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Pop legend Paul McCartney appeared on Apple Music’s flagship program, The Zane Lowe Show, where he shared the creative backstory of his new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, and reflected on memories from his Beatles years.
Host Zane Lowe dug into the origins of \”Home to Us\” — the album’s standout track and McCartney’s first official duet with fellow Beatle Ringo Starr.
McCartney said he wrote the song remembering the childhoods he and Ringo spent in Speke and Dingle, near Liverpool. \”The song is about those places being our hometowns full of warm memories, even if they were a little poor and rough,\” he said.
He also recounted a lighthearted studio misunderstanding. Ringo initially misread the intent of McCartney’s guide vocal and recorded only part of the chorus harmonies.
When McCartney clarified that he wanted them to sing the whole song together, Ringo replied, \”I thought you didn’t want that.\”
\”It suddenly became clear that I could sing one line and he could sing the next,\” McCartney recalled. \”That’s how the first Paul-and-Ringo duet came about.\” Lowe observed, \”It’s striking that two people who’ve spent their whole lives together still check in on each other’s intentions while working. That’s life.\” She added that she found the exchange deeply moving.
They also talked about how his songwriting has changed. Where he once had to finish songs immediately to avoid losing an idea, he now relies on his smartphone. \”I probably have more than 2,000 sketches on my phone,\” McCartney said, noting that he still digs into those notes and develops the best ideas into finished songs.
McCartney also outlined a personal approach to maintaining distance from the public, explaining that he often politely turns down fans asking for photos.
\”I’m sorry, but I don’t take photos. I hope you understand — I’m having a private moment today,\” he told fans, preferring to offer conversation rather than a picture.
He said posing for a camera can make him feel like a spectacle rather than a person. \”Being myself — whole and present — matters to me more than striking a pose,\” McCartney emphasized.
He also recalled times with Beatles members George Harrison and John Lennon, who died before him.
Looking back on the days they hitchhiked without a plan, McCartney said those impromptu trips helped them understand one another and benefited the band’s creative life.
On the band’s breakup he spoke with a calm perspective. \”We all knew we’d come full circle,\” he said, explaining that the members eventually returned to their own homes and lives.
Now in his eighties, McCartney’s gaze isn’t fixed on the past. Asked what drives his creativity today, he replied, \”I’m always in the same place — moving toward the future.\”
He still listens to new music, jots down ideas and keeps pushing toward his next project. Zane Lowe, Apple Music’s global creative director who led the interview, regularly features top international artists on the program, including K-pop groups such as BTS and Blackpink.
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