And yanked you out.

• 1:03:05Speaker 02

  And I came. I love that you were too.

• 1:03:08Speaker 00

  Yeah, I was.

• 1:03:10Speaker 02

  Yeah, so I sort of think I remember that.

• 1:03:13Speaker 00

  How funny.

• 1:03:14Speaker 02

  I don't know if it's true.

• 1:03:16Speaker 00

  The other question that she had was, what is Monkberry Moon Delight? And have you smoked it?

• 1:03:23Speaker 00

  And what were you on when you wrote that song?

• 1:03:27Speaker 02

  I probably was on something that I smoked. But no, when the kids were little, you know how kids don't always, can't pronounce certain words?

• 1:03:38Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:03:38Speaker 02

  Well, the word for milk was monk. You know, can I have, can I have, daddy, can I have some monk? To her, that was milk. So I was thinking of a milkshake.

• 1:03:55Speaker 02

  So it was like milk berry, monk berry, moon. So it's the name of a milkshake in my head. You know, I just imagined it that. And then I just flew off on one. Because the lyrics are crazy great.

• 1:04:11Speaker 00

  Yeah, they're great lyrics.

• 1:04:13Speaker 02

  There was I with a piano up my nose.

• 1:04:17Speaker 00

  Soup puree.

• 1:04:19Speaker 02

  Soup and puree.

• 1:04:20Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:04:20Speaker 02

  Cats and kittens. Don't get left behind.

• 1:04:24Speaker 00

  Yes, ketchup, ketchup.

• 1:04:26Speaker 02

  Ketchup. I know, it's just like a lot of wordplay and stuff. But I look back on that kind of song and think, I wish I wrote those now. You know, I think it was just a zany period.

• 1:04:40Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:04:41Speaker 02

  Yeah, but that's, that's what it was in my mind. It's actually a milkshake.

• 1:04:47Speaker 00

  So the last section I want to talk to you about is your connection to SNL. Because of the many things that you entered in my life. I mean, you were also connected to the show, one of the shows that shaped my life. When I was learning what I wanted to do with my life, you know, Saturday Night Live was such a huge part of my world. And the fact that you and Lorne and just the Beatles, like, they always felt like they were, it felt like you guys were hanging around all the time. And you do go to the show quite a bit and you've been on the show quite a bit.

• 1:05:22Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:05:23Speaker 00

  And, I mean, there's just so many incredible moments on that show. I mean, when I was preparing for this interview, I was thinking about the Chris Farley moment, which no one's seen. It's incredible sketch where Chris Farley is interviewing you. And he does what I'm sure most people do is he just tells you what you've done. And do you?

• 1:05:45Speaker 02

  He's so good.

• 1:05:46Speaker 00

  So good.

• 1:05:47Speaker 02

  I think the first time I was introduced with him is John, who was living in New York.

• 1:05:52Speaker 00

  Right.

• 1:05:52Speaker 02

  And who, you know, loved SNL. And it was around that time when Lorne had come on and offered us $3,000 to perform. Because, you know, everyone was offering million to get back together.

• 1:06:08Speaker 00

  And he holds up a check.

• 1:06:09Speaker 02

  And he's got a little check from NBC, which apparently was what they would have paid us, NBC.

• 1:06:16Speaker 00

  And I love, you've spoken on this, that you all considered it for a second. I mean, you were in New York, you were performing, Wings was performing.

• 1:06:22Speaker 02

  Just me and John.

• 1:06:23Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:06:24Speaker 02

  We're at a place in, in New York. And he said, have you seen this show? I said, no. He said, well, this guy comes on, he's, he's offering us. And John said, we should go down now. Because it was, it was on live. And he said, go and surprise them. So for a second, we were gonna do that. But then it was like, no, it's much too comfortable here. Let's just watch it.

• 1:06:52Speaker 00

  Yeah, it's 11:30.

• 1:06:53Speaker 02

  We watched it.

• 1:06:54Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:06:54Speaker 02

  But I think that was the first time I'd seen the show. And then sort of realized why everyone was massive fans of it.

• 1:07:06Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:07:06Speaker 02

  And why it was such an American institution. I mean, I love being included in sketches. You know, I like doing the music.

• 1:07:14Speaker 00

  Be careful saying that, because they're gonna keep writing you in.

• 1:07:17Speaker 02

  I don't mind.

• 1:07:18Speaker 00

  You like it. You like it.

• 1:07:19Speaker 02

  Yeah. I was like a garage guy, a mechanic.

• 1:07:24Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:07:24Speaker 02

  The last one I did with Marcelo.

• 1:07:28Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:07:28Speaker 02

  And Will Ferrell.

• 1:07:31Speaker 00

  What was it like working with Marcelo? Just kidding.

• 1:07:35Speaker 00

  And then Yoga Boys.

