Paul McCartney and John Lennon hold their guitars while on the set of The Ed Sullivan Show at the CBS television studios in Manhattan, where the Fab Four are performing their nationwide television debut. (Image: GETTY)
Even the best of friends can have their disagreements, regardless of their fame or fortune.
The Beatles’ split has been a topic of debate for generations, with fans speculating about which band member – Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, or George Harrison – was responsible. The breakup was deeply personal for each of them, but it’s the deterioration of John and Paul’s relationship that often draws the most attention from rock-and-roll enthusiasts.
From the moment they met as teenagers, John and Paul formed an extraordinary bond that allowed them to create iconic songs together. Their partnership is a significant reason why the Beatles’ music continues to resonate today.
However, like any friendship, they experienced highs and lows. At the time of the band’s breakup, their relationship had soured significantly, with both becoming increasingly hostile towards each other.
John’s initial jibes were less harsh, once referring to Paul’s music as “granny s- -t” and causing issues during the recording of their final albums. However, after Paul sued the group, their friendship deteriorated further, with John becoming more hurtful towards Paul, reports .
The Beatles (back L-R) George Harrison, Paul McCartney, (front L-R) Ringo Starr and John Lennon photographed before the first concert in a series of Christmas shows at The Astoria in Finsbury Park, London (Image: Getty Images)
“When the Beatles had broken up and John was downing me a lot in public, that was probably the worst to take because I knew he [had] an opinion a lot of people listened to,” Paul confessed.
During the period when both were working on solo albums, John didn’t have any kind words for Paul’s new work. The situation escalated dramatically when John released a new track with offensive lyrics.
“The only thing you did was yesterday,” Lennon croons in ‘How Do You Sleep’, suggesting that the only decent song McCartney ever wrote was ‘Yesterday’. Even more cutting is the preceding line, “Jump when your momma tell you anything.”
This was a cruel jab at McCartney, who believed his late mother sent him songs in his dreams, including ‘Yesterday’. Both Lennon and McCartney lost their mothers at a young age, and this shared grief initially bonded them before their friendship eventually disintegrated.
McCartney confessed that Lennon’s comment was “hurtful” to him given their past.
“If it was just a critic saying, ‘Oh, McCartney’s stupid’, you know…” he explained. “But when it was John saying, ‘All you ever did was ‘Yesterday,’ I mean… that’s hurtful.”
They eventually reconciled and become friends again after the Beatles broke up, and were on good terms until Lennon’s death in 1980; they mended their relationship in the mid-1970s after a period of tension following the band’s split.