Former Beatle Paul McCartney has given away quite a few songs throughout his career. Considering he’s one of the greatest songwriters of his generation, this isn’t entirely surprising. Why let a good song go to waste? Let’s take a look at just three songs that Macca has shared with other artists. While each of these songs is great, I can definitely see why he decided to share them elsewhere.
“Songbird In A Cage” by Charlotte Gainsbourg
French actress and musician Charlotte Gainsbourg once collaborated with Paul McCartney (among others) back in 2017 for her studio album, Rest. Some other names on the album include Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy), Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (Daft Punk), SebastiAn, Connan Hosford, and others. The lyrics and composition of the song “Songbird In A Cage” were written entirely by Paul McCartney, and he also plays the guitar, piano, and drums on the track.
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“I Wanna Be Your Man” by The Rolling Stones
Well, I couldn’t leave this one off. The Beatles, specifically the songwriting duo Paul McCartney and John Lennon, gave this song away to one of their biggest rivals, The Rolling Stones. The song was a big hit for the band in 1963. According to lore, McCartney and Lennon finished writing the song in a London club and tossed it The Stones’ way. “I Wanna Be Your Man” would end up being a Top 20 hit in the UK. Later, The Beatles would record a version of it, and McCartney would perform the song on occasion as a soloist.
“We were friends with them, and I just thought ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ would be good for them,” said McCartney of the song in 2016. “I knew they did Bo Diddley stuff. And they made a good job of it.”
“Mine For Me” by Rod Stewart
Remember this 1974 song by Rod Stewart from the album Smiler? Believe it or not, this jam was actually written by Paul McCartney and his wife, Linda McCartney. The song wasn’t a huge hit, but it did chart decently in the United States, ultimately peaking at No. 91 on the Hot 100 chart. When you listen to it, it’s pretty clear that “Mine For Me” is a McCartney original. However, it’s far from an ill fit for Stewart. His performance of the song makes it all his own, and those steel drums really do sound lovely.
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UNSPECIFIED – JANUARY 01: Photo of Jessi COLTER; posed, (Photo by Charlie Gillett Collection/Redferns) -
Beatles tour of USA 1964. Left to right: Beatles members Ringo Starr, John Lennon, George Harrison and Paul McCartney wave to fans prior to boarding their plane at London airport for their tour of USA. 18th August 1964. (Photo by Eyles/Daily Herald/Mirrorpix via Getty Images) -
1967: Superstar group "Buffalo Springfield" pose for a portrait in 1967. (L-R) Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Dewey Martin, Richie Furay, Bruce Palmer. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 01: (left to right) Boz Burrell, Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke and Mick Ralphs of Bad Company perform on the BBC television show 'Top of the Pops' in June 1974. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
