Paul McCartney reveals what makes him feel better about missing John and George

By Andrea Dresdale May 29, 2026 | 12:00 PM

Paul McCartney (Credit: Mary McCartney)

Paul McCartney’s new album The Boys of Dungeon Lane is out now. Many of the songs were inspired by his childhood and experiences with former Beatles bandmates John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, who joins him for a duet on the song “Home to Us.” While Lennon and Harrison are gone, Paul said there’s one thing that gives him some comfort about that loss.

Speaking to The Guardian, McCartney said of Lennon, “My collaborator was probably one of the best writers of the century, so, yeah, you’re going to miss him. … But that’s life: you lose people.” He also recalled Beatles producer George Martin telling him about aging, “The terrible thing about it is all your mates start popping off.”

“Now I’m probably at that age, and I’m very conscious of that, having lost John and George – two big touchstones for anything we’re talking about [in this interview],” he continued. He adds “So, yeah, you do miss them. I start to get very sad, and I have to think, ‘Wow, wait a minute, everyone misses them.’ It’s not just me. So that makes me feel a bit better.”

“I think, ‘Well, sod it, it’s life, and it’s what we’ve got.’”

Elsewhere in the interview, McCartney says that the sound of the Ringo duet — about their tough childhoods – was inspired by Oasis. After seeing the reunited band perform, he was impressed by how loud and massive they sounded.

“Forget about Spinal Tap’s 11, the amps are on 12,” he told producer Andrew Watt, aiming to get a similar feel on the track.

Select record stores nationwide are holding The Boys of Dungeon Lane release parties all weekend, featuring exclusive merch giveaways, contests and limited-edition vinyl.