More than 40 years have passed since the tragic loss of John Lennon, yet for those closest to him, the pain remains as raw as ever. Paul McCartney, who shared an unbreakable bond with Lennon, still feels the weight of that loss. Their relationship, forged through music and personal hardship, was as complex as it was profound.
As teenagers, both Lennon and McCartney endured the devastating loss of their mothers, a shared grief that deepened their connection. Though their friendship faced turbulence after The Beatles’ breakup, they ultimately reconciled before Lennon’s untimely death. Even today, McCartney struggles with the void left by his longtime friend.
Reflecting in 2020, he admitted, “It’s very difficult for me, and I occasionally will have thoughts and sort of say, ‘Why don’t I just break down crying every day?’ Because it’s that bad. Not every day, you know? But there will be times when I just think, ‘Oh my God, it was just so senseless.’”
In coping with the loss, McCartney finds solace in the music Lennon left behind. The songs serve as a bridge to their shared past, offering him a glimpse into the soul of his late friend. Among Lennon’s vast catalog, one song stands out to McCartney as especially poignant—‘Beautiful Boy’.
During a 1982 appearance on Desert Island Discs, just two years after Lennon’s passing, McCartney selected ‘Beautiful Boy’ as one of his eight essential records. The song, from Lennon’s final album Double Fantasy, is a heartfelt tribute to his young son, Sean.
Explaining his choice, McCartney said, “I haven’t chosen any Beatles records, but if we had more than eight, I probably would have. I haven’t chosen any of my own records either.
But to sum up the whole thing, I’ve chosen one of John’s from Double Fantasy, which I think is a beautiful song—very moving to me. So, I’d like to sum up the whole thing by playing ‘Beautiful Boy’.”
For Lennon, the song was an expression of pure love for his son. Speaking to journalist David Sheff, Lennon described how deeply involved he was in raising Sean: “Well, what can I say? It’s about Sean. It’s self-explanatory. The music and the lyrics came at the same time. The joy is still there when I see Sean. He didn’t come out of my belly, but by God, I made his bones. I’ve attended to every meal, to how he sleeps, to the fact that he swims like a fish. That’s because I took him to the ‘Y’. I took him to the ocean. I’m so proud of those things. He is my biggest pride, you see.”
Decades later, McCartney had the chance to share his love for ‘Beautiful Boy’ directly with Sean Lennon. In a 2020 BBC Radio 2 interview marking the 40th anniversary of Lennon’s passing, McCartney told Sean, “Obviously, Imagine and Instant Karma! are great, and the nice thing is when I listen to the records, I can imagine him in the studio and go, ‘Oh, okay, I know what he’s done.’ I’m often asked about my favorite John songs, and I always include ‘Beautiful Boy’.”
For McCartney, ‘Beautiful Boy’ carries an emotional weight unlike any other Lennon composition. It captures a tender, intimate side of his friend—one rarely seen by the public. While Lennon was robbed of the chance to watch his son grow up, ‘Beautiful Boy’ remains a lasting testament to the love he had for him. And for McCartney, it serves as a powerful reminder of the friend, brother, and musical partner he lost far too soon.
