Paul McCartney Revealed the Lennon-McCartney Song That Made Them 'Hacks'

Paul McCartney wanted to write a song for another artist to boost The Beatles' career. He shared why he didn't think the song was very good.

Paul McCartney wrote many hit songs for The Beatles but also penned tunes that he intended to give out to other artists. These occasionally made their way onto Beatles records, even if McCartney and John Lennon wrote them with other musicians in mind. One such song was “Misery,” a ballad intended for musician Helen Shapiro. McCartney shared why writing the song was hacky of them.

Early in their years as a band, McCartney and Lennon wrote together and wanted to do whatever they could to get their songs play time. This included writing songs for other artists. The Beatles were touring with Shapiro, and they felt she could boost their career by singing a song they wrote. So, they penned “Misery” with her in mind.

“We wrote it for Helen Shapiro because we were going on tour with her and, being young lads with an eye for an opportunity, we thought, well, even if she does it on a B side, this’ll be very good for our songwriting,” McCartney said in the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles.

Source: Emma McKee/cheatsheet.com

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