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In 1981, just after John passed, Paul and Linda invited legendary rockabilly musician Carl Perkins to stay with them on the Island of Montserrat, where producer George Martin had a studio. Paul wanted Carl’s help in recording a song called “Get It” for his new “Tug of War” album.

It was literally just weeks after John’s murder, and both George and Ringo came to spend time with their former bandmate.

The night before Carl was scheduled to leave, a song came to him that summed up his warm feelings about the visit. The song was so clear in his mind that he didn’t even write it down, which was unusual for Carl.

The next morning he played the song, “My Old Friend”, for Paul and Linda, explaining that it was a gift for having him as a guest.

Halfway through the song when Carl sang the words “if we never meet again this side of life, in a little while, over yonder, where there’s peace and quiet, my old friend, won’t you think about me every now and then?”

Paul stood up and abruptly left the room with tears streaming down his face.

Not sure what had just happened, Carl stopped playing, and Linda hugged him. She thanked him for helping Paul grieve, explaining that he hadn’t been able to fully break down since John passed.

Paul later explained that the last words John spoke to him in the hallway of the Dakota building were “think about me now and then old friend”.

Thank you to Boris for this story and photo.

06/07/2022

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