
The Lyrics
1956 to the Present
WW Norton · Print & ebook · November 7, 2023
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A Washington Post Notable Book Excerpted in The New Yorker A work of unparalleled candor and splendorous beauty, The Lyrics celebrates the creative life and the musical genius of Paul McCartney through his most meaningful songs.
We earn from qualifying purchases.
- Who it’s for
- Read McCartney’s songs alongside the stories, places, and people behind their creation.
- Genres
- Lyrics, Musicians' Lives, Composer & Musician Biographies
- Published
- WW Norton, November 7, 2023
Nearest books
Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genre: Musicians' Lives.
Philip RothBlake Bailey44% match
John & PaulIan Leslie68% matchAlso shares Composer & Musician Biographies
The StorytellerDave Grohl59% match
You Never Give Me Your MoneyPeter Doggett56% match
Morning Glory on the VineJoni Mitchell51% matchAlso shares Lyrics
Here, There and EverywhereGeoff Emerick, Howard Massey58% match
For younger readers: The Twelve Days of Christmas, The Beatles: a Little Golden Book Biography, Who Were the Beatles?
Start with three books, and this one can be the first.
Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.
Start with this bookAbout this book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A Washington Post Notable Book Excerpted in The New Yorker A work of unparalleled candor and splendorous beauty, The Lyrics celebrates the creative life and the musical genius of Paul McCartney through his most meaningful songs. Finally in paperback and featuring seven new song commentaries, the #1 New York Times bestseller celebrates the creative life and unparalleled musical genius of Paul McCartney.
Continue reading
Spanning sixty-four years—from his early days in Liverpool, through the historic decade of The Beatles, to Wings and his solo career—Paul McCartney’s The Lyrics revolutionized the way artists write about music. An unprecedented “triumph” (Times UK), this handsomely designed volume pairs the definitive texts of over 160 songs with first-person commentaries on McCartney’s life, revealing the diverse circumstances in which songs were written; how they ultimately came to be; and the remarkable, yet often delightfully ordinary, people and places that inspired them. The Lyrics also includes: · A personal foreword by McCartney · An unprecedented range of songs, from beloved standards like “Band on the Run” to new additions “Day Tripper” and “Magical Mystery Tour” · Over 160 images from McCartney’s own archives Edited and introduced by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon, The Lyrics is the definitive literary and visual record of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.
Songs, Then Stories
Read McCartney’s songs alongside the stories, places, and people behind their creation.
Come here for
- More than 160 songs paired with McCartney’s first-person commentaries
- A songwriter’s view of how songs take shape
Expect
- A career-spanning collection, from the Beatles years to solo work
- Archival images and seven new song commentaries in the paperback edition
Where it sits
| Musicians' Lives | 63% |
|---|---|
| Lyrics | 56% |
| Composer & Musician Biographies | 24% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Musicians' Lives
- Lives in Entertainment
- Lyrics
- Authors
- Paul McCartney, Paul Muldoon
- Publisher
- WW Norton
- Published
- November 7, 2023
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Reading lane
- Musicians' Lives