I'm Sure He'd Prefer To Be Alive But There’s Also No Way That John Lennon Wouldn’t Be A At Least

Three camera angle set-up of John singing “and if somebody love me like she does” while looking at Paul because why not?

'Well, let's just say there's someone in the music industry--a fairly famous someone--and he's pretty certain it [Starting Over] was written for Paul, and that Paul damn well knew it was...but that in the wake of John's death most everyone thought it would be disrespectful to Yoko and Sean to dispute who John had in mind while writing it. We were talking about it after an email correspondence I started having with a friend here who says she believes it was as well. I agreed with her. So, being my curious self, I just had to ask around, and that's the information I got. Whether it's totally 100% or not, I can't say. But hearing about it from this guy in particular was enough to confirm my belief that it was. It's not only his opinion but something that seems to be pretty well known amongst a lot of industry folks. We talked about it at great length and honestly, I was a bit surprised it was something he feels so strongly about....as well as their relationship, in general. When I told him straight out at first that I thought they were a 'couple', he said, "Well, no shit! Anybody who thinks otherwise has to be a fucking idiot!" I thought that was funny as hell! Not to bash the nay-sayers round these parts, but this guy isn't one to mince words and I'm just repeating what he said so don't go yellin' at me. Couldn't help laughing when he said it. And he knows a LOT of people in the business. Far more than I could ever dream of encountering...'cause he's quite a bit older than me and way more experienced in these circles. He used to be a session player ages ago and branched out on his own a long ways back....so he's definitely been AROUND and knows his shit when it comes to the 'who's who' of the music world and all the dirt that gets turned up at its surface. I trust him totally or else I wouldn't be so certain he's right about the stuff he says. He even said that the 'recording-style' and vocal effects used on that song, in particular, are what John specifically wanted in order to send a certain message to Paul." ------------------------------------------------

This is a comment made by a woman in an old forum, who said she spoke to an industry insider. I have read many similar comments (and I myself have been in contact with someone who claimed to have spoken to a couple of people who were once close to the Beatles) that have said that John and Paul's relationship was an open secret in the music industry. Maybe that's why Howard Stern is often asking Paul a lot of uncomfortable questions about John, and even suggested that "Maybe I'm Amazed" was written for John, lol.

no pictures please

Stevie in 1977.

“Scan not a friend with a microscopic glass – You know his faults – Then let his foibles pass.” Old Victorian Proverb. I’m sure there’s enough about me that pisses Paul off, but I think we have now grown old enough to realize… that we’re both pretty damn cute! – George Harrison, 2001 The last time I met him, he was very sick and I held his hand for four hours. As I was doing it I was thinking ‘I’ve never held his hand before, ever. This is not what two Liverpool fellas do, no matter how well you know each other.’ I kept thinking, ‘he’s going to smack me here.’ But he didn’t. He just stroked my hand with his thumb and I thought ‘Ah, this is okay, this is life. It’s tough but it’s lovely. That’s how it is.’ I knew George before I knew any of the others and I loved that man. I’m so proud to have known him. – Paul McCartney, 2003

Oh, for what it’s worth, no less than John Lennon loved the song. I spent a long time talking to [photographer] Bob Gruen once, it was great as we talked about a lot of stuff that he doesn’t usually get grilled on. One of the things that came up was the times he spent with John listening to the radio. Bob singled this song out as one he and John would listen to and how much John loved the song. John took the song quite personally, and saw it as Paul sending a message to him: ‘Yeah, I know you think I only write silly love songs, but I love you.’ Bob said John specifically mentioned the ‘I love you’ refrain as being a message from Paul to him. We can speculate all we want, but I have no reason to doubt the word or memory of a guy who sat in the Dakota bedroom with John and listened to this song with him.

— gswan, c/o Steve Hoffman Music Forums. (October 28th, 2010)

I stumbled upon this in the mall once (lured over by a large Magical Mystery Tour poster in a clothing store window), and it's probably my favourite article of clothing. A $450 (CAD) band shirt that will most likely be identified as a band shirt by nobody, even without a jacket.

Paul, George and Ringo’s reactions to meeting the Queen and receiving the MBE (Members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire).

The relevance of "I saw her standing there" between John and Paul

Paul considers "I saw her standing there" one of the best song he has ever written in his book "the lyrics" from 2021.

I think John thought the same? Because he sung this with Elton in 1974 telling the world it is a song from "his enstranged fiance Paul". John thought it would be funny to sing it and wondered how Paul would react about it in 1974.

Maybe the song has significance to the both of them? It's the first song on their first official album "Please, Please, Please" from 1963.

The first draft from Paul was genderneutral? IT COULD BE ABOUT JOHN. "You're just seventeen." Which is when Paul met him in 1957.

You're just seventeen

You act like a queen

You.....are beyond compare

So how could I dance with another (feels like a love declaration that's meant to last forever)

When I see you standing there.

"You are beyond compare", remember Paul saying everyone else just faded into background at the Fete when The Quarrymen was performing? You act like a queen would fit John too.

Update: Added Toot and Snore Session from March 1974 his only known jamming session with Paul post The Beatles break up where John said "When I saw me standing there, and I said gee is that me?"

"While he ate, McCartney talked about his life as a Beatle and his relationship with John Lennon. He mentioned that ‘If I Fell’ was perhaps his favorite song by Lennon." -New Yorker: When I’m Sixty-Four (2007)

This is very interesting because he has never mentioned this song in interviews whenever he is asked about his favorite Lennon song. He always says Across the Universe, Beautiful Boy, Julia or Strawberry Fields.