5 of Paul McCartney's Best "Granny" Songs
We know Paul McCartney can do it all when it comes to songwriting and performing, but “Granny” songs? That was the derisive term used by John Lennon to describe McCartney’s occasional fondness for material that borrowed heavily from music of the pre-rock era.
Lennon meant it as an insult (especially when using it in interviews following The Beatles’ breakup). But we actually quite like some of these tracks, especially these five.
“When I’m Sixty-Four” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
The whole idea behind Sgt. Pepper’s, which was largely McCartney’s, was the four men should imagine that they were a different band than The Beatles, opening the doors to material they might not have otherwise even considered. McCartney then jumped through that door with “When I’m Sixty-Four,” a throwback to American vaudeville or British music hall songs. What’s interesting is Macca wrote this when he was still a teenager, showing that even at a young age, he harbored a deep respect for musical eras that had come before him. And he did those genres great justice with this charming track.
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