• 1:07:37Speaker 02

  Also the one I did with Marty Shaw.

• 1:07:39Speaker 00

  Oh, Marty.

• 1:07:40Speaker 02

  Marty Shaw does, he's so great.

• 1:07:42Speaker 00

  He's so great.

• 1:07:43Speaker 02

  We were, we were actually, a year ago, we were actually having dinner. It was me, Lorne, Jimmy Fallon, and Martin was going to come to dinner with us. But he was late. So we're all sitting in the thing and the restaurant's crowded. You know, and then Martin comes in from left. And he's walking through and he's pretending he doesn't know where we are. He's seen us. And he's going, oh.

• 1:08:15Speaker 02

  Oh, excuse me. Oh, sorry. And he's bumping into tables and he's doing that whole bit of his, you know. Oh, there you are.

• 1:08:24Speaker 00

  So funny.

• 1:08:25Speaker 02

  Hysterical.

• 1:08:25Speaker 00

  Hysterical. Okay, quick, rapid fire, we're gonna get you out of here. Okay, so rapid fire time. Best decade for music?

• 1:08:32Speaker 02

  Sixties.

• 1:08:33Speaker 00

  If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

• 1:08:36Speaker 02

  Horse.

• 1:08:37Speaker 00

  Why?

• 1:08:38Speaker 02

  Because I love horses.

• 1:08:39Speaker 00

  Do you think you've lived before?

• 1:08:41Speaker 02

  Possibly.

• 1:08:42Speaker 00

  And who were you?

• 1:08:44Speaker 02

  Me. King Essel, the unready.

• 1:08:51Speaker 00

  Do you have a favorite song you've ever written?

• 1:08:54Speaker 02

  Yeah, here, there and everywhere. I like that song.

• 1:08:59Speaker 00

  Okay. Nancy's favorite song of yours.

• 1:09:02Speaker 02

  Days We Left Behind, off the new album.

• 1:09:05Speaker 00

  Fantastic. Last concert you went to?

• 1:09:08Speaker 02

  I think it was Brandy Carlisle.

• 1:09:11Speaker 00

  She's, she was in here. How talented is she?

• 1:09:14Speaker 02

  Yeah. She's a very nice girl, too.

• 1:09:18Speaker 00

  There just must be a feeling when you meet songwriters, right? There just must be a feeling of like, oh, we know each other.

• 1:09:24Speaker 02

  We know how to do this.

• 1:09:25Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:09:26Speaker 02

  Yeah, even though we don't know how to do it, but we've done it.

• 1:09:29Speaker 00

  Yeah, we've done it. I mean, I felt that we, even when I watched Get Back and I, when I was watching you write that song, for example, and the process of writing it and being together. And you were doing, to me, what looked like what we would do in a comedy writers' room, which is you work a little bit and then you fuck around a lot. Because you can only kind of like, think of something original for a few minutes. And then you have to like, play other people's songs and like goof around. I mean, you were doing bits, basically, with each other.

• 1:10:01Speaker 02

  Yeah, yeah.

• 1:10:01Speaker 00

  That was a way to get offline, to get back into like your creative space. And it was, it was like a process that felt like, oh, this is what process looks like.

• 1:10:09Speaker 02

  Yeah, that's what, we've been mates for years. So, you know, you goof around. John would pick up something, you know. I remember she came in through the bathroom window on my songs and I'm, Tuesdays on, Mondays on the phone to Tuesday, whatever it is. So Tuesday's on the phone to me, I think was the line. So I start going, hello, Tuesday, oh, darling. And then John picks it up, he's on the piano going, all right, Tuesday. And he starts doing Tuesday. And we were talking to Tuesday.

• 1:10:46Speaker 02

  So, yeah, that, we could do that.

• 1:10:49Speaker 00

  Yeah.

• 1:10:49Speaker 02

  Because we'd hung out a lot. I mean, we went hitchhiking together and things, you know. So we would sleep together and, and, and that makes you kind of, you know, quite intimate with each other.

• 1:11:03Speaker 00

  Yeah, well, just getting to see the way you work together feels like there, anybody who's in some kind of creative space, working with somebody else, they, they felt like they understood what that feeling is. Like, this idea that, you kind of talked about it earlier, that there's just some kind of magic you're supposed to make space for and room for. And if you're lucky, it comes in. And if you're even luckier, you get to make it. And then if you're the luckiest, people love it.

• 1:11:31Speaker 02

  That's true. I think if you love it, people probably will.

• 1:11:37Speaker 00

  Well, I feel like, I'll end by saying, Paul, that the, the thing that I feel like you taught me as an artist, knowing you for my entire life, not knowing you, but knowing your work, is that love is really, that's, that's the thing. Like, it's like, loss is inevitable, change is inevitable, life is wild. But if you can keep kind of heading towards the love part, you're headed in the right direction.

