John Lennon "worried" about how he'd be remembered when he died.
John Lennon shocked Sir Paul McCartney with his worries
The late Beatles legend - who was shot dead in December 1980, aged 40 - left his bandmate Sir Paul McCartney "shocked" when he confided in him his fears about his legacy, but the 81-year-old musician admitted he often had to be like a "priest" to his pal and offer reassurance.
Speaking on his 'McCartney: A Life in Lyrics' podcast, he said on the 'Here Today' episode: “I remember him saying to me, ‘Paul, I worry about how people are going to remember me when I die,’ and it kind of shocked me.
“I said ‘OK, hold on, just hold it right there. People are going to think you were great, you’ve already done enough work to demonstrate that.’
“I was like his priest. Often I’d have to say, ‘My son, you’re great, don’t worry about it,’ and he would take it. It would make him feel better.”
Paul found writing songs with John "easier" than working alone and even now he often thinks about what input his late bandmate would have offered.
He said: “If anyone asks me, ‘What was it like to work with John?’ The fact was it was easier, much easier, because there were two minds at work. And that interplay was nothing short of miraculous.
“Now I’m conscious that I don’t have him, very much. And you know, often we’ll sort of refer to, ‘What would John say to this? Is this too soppy? He would’ve said da da da, so I’ll change it.'
"But my songs have to reflect me, and you don’t have this opposing element so much. I have to do that myself these days.”
Paul released 'Here Today' in 1982 and described it as a "love song to John" because writing it helped him reflect on his favourite memories of his friend.
He said: “I was remembering things about our relationship and things about the million things we’d done together. From just being in each others' front parlours or bedrooms, or walking on the street together, or hitchhiking.
"[Writing it was] very moving, very emotional because I was just sitting there in this bare room thinking of John and realising I’d lost him.”
Despite his grief, Paul found writing the song to be healing.
He added: “And it was a powerful loss, so to have a conversation with him in a song was some form of solace. Somehow I was with him again.”
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