In his book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, co-authored with the Irish poet Paul Muldoon, Paul McCartney wrote, “Some people like to refer to a diary to recall day-to-day events from the past, but I have no such notebooks. What I do have are my songs which serve much the same purpose.” He recollected how these songs spanned his entire life. Even when he got his first guitar at the age of 14, he naturally gravitated towards writing songs. “Since then, I’ve never stopped,” noted the Beatles legend. Muldoon and McCartney began the McCartney: A Life in Lyrics podcast to return to the conversations and backstories they had started in the book. These have largely been about the lyrics McCartney wrote or co-wrote.

This month, they launched the second season of the podcast. Muldoon introduces each episode by calling the podcast “a masterclass, a memoir, and an improvised journey” with the artiste. The episodes are usually between 20 and 30 minutes long. Their conversations are punctuated by tunes from artistes who inspired the Liverpudlian band. There’s a popular story of how the title, A Hard Day’s Night came from what a weary Ringo Starr once said in an interview. But most of us don’t know the stories behind the other songs. What young McCartney and Lennon were up to when they created Love Me Do or what role did the radio play in their lives.