Paul McCartney took inspiration from a lot of different places when writing songs for The Beatles.
The 82-year-old singer teamed up with John Lennon to write several iconic hits for the band, with their songs often being inspired by family members, newspaper articles and even tracks by other musicians. One such hit was Back In The U.S.S.R, which Paul has revealed was a “parody” of The Beach Boys.
He previously admitted, “I wrote that as a kind of Beach Boys parody. And ‘Back in the USA’ was a Chuck Berry song, so it kinda took off from there.”
Paul McCartney has paid tribute to the late Brian Wilson, whose passing was announced on Wednesday, June 11th, calling his songs “achingly special” and that “I loved him.”
The Beach Boys leader passed away, but the cause and date of death have not yet been announced.
On his Instagram account on June 12th, McCartney wrote, “Brian had that mysterious sense of musical genius that made his songs so achingly special. The notes he heard in his head and passed to us were simple and brilliant at the same time.”
He added, “I loved him, and was privileged to be around his bright shining light for a little while. How we will continue without Brian Wilson, ‘God Only Knows’. Thank you, Brian. – Paul.”
Following the release of Pet Sounds, Wilson was increasingly impacted by mental health struggles and he was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. In February 2024, it was announced that he was diagnosed with dementia. Wilson is survived by his daughters Carnie and Wendy from his 1964 marriage to Marilyn Rovell, as well as his five adopted children with his wife Melinda Ledbetter, who passed in early 2024.
