John Lennon and Paul McCartney Had a ‘Once-in-a-Millennium Chemistry,’ Said Sean Lennon
John Lennon and Paul McCartney worked closely together in The Beatles. They wrote some of the biggest hits of the century and helped define the musical identity of the 1960s. While their working relationship in The Beatles ended poorly, they reconciled by the end of Lennon’s life. His son, Sean Lennon, spoke about the chemistry between the two bandmates.
John Lennon’s son spoke about his chemistry with Paul McCartney
When The Beatles broke up, Lennon and McCartney were not on speaking terms. McCartney was suing the band for control over their catalog, and his only conversations with the other members were arguments. Sean believes the breakup made McCartney grow up. He thinks that his father’s death was an even more life-changing moment. He pointed to the chemistry between the two of them.
“When the Beatles broke up, he had to grow up, but in a way I feel like my dad passing was probably the real growing up moment,” he said in the documentary Man on the Run (via People). “They had a once-in-a-millennium chemistry that I don’t think we’re likely to see again.”
Many people noticed this dynamic, which was present even in their earliest days of collaboration. A former classmate said that McCartney’s influence on Lennon’s mood was hard to miss.
“Paul seemed to make John come alive when they were together,” Helen Anderson said in the book Paul McCartney: The Life by Philip Norman.
McCartney said he will always be thankful that he reconciled with Lennon before his death in 1980.