• 1:12:09Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:12:09Speaker 00

  Thank you for that.

• 1:12:10Speaker 02

  It's all you need.

• 1:12:13Speaker 02

  I agree. It's, it's, you know, and, you know, I would own up to being a romantic. I love it. I love films where it's romantic. I'm not a big fan of like, shoot'em ups.

• 1:12:27Speaker 00

  Do you like horror movies?

• 1:12:28Speaker 02

  No.

• 1:12:29Speaker 00

  Me neither. And, and, and let's take a minute. Yeah?

• 1:12:33Speaker 02

  Zombies.

• 1:12:34Speaker 00

  Forget zombies.

• 1:12:37Speaker 02

  I mean, people love that. It's like.

• 1:12:39Speaker 00

  I've never watched.

• 1:12:40Speaker 02

  Not very keen.

• 1:12:41Speaker 00

  No.

• 1:12:42Speaker 02

  Zombies.

• 1:12:42Speaker 00

  I've said this before, but if there was a zombie apocalypse, I would immediately just take a pill and go to sleep forever. There's no way I would ever, like, fight a zombie.

• 1:12:52Speaker 02

  No. Well, I'd fight it for you.

• 1:12:55Speaker 00

  Thank you, Paul.

• 1:12:59Speaker 00

  You're so darling. Okay, so what is making you laugh right now as we end? Anything? What do you, what do you watch to giggle?

• 1:13:09Speaker 02

  Yeah, films and things.

• 1:13:11Speaker 00

  Like what? What do you think is funny? Well, let's watch a video together as we end.

• 1:13:15Speaker 02

  My favorite year.

• 1:13:17Speaker 00

  Oh, Peter O'Toole?

• 1:13:18Speaker 02

  Yeah. I thought that was funny.

• 1:13:21Speaker 00

  Love that movie. I haven't seen it in so long.

• 1:13:24Speaker 02

  That's what I mean. I asked someone what their favorite film was and they come up with that one.

• 1:13:27Speaker 00

  Oh, I love that film.

• 1:13:29Speaker 02

  Yeah, it's a great one.

• 1:13:31Speaker 00

  For people who don't remember that, that was an 80s comedy. Oh, yeah, he, Peter O'Toole plays like a actor who's on a variety show, right?

• 1:13:40Speaker 02

  Yeah, he was like, he's, he's a has-been. And he gets drunk all the time.

• 1:13:45Speaker 00

  That's right.

• 1:13:46Speaker 02

  And the young guys put in charge of him.

• 1:13:49Speaker 00

  There was a big stretch in the 80s where all the characters were really drunk. Like Arthur, my favorite, there's quite a bunch where like the, the, the lead was like falling down drunk.

• 1:14:05Speaker 00

  And we were like, that's hilarious. Okay, let's watch just the trailer of my favorite year before we end.

• 1:14:11Speaker 04

  It was the year Hollywood's greatest hero swashbuckled his way onto live TV

• 1:14:18Speaker 04

  and into Benji's life.

• 1:14:22Speaker 00

  I mean, this looks like, um, Monty Python on.

• 1:14:28Speaker 04

  They've asked me to stay with you and help you over some of the rough spots. Like showing up. That's one.

• 1:14:36Speaker 00

  Peter O'Toole passing out.

• 1:14:38Speaker 02

  He's good.

• 1:14:39Speaker 00

  God, Peter O'Toole is good.

• 1:14:41Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:14:42Speaker 00

  Well, Paul McCartney, I could talk to you all day.

• 1:14:45Speaker 02

  Me, Amy.

• 1:14:46Speaker 00

  I really, really, really appreciate you being here. It's a total thrill to talk to you.

• 1:14:53Speaker 00

  How did we do? We did okay?

• 1:14:54Speaker 02

  We did, I think we did great.

• 1:14:56Speaker 00

  I mean, all right.

• 1:14:57Speaker 02

  I enjoyed it.

• 1:14:57Speaker 00

  All right, good.

• 1:14:59Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:15:01Speaker 00

  Thanks, Paul. Thanks for doing this.

• 1:15:03Speaker 02

  Thanks, Amy.

• 1:15:04Speaker 00

  Okay, you're excused.

• 1:15:08Speaker 02

  Yes, miss.

• 1:15:12Speaker 00

  Thank you, Paul McCartney.

• 1:15:15Speaker 00

  I don't know what to say. It was, it was a complete thrill to talk to you and what an incredible conversation. And, you know, for this polar plunge, I just, I feel the need to call my mother and tell her that I just interviewed Paul McCartney. So if you will indulge me, listeners, I have not told my mom or my dad that I am interviewing Paul.

• 1:15:39Speaker 00

  Because they can't be trusted with that information. But I'm gonna FaceTime my mom right now and see if we can get a real time, a real time response. Now, she tech, hello?

