I'm so happy that He included the lyrics from some of his songs. He has such a way of drawing pictures with words and making feelings come to life. Although there were a couple of poems I didn't particularly care for, I think the same could be said of any poetry book, no matter who wrote it. He really put his heart out there in the poem he wrote for John Lennon and the one he wrote for Linda. They are both beautiful pieces. And of course, the book would not be complete without the lyrics to "Hey Jude" that he wrote for Julian Lennon. Paul McCartney is, and has always been, an extraordinary writer!
Sir Paul McCartney as musician, songwriter, actor, producer, knight, yes. How about poet as opposed to songwriter? Most definitely, as his school teacher turned him on to Shakespeare and Chaucer. And as "Blackbird" is one of my favourite Beatles songs, I thought it appropriate a title for this collection of poetry and even songs by the Beatles, Wings, and his solo material. However, I also learned in the intro that he was inspired by a message he was giving to a black women during the civil rights movement. The song was transformed from literal to symbol, so the words changed from "Black women living in Little Rock" to "Blackbird singing in the dead of night." The book is divided into nine thematic sections: 1. Playing at Home 2. Yesterday 3. Friends And Enemies 4. The Business 5. The World Tonight 6. All The Lonely People 7. Standing Stone 8. Home To Love 9. Nova Sections 3 and especially 6, taken from a lyric in "Eleanor Rigby," hit home to me. Some of Nova has odes to Linda and shows how devoted a couple they were and the devastation he felt at her passing, such as "Lost" and "She Is..." However, some poems show McCartney as social critic on the issues of nuclear war, pollution, the legal system, and public safety. In "Jerk of All Jerks", written from the point of view of the title people, he writes "I'm the man that disposes/of nuclear waste/There's no need to worry/it's perfectly safe." And he imparts great wisdom in describing the follies of going for the top is written in the refrain of "Chasing The Cherry": "And say, are you chasing the cherry?/The merry-go-round of the roses/If so, you must know/that the down side/is to sink like a ferry." And reading "Looking For Changes", on the horrors of animal experimentation really got my dander up because Sir Paul told it like it was. And some of his poems are whimsical and amusing. In "Trouble Is", he writes "Rabbit running in circles/chasing his tail/because it looks like candy floss/Trouble is--rabbits don't eat candy floss." The punchline to this poem is funny. Where the songs are placed in a poetry format, some of them reveal themselves when read rather than being listened to. "Yesterday" for example, is one, as is "Here Today" from the Tug Of War album (1982), dedicated to John Lennon. And "The Song We Were Singing" from Flaming Pie shows Sir Paul commenting on how we all fall back to our usual selves after undergoing something deep: "Take a sip, see the world through a glass/and speculate about the cosmic solution/to the sound, blue guitars/caught up in a philosophical discussion." But alas, "we always come back to the song we were singing." Compilation of this book was done by 60's activist/anti-war/counter culture poet Adrian Mitchell under Linda McCartney's guidance. There is also an index, and for the songs, there is a listing telling which album it's from. Helpful, that. And this book, not only reminds people that McCartney is a great songwriter but reveals his inner personality as well.Read full review
Great condition.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
BOUGHT AS A GIFT. SONGS & POEMS WERE VERY INSIGHTFUL, AND PERSONAL. AFTER READING SOME TITLES, YOU COULD REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS GOING THROUGH AT THAT TIME. MANY TITLES WERE CLOSE TO HIS HEART, AND THE EXPLAINATIONS THAT WENT WITH THEM HELPED TO SEE WHAT IT WAS THAT HE WAS TRYING TO SAY. HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED.
I like Paul Mccartney. That is why I bought the book. He is brilliant and it seems like everything he touches does well.
a lovely book written by Paul McCartney. Elegant look, and filled with the wonderful poetry by Paul put to music. Close to my heart.
read it before and liked it at the bookstore. am a real fan of Mr McCartney, have dvds records, etc.
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