For as much as karma can work in mysterious ways, it can also be glaringly obvious, which seemed to be the case for Paul McCartney when he had to field “awful” jokes about his wife, Linda McCartney, joining Wings. The band was McCartney’s first ensemble endeavor post-Beatles, the latter of which was famously overshadowed by a passive-aggressive feud between Yoko Ono and every member of the Fab Four besides John Lennon.
The theory that McCartney was looking directly at Ono while he sang “Get Back” in the studio (specifically, “Get back to where you once belonged”) was a manifestation of this divide. Years later, McCartney discussed this contentious time in Beatles history during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show. “Those were very paranoid times, you know,” the ex-Beatle said.
Videos by American Songwriter
“And let’s face it, we didn’t welcome Yoko in the studio. I thought it was a guy thing. Even the guys’ wives and the girlfriends and stuff weren’t really welcome in the studio. Control room for a quick visit. But actually sit in the studio with us? It was like, ‘Uh, no. Excuse me? We’re working.’”
Not long after the infamous “Get Back” sessions, McCartney found himself in a somewhat similar situation. Except this time, he was the one fielding passive-aggressive remarks about his life partner.
Paul McCartney Later Learned to Empathize With John Lennon
During his interview with Howard Stern, Paul McCartney said that one of the most jarring things about Yoko Ono joining The Beatles in the studio was seeing her sitting on their amps instead of a stool—a sort of physical manifestation of the overcrowding they already felt internally. But, he added, “Later on, we suddenly sort of thought, ‘You know what? John’s in love with this girl. If he wants to bring her in the studio, we’ve got to cope with that.’ And you know, I now feel that he had the right to do that.”
In contrast, McCartney said he wished Lennon had approached the band before bringing Ono into the studio. But in hindsight, he didn’t actually have to—it would have just been a polite courtesy. Moreover, McCartney came to appreciate the creative guidance Ono offered Lennon, both as his second wife, mother to his second child, and his artistic muse.
We’d imagine that experiencing similar treatment with his own wife, Linda McCartney, helped refocus Paul’s perspective on the matter.
Linda McCartney Suffered Similar Treatment to Yoko Ono
History would show that the public didn’t vilify Linda McCartney nearly as badly as they did Yoko Ono. And there are plenty of reasons why that might be. For one, The Beatles’ breakup happening so shortly after Ono and John Lennon got together made it tempting to place the blame solely on Lennon’s new partner. There’s also an undeniable racism factor, which we won’t get into for brevity’s sake—although it certainly can’t and shouldn’t be ruled out. Nevertheless, Linda McCartney had to face her fair share of cruel jokes and ostracization.
Even though McCartney had little to no musical experience before joining Wings, she joined the band at the encouragement of her husband. But as she and others would come to notice, that decision was divisive in some circles. The Moody Blues’ Graeme Edge and Ray Thomas spoke of her ostracization in a later interview, with Thomas saying, “She was ridiculed. He was ridiculed. It’s like taking your wife to work, isn’t it?”
“It was an awful joke,” Edge added. “Because I think sometimes people tend to forget that Paul and people in show business are actually humans. There was a dreadful joke going around about, ‘Name a dog with Wings: Linda McCartney.’ I think people really do forget they’re talking about human beings when they put some of these things in reviews. Why shouldn’t the guy have his missus there? It might be great psychological support for him.”
Indeed, just like Ono was to Lennon. It just goes to show that no matter what your station in life may be, you never truly understand another person’s perspective until you’re forced to view it from your own eyes.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images