The Beatles Legend to Explore Creative Inspirations with Poet Paul Muldoon

Sir Paul McCartney is set to delve into his songwriting process in a brand-new podcast, McCartney: A Life in Lyrics. The legendary Beatles member will team up with Pulitzer Prize-winning Irish poet Paul Muldoon in a series of 24 episodes, exploring the people, events, and artistic influences behind his iconic songs.

The podcast will cover McCartney’s extensive back catalogue, from his early Beatles tracks to his solo hits, with each episode focusing on a single song. These discussions, which blend memoir, masterclass, and improvisational storytelling, are the result of years of collaboration between McCartney and Muldoon, who previously worked together on the 2021 book The Lyrics: 1965 to Present.

The first episode, released on October 4, explores how the Cold War and the Soviet Union influenced the Beatles’ 1968 hit “Back In The USSR.” McCartney reveals that the song was inspired by Chuck Berry’s “Back In The USA,” with a satirical twist, as he imagined a character returning to the USSR from the United States.

The podcast, produced by iHeartPodcasts and Pushkin, will air on select radio stations starting October 8. Fans can expect an intimate look at the stories behind some of McCartney’s most beloved songs, spanning his career with The Beatles, Wings, and his solo projects.