Allison’s Book Report “The Lyrics” by Sir Paul McCartney

I am a music lover, though I would not exactly call myself “musical.”  Unlike my talented kids and husband, I can’t sing or play an instrument at all, but I have always absolutely loved listening to music. Back in the 90s, when I was in 7^th or 8^th grade, ABC television released The Beatles Anthology - an epic three-night, six-hour-long docuseries where the (then three) remaining Beatles told their origin story in their own words, with tons of unseen footage and even three huge double-albums of out-takes and previously unreleased versions of songs.  To say that I loved it would be an understatement – I was nothing short of obsessed.  I watched the VHS tape that I had recorded straight off of TV (remember doing that?) until it wore out.  I listened to all of The Beatles’ albums until those songs were tattooed into my brain. I even plastered my bedroom walls with John, Paul, George, and Ringo.  It was like my own mini-Beatlemania, thirty years too late. 

Fast-forward another thirty years, my oldest daughter has started getting interested in The Beatles (be still my heart – I have waited what seems like forever for this!) and I discovered that it is impossible to watch The Beatles Anthology anywhere in 2024. I was very sad, as I consider it to be the ultimate documentary about the Fab Four, and I wanted to share it with her. That is when I did what any Beatle-loving book lady would do, and I headed to the stacks to find a book that would scratch that itch. When I came across The Lyrics, written by Sir Paul McCartney himself, I knew that I had found a treasure. Spanning sixty-four years – from McCartney’s meager Liverpool beginnings, through the wild years of Beatle Mania, and into Wings and his solo career - The Lyrics is a celebration of Paul’s creative genius and timeless music.  It includes first-person commentary on 160 of McCartney’s songs, along with pictures from his personal archives about each.  I listened to each song and poured over every picture as I read, and I can say with confidence that if you love The Beatles, you will adore this book.  It is truly a perfect read for any music lover. I often find myself wondering what a specific song I am listening to is about, if the story they are telling is true or not, and what the lyrics mean to them – reading these stories in the words of Sir Paul himself is just what I needed.

I hope you check it out this week – and then pop over to Instagram @allison.the.reader and let’s talk about The Beatles and which song is your favorite, along with what books you think I should read next.