The 1982 song that Paul McCartney struggled to perform live: “It’s a very charged experience”
For over 60 years, Paul McCartney has transformed himself into the textbook definition of a pop virtuoso in every sense.
Although he might not have been able to read sheet music in the early days of The Beatles, his immaculate ear for melody has been filling stadiums of people for generations on the back of songs like ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Let It Be’. While McCartney knows half of The Beatles’ catalogue like the back of his hand, a handful of songs give him trouble onstage.
Then again, when talking about his creative streak in the studio, it’s understandable why he would have some struggles. Coming from the era when The Beatles used Abbey Road Studios as an instrument by itself, McCartney would occasionally use techniques that aren’t as conventional in a live setting, including the various tape loops that went into ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’.
This continued in his solo career, creating tapestries of sound that wouldn’t be suitable for a live setting on albums like RAM. Although there were occasionally tunes that translated to the stage, it’s still impossible to imagine a song like ‘Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey’ being performed live any time soon, featuring one of the trickiest medleys that Macca ever put to tape.
When asked what song he finds the most difficult to perform live, though, McCartney singled out the song ‘Here Today’ from 1982’s Tug of War. Written shortly after the murder of John Lennon, ‘Today’ is a touching tribute from McCartney to his writing partner, in which he thanks him for being a part of his life.
Part of what makes ‘Here Today’ so powerful is how understated it is compared to many public tributes written in the aftermath of loss. Rather than leaning into grand sentimentality, McCartney frames the song almost like a private conversation he never had the chance to finish, imagining how he and Lennon might speak to each other if given one more opportunity.
That conversational intimacy gives the track an emotional weight that has only deepened with time, particularly for listeners aware of the complicated but deeply affectionate relationship the pair shared.
The song also marked a rare moment where McCartney publicly lowered the emotional guard he had often maintained throughout his career. Despite writing countless love songs, he was never especially comfortable discussing vulnerability in direct personal terms, particularly regarding Lennon.
‘Here Today’ therefore stands out not only as one of his finest solo compositions, but also as one of the clearest glimpses into the genuine bond that sat beneath the mythology of Lennon and McCartney for decades.
When discussing the song’s genesis, McCartney said that he was practically weeping while writing the tune, recalling, “I was kind of crying when I wrote it. I’m sure you understand why without me going into it all. His death is something that the three of us [Beatles] find very difficult to talk about, even to each other.”
Even though McCartney had a deep love for his old mate, he did feel uncomfortable performing a song that explicitly said “I love you” to him, recalling to Mojo, “I realise I’m telling this man that I love him, and it’s like, ‘Oh my god’, like I’m publicly declaring it in front of all these people I don’t know! It’s a good thing to do, though.”
Usually cropping up during his acoustic portion of the show, McCartney weaves the song into performances of iconic Beatles tracks like ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Blackbird’. Although many years have passed since the initial shock of Lennon’s murder, McCartney still has trouble delivering those words to an audience, recounting in The Lyrics, “It’s a very charged experience to perform this song in concert. It’s just me and a guitar. I’m stuck in the middle of a great big arena with all these people, and a lot of them are crying. It’s always a very sentimental, nostalgic, emotional moment.”
Regardless of how McCartney feels about the song, ‘Here Today’ remains a staple of his discography and a snapshot of the days he created magic alongside Lennon. A lot had changed since the days of being schoolboys and wanting to be rock stars, but McCartney still remembers the innocence of his old friend named John.
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