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The Beatles' split and subsequent falling out between John Lennon and Paul McCartney remains a frequently debated aspect of rock history. The tension between the two led to numerous jabs within their albums and singles in the following years, and the two continued to use one another as inspiration after they disbanded.
In his new book, Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, McCartney is taking a look back at his friendship with John Lennon, including all of their tense years with one another that bordered on hatred, and how they managed to rebuild their friendship before Lennon's tragic death in 1980.
McCartney and Lennon were embroiled in a bitter relationship for several years post-Beatles, with Lennon putting down McCartney's first solo works and releasing songs such as "'God" and "How Do You Sleep," which included pointed lyrics toward his former Beatles bandmate. "John was firing missiles at me with his songs, and one or two of them were quite cruel," McCartney wrote in his book. "I don't know what he hoped to gain, other than punching me in the face."
After releasing a few jabs himself, McCartney opted to extend an olive branch with his 1971 track, "Dear Friend." Lennon did not release another diss track, and the two slowly began to mend bridges.
"At first, after the breakup of the Beatles, we had no contact, but there were various things we needed to talk about," McCartney wrote. "Our relationship was a bit fraught sometimes because we were discussing business, and we would sometimes insult each other over the phone. But gradually we got past that, and if I was in New York I would ring up and say, 'Do you fancy a cup of tea?'"
In 1975, after John Lennon and Yoko Ono welcomed their son, Sean Lennon, the former Beatles members found they had more in common being parents and began to talk once again. While Lennon spent the next five years focusing on being a dedicated father, McCartney wound up being his inspiration once again and got him back in the studio to record Double Fantasy after hearing McCartney's single, "Coming Up." Lennon was assassinated as he was recording his Double Fantasy follow-up, but McCartney had no regrets about what terms he and Lennon had been on at the time of his passing.
"I was very glad of how we got along in those last few years, that I had some really good times with him before he was murdered," McCartney wrote. "Without question, it would have been the worst thing in the world for me, had he been killed, when we still had a bad relationship. I would've thought, 'Oh, I should've, I should've, I should've...' It would have been a big guilt trip for me. But luckily, our last meeting was very friendly. We talked about how to bake bread."
Earlier this year, McCartney shared what had broken up the Beatles in the first place, revealing that Lennon had been the one to instigate the split when he said he was leaving the band.
While McCartney has been busy reflecting on his and Lennon's relationship, the former Beatles member recently attended the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where he inducted the Foo Fighters. McCartney drew parallels between his own experience in the Beatles with Dave Grohl's years in Nirvana, and how the two managed to find continued success after their bands broke up.