Paul McCartney Admitted He Sometimes Can’t Tell What Song Bob Dylan Is Playing Live

Paul McCartney has known Bob Dylan for decades. All of the Beatles were fans of Dylan’s, and his music became a major influence on them. McCartney is still a fan of Dylan’s music and sees him in concert when he can. He admitted that despite his knowledge of Dylan’s catalog, though, he sometimes has no idea what he’s playing onstage.

Paul McCartney said Bob Dylan is sometimes hard to understand

McCartney wrapped up a tour in 2025, and Dylan is currently playing dates. While Dylan often plays deep cuts, McCartney said he often sticks with the hits in his shows.

“I think we could do songs [most people] don’t know and have a lot of ‘black holes,’” he said in an interview with The Rest Is History. “But they’ve paid a lot of money.”

He recalled going to a concert as a kid and wanting to hear the hits after having to save up for a ticket.

“I remember as a kid, I used to go to shows and save up. I went to a Bill Haley concert […] I’d saved for months and done a paper round and done everything. And I knew what I wanted: I wanted him to do his hits. And if he got all clever on me, I would be like, ‘Oh, OK.’ I’d let him indulge himself.”

Dylan doesn’t have the same outlook as McCartney. He plays songs that even his biggest fans may not recognize.

“I’ve been to see a couple of Bob’s shows, and honestly, I couldn’t tell what song he was doing,” he said. “Now, that’s a bit much, because I know his stuff!”

While he acknowledged that Dylan might be “fed up” after playing songs like “Mr. Tambourine Man” for decades, he said fans still want to hear the hits.

“I would like to hear it,” McCartney said. “And I paid!”