Paul McCartney
Episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler · October 13, 2026 · 1 h 17 min
Amy Poehler talks with Paul McCartney about the Beatles, Wings, songwriting, his new album Boys of Dungeon Lane, family, and SNL, with questions from Stella McCartney.
Summary
Amy Poehler opened the episode with a conversation with fashion designer Stella McCartney, who discussed growing up on a farm and touring with her parents, described her father as the epitome of an extrovert, and supplied two questions for him: what "Monkberry Moon Delight" means and what his first memory is.
In the main interview, Paul McCartney said he feels about 25 in his head, recalled the Beatles consulting their 17-year-old selves on decisions, and described his first job winding coils in a factory before John Lennon and George Harrison recruited him for a Cavern gig. He joked at length about biopics, including Nowhere Boy and Sam Mendes's upcoming films, portraying him as shorter than Lennon. He described himself as a "playaholic" rather than a workaholic, explained his intuitive songwriting method and the songs "Days We Left Behind" and "Down South" from Boys of Dungeon Lane, and discussed his gig-day routine, the trend toward three-hour concerts, contemporary pop, and his wish to collaborate with Bob Dylan.
McCartney also recalled meeting Queen Elizabeth II, meeting Chrissie Hynde through Linda McCartney, and Linda's love of animals, becoming emotional. He described himself as an ever-growing fan of the Beatles, said he meditates and believes in a higher power, recounted Stella's birth by C-section, said he believes he remembers his own forceps birth, and explained that "monk" was his children's word for milk. The conversation closed with SNL memories, a rapid-fire round, and Poehler calling her parents to tell them about the interview.
Chapters
- 0:05
Introduction
Poehler introduces Paul McCartney and previews the episode's topics.
- 2:24
Conversation with Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney discusses her farm upbringing, touring with her parents, and her father's extroversion, and offers two questions for him.
- 15:22
Age, youth, and the Beatles' early years
McCartney says he feels 25 inside and recalls the Beatles deferring to their 17-year-old selves.
- 21:25
Man on the Run, playaholism, and coil winding
McCartney discusses the Morgan Neville documentary, calls himself a playaholic, and recounts leaving a factory job to play the Cavern.
- 25:26
Height and biopics
McCartney jokes about films portraying him as shorter than John Lennon, including Nowhere Boy and Sam Mendes's Beatles project.
- 29:06
Band as family and honest feedback
McCartney describes growing up with his bandmates and the difficulty of getting honest feedback when famous.
- 31:18
Songwriting and Boys of Dungeon Lane
McCartney explains his intuitive songwriting approach and the origins of 'Days We Left Behind'.
- 37:40
Gig-day routine and live performance
McCartney details his breakfast and pre-show habits and talks about long concerts and his audiences.
- 41:47
Modern music, Dylan, and the Queen
McCartney critiques contemporary pop, names Bob Dylan as a wished-for collaborator, and recalls meeting Queen Elizabeth II.
- 47:38
Chrissie Hynde and Linda McCartney
McCartney recalls meeting Chrissie Hynde and grows emotional describing Linda's love of animals.
- 50:39
Beatles bonds, spirituality, and family
McCartney describes himself as a Beatles fan, his meeting George on a school bus, his spiritual beliefs, and his family.
- 56:00
Stella's questions
McCartney recounts Stella's birth, his claimed memory of his own birth, and the meaning of 'Monkberry Moon Delight'.
- 1:01:28
Saturday Night Live
McCartney recalls watching Lorne Michaels's Beatles reunion offer with John Lennon and his later SNL appearances.
- 1:05:05
Rapid fire and closing
McCartney answers rapid-fire questions, discusses collaboration and romance, and recommends My Favorite Year.
- 1:11:53
Call to Poehler's parents
Poehler FaceTimes her parents, who share memories of the Beatles and meeting McCartney.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
- Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney said she went into fashion as a creative path that let her stay out of the spotlight.
“for me going into fashion was a more creative way of doing things from just standing slightly behind the kind of spot”
- Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney said seeing the world while touring with her parents was among the biggest privileges of her situation.
“the biggest privileges actually of being in my situation is being able to just truly see”
- Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney said the Beatles resolved difficult decisions by asking what their 17-year-old selves would have thought.
“We'd say, what would we have thought when we were 17? What would that guy have said?”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney said the Beatles did not expect to last long because rock bands of the era typically had short careers.
“in this sort of rock and roll world, it was like, you know, five years, top whack”
- Amy Poehler
Poehler said McCartney's openness about his creative process made her feel she could write a song.
“I always felt like watching you work made me feel like I could write a song”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney rejected being called a workaholic, describing himself instead as addicted to playing music.
“we don't work music. We play music. So I'm like a playaholic. I'm definitely addicted to that”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney objected that Nowhere Boy inaccurately depicted him as smaller and weaker than John Lennon.
