80 Years of Paul McCartney Trivia Quiz

Answer: I Saw Her Standing There

"I Saw Her Standing There" was one of Lennon/McCartney's first songs, the opening track on their 1963 first British album, "Please Please Me", and also featured on their first American album, "Introducing the Beatles". It was later remade by teen star Tiffany in 1988 as "I Saw Him Standing There".

Answer: I said something wrong

According to Sir Paul, "Yesterday" popped into his head so fully formed that he swore he'd heard the song before. After being reassured that it was indeed an original piece, he changed its original lyrics ("Scrambled Eggs") to "Yesterday". It is now one of the most-recorded songs in history.

Answer: Let It Be

The recording of "The Long and Winding Road" was just another part of the conflict that led to The Beatles' breakup. When their new manager, Phil Spector, whom Paul didn't approve of, added strings and a choir backup to the song without his consent, Paul was understandably angry. Today, however, it is still one of The Beatles' sweetest songs. Paul's original version can be found on the album "Let It Be...Naked".

Answer: Band on the Run

From 1974, "Band on the Run" is seemingly about a group escaping from jail. The album of the same name showed Wings as escapees caught in a searchlight. The song is one of Paul's most enduring hits.

Answer: Silly Love Songs

Paul has been known for writing many silly yet cute and endearing love songs, and "Silly Love Songs" pays tribute to them. It is indeed a silly love song, but only in a good way! Released in 1976, it ranks a whopping number 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 of songs of 1958 to 2018--a fantastic achievement!

Answer: The Girl is Mine

"The Girl is Mine" is a duet between Paul and Michael Jackson, along with their hit "Say Say Say". This was, of course, before tension grew between the two due to Jackson's purchasing of the rights to several Beatles songs--a fact that only seems to make the bickering tone of "The Girl is Mine" somewhat foreboding, as the two "fight" over a girl. Still, you can tell they're having fun in the song; the spoken section near the end shows this:

Paul: "Michael, we're not going to fight about this, okay?"
Michael: "Paul, I think I told you: I'm a lover, not a fighter."
P: "I heard it all before, Michael. She told me I was her forever lover, you know, don't you remember?"
M: "Well, after loving me, she said she couldn't love another."
P: "That what she said?"
M: "She said it. You keep dreaming!"

The song was released on Jackson's smash 1982 album "Thriller".

Answer: Give Ireland Back to the Irish

"Give Ireland Back to the Irish" was written by Paul and Linda McCartney in protest of the Bloody Sunday shootings in Ireland. When the BBC banned it, Paul then released another song in protest--a version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb", which he considered to be the most "adult" song that the BBC could handle! Surprisingly, the nursery rhyme was quite popular!

Answer: My Brave Face

"My Brave Face" is from the 1989 album "Flowers in the Dirt". He played it often in his 1989-1990 world tour, highlights from which are recorded on the 1990 double album "Tripping the Live Fantastic".

Answer: Off The Ground

"Off the Ground" was Paul's first song using a computer for a portion of the music/effects. It reached number 27 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States.

Answer: True

The name of the ballet was "Ocean's Kingdom", and the album was Paul's fifth of the classical genre. It was recorded and first performed in 2011. The subject is the environment, veiled in a typical ballet story.