Paul Muldoon on Paul McCartney: The Lyrics, 1956–Present

We’re so excited to welcome poet and editor Paul Muldoon to the podcast, to talk about his work on Paul McCartney’s book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, and the companion podcast, Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics.

Paul Muldoon has been described as “the most significant English-language poet born since the second world war.” He is a recipient of the Pulitzer prize for poetry, holds ten honorary doctorates, and is currently the sitting Ireland Professor of Poetry. Additionally, he served as poetry editor for the New Yorker, and is currently a professor at Princeton University.

Beatle fans will know him as the editor of Paul McCartney: THE LYRICS: 1956–Present, published in 2021. A new paperback edition was released this month, and includes 7 new commentaries. 

The Lyrics is the result of five years of candid conversations that Paul Muldoon had with Paul McCartney about the circumstances surrounding the songs’ creation, the people and places that inspired them, and what Paul thinks of them today. 

The original hardback edition of The Lyrics was a huge success, winning the 2022 British Book Award for Best Nonfiction Lifestyle book, and it was named 2021 book of the year for both Waterstones bookstore in the UK and Barnes and Noble in the US. 

Beyond the book, Paul Mulddon is also the narrator of the new companion podcast, Paul McCartney: A Life in Lyrics. Each episode focuses on a single song featured in the lyrics. We hear recordings of the candid conversations Paul Muldoon had with Paul McCartney to create the book, further augmented by narration, music, and historical soundbites. 

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