“My character is kind of wimpy. smaller than John. John knocks me to the floor. And it's like, Sam, this is not true”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney said he has no formal method and writes by improvising on guitar or piano and following what sounds good.
“I always just sit down with a guitar or at the piano and just start plonking something”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney said he knew 'Days We Left Behind' was working when he inverted the phrase 'black and white' to 'white and black'.
“So I just, the fact that I'd switched, it was not a black and white photo anymore. It's a white and black”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney blamed Bruce Springsteen for the expectation of very long concerts, noting older acts played about an hour.
“Bruce just suddenly doing these three, four hour things. So that's what we do”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney said he admires Billie Eilish but does not wish he had written her songs, and found some current pop banal.
“Billie Eilish, I think is cool, but I don't think I want to have written her songs”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney named Bob Dylan as the artist he would still like to collaborate with, though he is too nervous to call him.
“No, I get asked this question, and I always think Bob Dylan”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney recalled that Linda McCartney was so outspoken about vegetarianism that she would challenge meat-eaters at dinner parties.
“You know, if you're at a dinner party and someone's eating meat, she would, like, give them trouble over it”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney said he has become an increasingly devoted fan of the Beatles over time.
“I'm a fan. And the more we go on, I'm a bigger fan. I'm like a Beatles fan”
Linked moment · 52:47Skip to 52:47 using a listen link in the info box.
Paul McCartneyMcCartney said the new song 'Down South' recounts meeting George Harrison on the school bus.
“there's one song called Down South. And it's about how we met on the school bus”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney said he meditates and believes in an undefined higher power, though he lacks a formal spiritual practice.
“I don't have like a practice so much. I meditate. And no, I sort of believe in a power”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney explained that 'Monkberry Moon Delight' was an imagined milkshake, derived from his children's word 'monk' for milk.
“So I was thinking of a milkshake. So it was like Milk Berry, Monk Berry, Moon. So it's the name of a milkshake in my head”
- Paul McCartney
McCartney said watching SNL with John Lennon during Lorne Michaels's reunion offer showed him why the show was an American institution.
“realized why everyone was massive fans of it and why it was such an American institution”
People
In the conversation
- Amy PoehlerAmerican actress, comedian and podcast host, formerly of Saturday Night Live
- Paul McCartneyMusician referenced in Armisen's prank on Martin Short at the SNL 50th anniversary
- Stella McCartneyBritish fashion designer and daughter of Paul and Linda McCartney
Discussed
- John LennonBeatles co-founder and McCartney's songwriting partner
- George HarrisonBeatles lead guitarist and McCartney's schoolmate
- Ringo StarrBeatles drummer
- Linda McCartneyPhotographer, musician, animal-rights advocate, and Paul McCartney's late wife
- Nancy ShevellPaul McCartney's current wife
- Mary McCartneyPhotographer and Paul McCartney's daughter
- Lorne MichaelsCreator and executive producer of 'Saturday Night Live'
- Will FerrellAmerican comedian and actor cited among Druski's comedic heroes
- Sam Taylor-JohnsonBritish filmmaker who directed Nowhere Boy
- Sam MendesBritish director making a series of Beatles films
- Paul MescalIrish actor cast as McCartney in Sam Mendes's films
- Morgan NevilleDocumentary filmmaker who directed Man on the Run
- Bruce SpringsteenRock musician whose concert the speakers discussed
- Billie EilishAmerican singer-songwriter
- Billy JoelAmerican singer-songwriter of 'Just the Way You Are'
- Bob DylanAmerican singer-songwriter who invited Strings to play with him on tour
- Elizabeth IIFormer Queen of the United Kingdom who knighted McCartney
- Chrissie HyndeLead singer of the Pretenders and friend of the McCartneys
- Chris FarleyLate American comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member admired by Druski
- Martin ShortCanadian comedian and actor set to duet on Morissette's holiday album
- Peter O'TooleActor who starred in My Favorite Year
Topics
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From the publisher
Paul McCartney is music. Amy hangs with the iconic musician and talks about almost becoming the coil-winding king, being a playaholic, and if he's ever smoked Monkberry Moon Delight. Host: Amy Poehler Guests: Stella McCartney and Paul McCartney Executive producers: Bill Simmons, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Weiss-Berman For Paper Kite Productions: Executive producer Jenna Weiss-Berman, coordinator Sam Green, and supervising producer Joel Lovell For The Ringer: Supervising producers Juliet Litman, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin; video producers Jack Wilson, Aleya Zenieris, and Chris Wholers; audio producer Kaya McMullen; social producer Bridget Geerlings; video editor Drew van Steenbergen; and bookers Kat Spillane and Paige Garbarini Original music: Amy Miles Brought to you by PayPal. Learn more at https://paypal.com/payin4 Check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds: https://Allstate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 20, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.