• 1:15:53Speaker 05

  Hello?

• 1:15:54Speaker 00

  Hi.

• 1:15:57Speaker 00

  Can you hear me?

• 1:15:58Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 1:15:59Speaker 04

  Yeah, you're on the, in the podcast.

• 1:16:02Speaker 00

  I'm doing the podcast right now, so your voices are gonna be recorded. Is that okay? Do I have your legal consent?

• 1:16:08Speaker 04

  Depends on how I feel it went.

• 1:16:10Speaker 00

  Okay, let me talk to mom.

• 1:16:13Speaker 00

  Okay.

• 1:16:13Speaker 05

  What's up?

• 1:16:15Speaker 00

  Guess who I just interviewed?

• 1:16:18Speaker 00

  Mom, who would be your favorite person?

• 1:16:21Speaker 05

  Oh, my God.

• 1:16:22Speaker 00

  Who is the most excited person you've ever met when you came to SNL?

• 1:16:27Speaker 04

  Oh.

• 1:16:28Speaker 05

  Paul McCartney.

• 1:16:30Speaker 00

  I just interviewed Paul McCartney.

• 1:16:32Speaker 05

  No, sir.

• 1:16:34Speaker 00

  I did. I just interviewed Paul McCartney.

• 1:16:38Speaker 04

  Yeah.

• 1:16:38Speaker 05

  My God.

• 1:16:39Speaker 04

  Your mother brags about the time.

• 1:16:41Speaker 05

  Did you mention my name?

• 1:16:45Speaker 04

  She brags about the time he knocked on your door at SNL and said, oh, I like your daughter.

• 1:16:51Speaker 05

  Yeah, he said, you Amy's mother.

• 1:16:52Speaker 00

  That's right. That's right.

• 1:16:54Speaker 04

  And Eileen said, oh, Sir Paul.

• 1:16:56Speaker 05

  Hello, Sir Paul.

• 1:16:57Speaker 00

  Okay, mom, but you know, as I wrap up this, this episode, what is the memory you have of, like, how important were the Beatles to you?

• 1:17:07Speaker 05

  Oh, it's, it was unbelievable. My big memory is the first time they played on Ed Sullivan.

• 1:17:13Speaker 04

  Ed Sullivan Show with your long hair.

• 1:17:15Speaker 05

  And, and my father said, look at those guys with that long hair.

• 1:17:20Speaker 00

  That's right.

• 1:17:20Speaker 05

  Yeah, I, I liked them immediately. Yeah, I went to, went to see them, I think, with.

• 1:17:26Speaker 04

  Didn't you go to Inland somewhere?

• 1:17:27Speaker 05

  No, that was the Rolling Stones. Not that I think of it. No, I never saw them.

• 1:17:31Speaker 00

  You never saw them? You just saw the Rolling Stones?

• 1:17:34Speaker 05

  I just, yeah.

• 1:17:34Speaker 04

  No, but he made a joke to Eileen about, didn't I see you in the fourth row?

• 1:17:40Speaker 05

  Oh, yeah, he said, were you at the?

• 1:17:42Speaker 00

  Okay, I gotta go. I got, okay, I gotta go. Okay, I love you guys. I wanted to tell you that I just interviewed Paul McCartney.

• 1:17:50Speaker 05

  Cool, I'm so psyched.

• 1:17:51Speaker 04

  Nice.

• 1:17:52Speaker 00

  All right, love you guys.

• 1:17:54Speaker 05

  Okay, honey.

• 1:17:55Speaker 04

  I'll keep track of his numbers and see if he beats out Paul Rudd.

• 1:18:01Speaker 00

  He's coming for you, Rudd. All right, all right. Okay, love you guys. Bye.

• 1:18:09Speaker 00

  Thanks, everybody. Thanks for listening to Good Hang and we'll see you soon. Bye.

• 1:18:15Speaker 00

  You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paperkite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullen, Aleia Zanarez, Bridget Geerlings, Paige Garbarini, Belle Roman, and Drew Van Steen-Burgen. For Paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.

• 1:18:47Speaker 06

  Pink Pantheress here. Coach and Spotify are teaming up to bring music and style together, and they want you to be part of it. Grab your friends and head to the Tabby Tour, hitting cities around the country with live performances from special artists, exclusive experiences, and personalized products. And discover custom playlists on Spotify, booked just for you based on who you are and how you listen. Live your story with Coach. Learn more at coach.com.

• 1:19:13Speaker 07

  Coca-Cola. For the big, for the small, the short, and the tall. Peacemakers, risk-takers. For the optimists, pessimists. For long-distance love. For introverts and extroverts. The thinkers and the doers. For old friends and new. Coca-Cola. For everyone. Pick up some Coca-Cola at a store near you.