Paperback Writer

I loved the song “Long Tall Sally” by Little Richard. It came out when I was about 10 years old. The Beatles did a cover, and it was a big hit, but the Beatles did another song which was inspired by Long Tall Sally and it was the song Paperback Writer. According to the “Beatle Bible, Paperback Writer” was an attempt by McCartney to write a song based on a single chord – possibly influenced by Indian music.

“John and I would like to do songs with just one note like ‘Long Tall Sally’. We got near it in ‘The Word’. Paul McCartney

The same source says that “McCartney wrote ‘Paperback Writer’ after reading a Daily Mail report about an aspiring author, and composed it on the way to Lennon’s house in Weybridge.”

You knew, the minute you got there, cup of tea and you’d sit and write, so it was always good if you had a theme. I’d had a thought for a song and somehow it was to do with the Daily Mail so there might have been an article in the Mail that morning about people writing paperbacks. Penguin paperbacks was what I really thought of the archetypal paperback.

I arrived at Weybridge and told John I had this idea of trying to write off to a publisher to become a paperback writer, and I said, ‘I think it should be written like a letter.’ I took a bit of paper out and I said it should be something like ‘Dear Sir or Madam, as the case may be…’ and I proceeded to write it just like a letter in front of him, occasionally rhyming it. And John, as I recall, just sat there and said, ‘Oh, that’s it,’ ‘Uhuh,’ ‘Yeah.’ I remember him, his amused smile, saying, ‘Yes, that’s it, that’ll do.’ Quite a nice moment: ‘Hmm, I’ve done right! I’ve done well!’ And then we went upstairs and put the melody to it. John and I sat down and finished it all up, but it was tilted towards me, the original idea was mine. I had no music, but it’s just a little bluesy song, not a lot of melody. Then I had the idea to do the harmonies and we arranged that in the studio.

Paperback Writer was written by Lennon-McCartney

Paperback Paperback writer

Paperback writer, paperback writer

Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?

It took me years to write, will you take a look?

It's based on a novel by a man named Lear

And I need a job

So I want to be a paperback writer

Paperback writer

It's a dirty story of a dirty man

And his clinging wife doesn't understand

His son is working for the Daily Mail

It's a steady job

But he wants to be a paperback writer

Paperback writer

Paperback writer, paperback writer

It's a thousand pages, give or take a few

I'll be writing more in a week or two

I could make it longer if you like the style

I can change it 'round

And I want to be a paperback writer

If you really like it you can have the rights

It could make a million for you overnight

If you must return it you can send it here

But I need a break

And I want to be a paperback writer

Paperback writer

Paperback writer, paperback writer

Paperback writer, paperback writer

Paperback writer, paperback writer

Paperback writer, paperback writer

Paperback writer