Sticking Out of My Back Pocket: Storytelling

Stories have always been at the heart of Paul’s songwriting. Whether drawing inspiration from classic literature, historical texts or vividly imagined characters, Paul has spent decades bringing stories to life through music. Many of his songs contain literary references hiding in plain sight. 

‘Jenny Wren’ takes its title from the beloved character found in Charles Dickens' Our Mutual Friend, whilst ‘Winedark Open Sea’ draws inspiration from Homer's Odyssey, borrowing the famous phrase used to describe the sea in the ancient Greek epic. But inspiration sometimes comes from Paul’s imagination…

'Sometimes I will, like, just make up characters. It’s one of the things I liked to do in the Beatles. I remember George saying to me, “You do that,” he said, “You know, I never do that.” If you think about it, George’s songs mainly… it’s about something, something very specific, not just some dreamy character. I sometimes will make up a story about some people, like it’s a little play.' - Paul

For this edition of Sticking Out of My Back Pocket, we asked fans to share their favourite Paul McCartney, Wings and Beatles songs inspired by stories, characters, books and literary imagination. The result is a playlist packed with fictional figures and unforgettable journeys.

Explore the fan-built Stories & Literature playlist here

This October sees the release of the paperback edition of Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, Paul's acclaimed oral history of Wings, featuring firsthand recollections from Paul and those who were there as one of music's most adventurous bands took flight. 

More information HERE!