Behind Paul McCartney’s Love Affair With Country Music and Nashville

Nothing about Paul McCartney particularly shouts “American,” nonetheless “country.” But as a man who consistently subverts what people may think of him, the artist has had a long-time affection for both the country and the roots music coming from it. Now, unlike Post Malone or Tina Turner, McCartney never entirely transitioned into the genre. Rather, he kept it at arm’s length, toying with the music form on occasion.

Game respects game, and even though McCartney’s game didn’t reside within the confines of Nashville. He was a frequent visitor, listener, and background participant in the country music scene. Admiring its incorporation of blues, gospel, and folk, McCartney seemingly took influence from the genre with an entirely new perspective. However, without his visits to the city and the friendships existing there. This thread of musical direction would have been lost to McCartney.

McCartney’s Visits to The Music City

According to the Tennessean, McCartney’s relationship with Nashville has spanned from 1974 to 2023. In 1974, McCartney came to Nashville to rehearse for a Wings world tour and to simply see the sights and sounds. He stated “It’s a musical center. I’ve just heard so much about it that I wanted to see for myself,” to a Nashville Scene reporter upon his arrival. According to the Nashville Scene, McCartney’s song “Juniors Farm,” was inspired during his 1974 two-month stay at Curly “Junior” Putman’s farm.

In addition to this 1974 stint, McCartney has been back to Nashville on numerous occasions. In 2010, McCartney played at Bridgestone Arena to a packed crowd. Furthermore, in 2013, McCartney performed at Bonaroo and cemented his musical legacy to a younger generation.

Nashville’s Country Music Influence

One could go into the weeds about the musical nuances of guitar techniques and other idiosyncratic musical forms McCartney lifted from country music. However, that would take pages upon pages. A more overt way to show McCartney’s influence is seemingly through the covers and collaborations he’s participated in.

Covering Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” McCartney has also discussed the influence of musicians such as The Everly Brothers and Carl Perkins. He collaborated with Dolly Parton on her cover of “Let It Be” off her 2023 Rockstar album. Lastly, he also sang and played alongside Johnny Cash on the song, “New Moon Over Jamaica.” Paul McCartney simply loves music, so it makes sense as to why McCartney took such a liking to Nashville and the music it produces.

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