Paul McCartney and John Lennon of The Beatles rehearse an excerpt from Shakespeare

Paul McCartney’s education in Liverpool included a great deal of literature. One author who influenced the young songwriter was William Shakespeare, whose poetry and rhyming style impacted McCartney’s songwriting. For a few Beatles songs, McCartney went back to his Shakespeare education and used the author as an inspiration. 

Here are 3 Beatles songs influenced by Shakespeare

‘I Saw Her Standing There’

Paul McCartney and John Lennon of The Beatles rehearse an excerpt from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
Paul McCartney and John Lennon | Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

McCartney’s English teacher, Alan Durband, introduced him to several of his literary favorites, including Chaucer and Shakespeare. He read a lot of Shakespeare, some of which would unintentionally make its way into his songwriting. In The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, McCartney said Shakespeare may have influenced The Beatles’ “I Saw Her Standing There.”

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