There are many references in Paul McCartney‘s “Let ‘Em In,” some more conscious than others. Paul often said that things subconsciously inspired him. Only later did he realize where certain ideas came from.
Paul McCartney’s ‘Let ‘Em In’ is ‘filler’
In his book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, Paul said he thinks his and Wings’ song “Let ‘Em In” is a “stocking filler.” That’s how he thinks of some of his songs. “It’s a fun little item, but it’s not your main Christmas present,” he wrote.
Paul said he can get perfectionist about things and think, “This is just not one of my grand pieces.” Then, he’ll get a “bit down” on those songs. For instance, he remembers being very down about his song “Bip Bop.”
Paul used to think, “Oh God, how banal can you get?” He once said that to producer Trevor Horn, who produced greats like Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Grace Jones. When Horn heard Paul say that, he said, “That’s one of my favorites of yours!” Suddenly, Paul saw what Horn saw in “Bip Bop,” which is what he initially saw in it when he wrote it and wanted to record it. So, Horn made Paul feel better about the tune.
Paul doesn’t say whether he started thinking more of “Let ‘Em In.” It’s simple like “Bip Bop.” However, it’s more complex than anyone knew.
All the references in Paul’s ‘Let ‘Em In’
There are tons of references in Paul’s “Let ‘Em In.” While writing it, he imagined a party in Liverpool, like the ones from his childhood where his friends and family would stand around a piano and sing songs. Everyone was knocking on the door.
“Sister Suzy” is Paul’s first wife, Linda. She’s called that because when they were in Jamaica, all the guys there called a blonde white woman “Suzy.” Later, Linda got a group and called herself Suzy and the Red Stripes, after the beer brand.
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“Brother John” is either Linda’s brother, John Eastman or John Lennon. “Phil and Don” are The Everly Brothers, and “Brother Michael” is Paul’s brother. Or it might have been Michael Jackson. Paul and Wings invited The Jackson 5 to the Venus and Mars album party on the Queen Mary the year before.
“Auntie Jin,” is Paul’s aunt, who liked to sing by the piano. Her name is spelled with a “J” instead of a “G” because her name was Jane. However, she went by “Jinny.” Then, “Uncle Ernie” is Paul’s cousin, whose name was actually lan, but they called him Ern. “And by this point, I’m not really fussed,” Paul said.
“Martin Luther” is Martin Luther King Jr. Paul said it’s “been suggested” that “Martin Luther” is in the song because he’s “associated with banging on a door, nailing the articles of faith to a door.” However, that’s not something Paul was aware of when he wrote the song, but “out in the collective unconsciousness, maybe it’s possible,” he wrote.
He said it definitely does happen that songs come from some “mysterious place.” If you’re lucky, the words and the music come together nicely.
“You’re blocking stuff out with various sounds, and eventually, you hear a little phrase that’s starting to work,” Paul wrote. “Then you follow that trail. As artists, we seem to instinctively know that if we’re open to it and if we play around enough with this bunch of words or notes, something will come of it. Something will come in. You don’t even have to let it in.”
Paul let subconscious things in on his songs
So, the people in Paul’s “Let ‘Em In” are real and therefore the song’s lyrics are more complex. Concerning Martin Luther knocking on the door, that likely happened because of Paul’s subconscious. Paul has often said that his subconscious thoughts, memories, and feelings came out in his songs. None of his inspirations was forced.
The strangest thing about Paul’s “Let ‘Em In” is that years later Paul married Nancy Shevell, whose sister is named Susie and whose brother is named Jon. “So, suddenly I’m singing about Nancy’s family: ‘Sister Suzy, Brother John’. It’s quite a coincidence,” Paul wrote.
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