A man who claims to prefer John Lennon to Paul McCartney actually knows more of the latter’s songs, it has emerged.
Music fan Lennie Payne 41, told the Rochdale Herald of how much he preferred Lennon but was unable to back it up with evidence. When asked to name his favourite Lennon solo song, he said, without hesitating, “Imagine. It’s just the best.”
When asked what other Lennon solo songs he liked, he struggled to think of a single one, and could only name his Beatles songs, such as Revolution and Come Together.
Quizzed on the solo work of Paul McCartney, however, he was able to name many more. “Well, I do like that Bond theme he did, Live And Let Die,” he admitted. “And Band On The Run, that’s a good track too – proper Beatles-y, that one, and Jet. Oh, and don’t tell my mates down the pub, but I kind of like Mull Of Kintyre.”
When told he had named more of Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles work than he had of John Lennon’s, he was quick to react, “well, Lennon got shot, didn’t he? Of course Paul’s done more.”
On hearing that all the Paul McCartney songs he mentioned dated from when Lennon was still alive, Mr Payne was at a loss for words. “Really? You’re kidding me!”
As a final test, he was asked if he could name a solo Beatles song that is primarily played on the piano, has lyrics promoting peace and harmony, and was a number 1 single on its original release.
The answer? Pipes Of Peace by Paul McCartney.
Anyone thinking it was Imagine is mistaken, as that song only made no1 when it was reissued after Lennon’s death.
Certainly Mr Payne was gobsmacked. Maybe he only imagined he preferred Lennon.
It wouldn’t be the first time that people have professed to prefer a dead band member but on closer inspection it turns out they only say this because that person is dead, and an objective analysis ultimately has them siding with their living bandmate instead.
Something Lennon stated in a song called Nobody Loves You When You’re Down And Out, which I recommended to Mr Payne as I left. The last line of that song reads:
“Everybody loves you when you’re six foot in the ground.”
