4 Songs The Beatles Wrote About Each Other After They Broke Up

It’s no secret that emotions were likely running high in the years building up to the inevitable disbandment of the Fab Four. In the years that followed that fateful day, each member of The Beatles wrote songs about each other; and some of them aren’t exactly easy-going.

1. “Too Many People” by Paul McCartney

When it comes to songs The Beatles wrote about each other, this one seems like a deliberate jab. There’s no way this song wasn’t made to get under John Lennon’s skin. The listeners could feel it, critics could feel it, and even Lennon himself could feel it. Paul McCartney’s lyrics can be interpreted as an attack on everything from Lennon’s lifestyle to his taste in music to his wife. It’s a fine song, but it feels more like a diss track than anything else.

2. “Early 1970” by Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr kicked off his solo career shortly after The Beatles broke up, despite feeling a bit lost without the Fab Four together. It was released as a B-side to the 1971 single “It Don’t Come Easy”. The song was inspired by the band’s breakup and the lyrics comment on each of the members of the band.

The song is less about his former band members and more about him, though. Starr gets pretty self-deprecating in the last verse, criticizing his abilities as a musician and his desire to play music with his team again. “I play guitar, a – d – e / I don’t play bass ’cause that’s too hard for me / I play the piano if it’s in c / And when I go to town I wanna see all three.” It’s quite heartwrenching, honestly.

3. “How Do You Sleep?” by John Lennon

We’ll never really know how deeply the bitterness went between the former members of The Beatles, as all we know is what each member has said of it. John Lennon provided a little bit of insight with the song “How Do You Sleep?”

Lennon interpreted some lyrics in McCartney’s Ram to be digs at him, so he responded with this song. It’s a great song, honestly. But there is a lot of bitterness in it.

“You live with straights who tell you you was king / Jump when your momma tell you anything / The only thing you done was yesterday / And since you’re gone you’re just another day” make this song a certified diss track, in our book.

4. “Wah Wah” by George Harrison

George Harrison likely penned this solo song about McCartney specifically, but one could say it covered Harrison’s feelings about the final act of the Fab Four as a whole.

“At that point in time, Paul couldn’t see beyond himself,” said Harrison in an interview about Let It Be. “He was on a roll, but…in his mind, everything that was going on around him was just there to accompany him. He wasn’t sensitive to stepping on other people’s egos or feelings.”

Harrison said he was sick of the “bad vibes” and was ready to get out. “Wah Wah” was his response to the oppressive nature of the band toward the end, and it’s still one of his best tracks to date.

Photo by Keystone Press Agency/ZUMA Press

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