The Beatles’ tumultuous breakup was a living testament to the Icarian idea that the higher you rise, the harder you fall, and John Lennon’s scathing letter to Paul McCartney laid out the many dramatic tumbles the Fab Four took on their way down from the height of their band’s fame.
Lennon felt prompted to write the letter after reading an interview McCartney had for Melody Maker magazine. In the interview, McCartney offered his perspective on the Beatles breakup, including what he felt was unfair and instigative behavior from his former bandmates and record label Apple executives. Lennon did not take kindly to McCartney’s remarks.
From addressing McCartney and his wife (and then-recent bandmate) Linda McCartney as “et al the wee McCartneys” to calling his former bandmate his “obsessive old pal,” Lennon held no punches in his biting correspondence dated November 24, 1971.
The Trouble Of Finding An Official Breakup Date
Despite reportedly being the first Beatle to say they wanted out of the band, John Lennon held up the official Beatles breakup due to discrepancies he had with taxes related to his U.S. residency that wouldn’t have financially disaffected his ex-colleagues in the same way. After putting off signing his disbandment contract for months, an Apple lawyer found Lennon at a hotel in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom resort and got him to sign the papers, officially breaking up the Beatles in the Happiest Place on Earth.
The financial implications of breaking up one of the world’s most famous bands haunted the Fab Four for years as they tried to process their breakup. Three years before Lennon signed his contract in 1974, he addressed his tax concerns in his letter to McCartney. “For the millionth time in these past few years I repeat, What about the TAX? It’s all very well playing ‘simple, honest ole’ human Paul’ in the Melody Maker, but you know damn well we can’t just sign a bit of paper. You say ‘John won’t do it’. I will if you’ll indemnify us against the tax — man!”
Lennon Addressed Threats McCartney Made To Ringo Starr
Another issue that dominated the Beatles’ breakup was the fact that each member was busy pursuing their solo career, which made timing out the remaining Beatles releases tricky. After Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Apple decided to postpone Paul McCartney’s solo release ‘McCartney’ in favor of the Beatles’ 1970 record ‘Let It Be.’ Harrison and Lennon penned a letter to McCartney explaining their decision, and unfortunately for Starr, the drummer was sent to deliver the message.
“I went to see Paul,” Starr later said during a 1971 court hearing. “To my dismay, he went completely out of control, shouting at me, prodding his fingers towards my face, saying, ‘I’ll finish you now’ and ‘you’ll pay.’ He told me to put my coat on and get out. I did so” (via BeatlesBible). McCartney corroborated the story in Anthology, saying, “It was the only time I ever told anyone to GET OUT! It was fairly hostile. It hadn’t actually come to blows, but it was near enough. Unfortunately, it was Ringo.”
Lennon used this altercation as ammunition against McCartney’s claims that his bandmates were the aggressors of their conflict. “Who was buying up Northern Songs shares behind my back? Who’s the guy threatening to ‘finish’ Ringo and Maureen, who was warning me on the phone two weeks ago? Who said he’d ‘get us’ whatever the cost? — As I’ve said before — have you ever thought that you might possibly be wrong about something?”
John Lennon’s Letter Highlighted His Differences From Paul McCartney
Although they might’ve enjoyed the first part of their career in harmony, John Lennon and Paul McCartney grew more and more diametrically opposed as they neared the end of their seven-year run. Lennon made sure to highlight these moral, musical, political, and ideological differences in his 1971 letter. Toward the end of the three-page document, Lennon references his solo track “Imagine.”
“So, you think ‘Imagine’ ain’t political,” Lennon wrote. “It’s ‘working class here’ with sugar on it for conservatives like yourself!! You obviously didn’t dig the words. Imagine! Your politics are very similar to Mary Whitehouse’s — ‘saying nothing is as loud as saying something!’” He moved on to McCartney’s record label plans, writing, “Wanna put your photo on the label like uncool John and Yoko, do ya? (Ain’t ya got no shame!) If we’re not cool, WHAT DOES THAT MAKE YOU…….”
As if to further emphasize his moral disambiguation from McCartney, Lennon added a postscript to his letter: “The bit that really puzzled us was asking to meet WITHOUT LINDA AND YOKO. I know you’re camp! But let’s not go too far! I thought you’d have under-stood BY NOW, that I’m JOHNANDYOKO.” Indeed, Lennon’s insistence that he would never make significant decisions without his wife—yet, McCartney would suggest doing so without his—was yet another low blow from Lennon to Macca.
Lennon hammered his point home by requesting his letter be published in Melody Maker, the same magazine that published McCartney’s inflammatory interview. The post- (if you want to get technical, mid-) breakup letter went to auction in 2022. After a 17-day bidding war, the cutting letter and musical history momento sold for $70,000.
Photo by Frank Apthorp/Daily Mail/Shutterstock
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