Paul McCartney Wrote a Classic Beatles Song While Skipping School in Liverpool

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

One of The Beatles‘ first hits was “I Saw Her Standing There.” The track was written by Paul McCartney, who was still attending school in Liverpool. Before The Beatles were formed, Paul McCartney played hooky with John Lennon to write this future Beatles hit song.

During his youth, McCartney attended the Liverpool Institute High School for Boys. The institute was also attended by George Harrison, who McCartney met during his time there. While this school provided him with an adequate education, McCartney’s true passion was music. One day, McCartney played hooky with Lennon and wrote one of The Beatles’ earliest hits, “I Saw Her Standing There.”

“I wrote it with John,” McCartney said in a 1988 interview (shared via Beatlesinterviews.org). “We sagged off school and wrote it on guitars. I remember I had the lyrics, ‘Just seventeen/Never been a beauty queen,’ which John… it was one of the first times he ever went, ‘What? Must change that!’ And it became, ‘you know what I mean.’”

Source: Ross Tanenbaum/cheatsheet.com