How One Beatles Song Inspired Sabrina Carpenter’s Music Career—and a Tearful First Encounter With Paul McCartney

Most people would probably say the most influential band of all time is none other than The Beatles. This is due to a hoard of factors, however, one primary trait of their impact is how they’ve influenced other artists. It would be incredibly difficult, maybe even impossible, to track down how many musicians the Fab Four influenced. Although, there is one current artist who directly correlates her love of music with The Beatles’ tune “Rocky Raccoon.” It may come as a surprise, but at the same time, it makes sense as to why Sabrina Carpenter is so fond of the group.

Sabrina Carpenter’s Monumental Car Ride

“I specifically remember driving with my dad to get his haircut,” she told Teen Vogue in 2018. From the car ride, she also recalls that they were “driving to get his hair cut, and I remember him turning on this song. And immediately I was like, this is music?” It was from this point on that Carpenter knew what she would do with her life, which was to become a generationally known songwriter and musician.

Specifically, the appealing element of The Beatles’ tune was that “there’s [was] such a story behind it, and they kinda did that with all their songs. And it made me really want to be a songwriter.” The Beatles’ lyrics and musical methods have seemingly worn off on Carpenter, as her music encompasses unique instrumentals and quirky lyrics articulating fascinating stories.

Carpenter Finally Meets Paul McCartney

Following years of anticipation and listening, Carpenter finally got to meet one of her songwriting idols. After meeting him at a party, Carpenter stated, “he was so present, sweet, and gracious with me.” per Grammy.com. Needless to say, it seems Carpenter’s musical life flashed before her eyes in this instance.

Carpenter also said, “I’ve been so inspired by him my entire life, and I’m not sure a lot of people know that about me.” And “I definitely did start crying a little bit, which is not something I do often. I’ll remember it forever.”

Between loving McCartney and meeting McCartney, Carpenter is just another example of how monumental The Beatles were and still are. Whenever a talented musician meets a member of The Beatles they can’t help but pay their respects. Sabrina Carpenter is one of the many musicians to have her musical rite of passage pertain to The Beatles.

Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Coachella