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A dedicated home for music memorabilia, exploring the past, present and future of music archives. Find your own piece of the story.

Paul at home with his original 'Magic Piano'. Photo by Mary McCartney

Paul McCartney : The Lyrics

Spanning his career, from his earliest compositions through to the legendary decade of The Beatles, to Wings and his solo albums to the present, the book Paul McCartney – The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, published by Allen Lane, contains a wealth of lyrics and photographs taken from his personal archive including much rarely seen material. The book recounts his life and art through the prism of songs from all stages of his career and includes highlights from the 154 songs included.

More often than I can count, I’ve been asked if I would write an autobiography, but the time has never been right. The one thing I’ve always managed to do, whether at home or on the road, is to write new songs. I know that some people, when they get to a certain age, like to go to a diary to recall day-to-day events from the past, but I have no such notebooks. What I do have are my songs, hundreds of them, which I’ve learned serve much the same purpose. And these songs span my entire life.

Paul McCartney

Some of the Beatles’ lyrics can be seen in the free Treasures of the British Library Gallery alongside works by Paul McCartney’s literary inspirations Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll and Virginia Woolf. The gallery tells the remarkable stories of over 2,000 years of human experience, and introduces you to some of the most awe-inspiring items in their collection. Open Monday to Friday and is free entry.

You can still order the book, Paul McCartney – The Lyrics 1956 to the Present, from the British Library Shop by following this link, and will receive a special bookmark with your purchase. Read the Guardian article for more information about the exhibition and book here.