5 of Paul McCartney’s Best “Granny” Songs

We know Paul McCartney can do it all when it comes to songwriting and performing, but “Granny” songs? That was the derisive term used by John Lennon to describe McCartney’s occasional fondness for material that borrowed heavily from music of the pre-rock era.

Lennon meant it as an insult (especially when using it in interviews following The Beatles’ breakup). But we actually quite like some of these tracks, especially these five.

“When I’m Sixty-Four” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

The whole idea behind Sgt. Pepper’s, which was largely McCartney’s, was the four men should imagine that they were a different band than The Beatles, opening the doors to material they might not have otherwise even considered. McCartney then jumped through that door with “When I’m Sixty-Four,” a throwback to American vaudeville or British music hall songs. What’s interesting is Macca wrote this when he was still a teenager, showing that even at a young age, he harbored a deep respect for musical eras that had come before him. And he did those genres great justice with this charming track.

“Honey Pie” from The White Album (1968)

The White Album gave The Beatles plenty of room for experimentation with other forms of music than straightforward pop or rock. McCartney took advantage of that to deliver another song very much in the vein of “When I’m Sixty-Four.” Lennon was dismissive of the track, but he came through on it anyway with an idiosyncratic guitar solo that fits just right. While “Honey Pie” might not hold a lot of interest for people who believe rock bands should stay in their lanes, those who prefer to hear a wider range of music could certainly get on board with its antiquated aspects.

“You Gave Me the Answer” from Venus and Mars (1975)

If The Beatles, who took a somewhat democratic approach to what got recorded, had to put up with McCartney’s occasional forays into old-fashioned music, you can be certain that Wings, where Paul played the role of benevolent dictator, would also have to comply. Venus and Mars was an album where McCartney wanted to reestablish Wings as a full unit, having recently added some new members. But, for the most part, the other individuals in the group take a back seat on this song, both to the orchestral parts and to McCartney’s cheeky vocals.

“English Tea” from Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (2005)

When McCartney made Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, he worked with in-demand producer Nigel Godrich. Godrich allegedly challenged the legend to up his game in terms of his songwriting, and it wasn’t always hunky-dory between the two men. But credit to Godrich for understanding the qualities of a song like “English Tea,” which in its own polite, Elizabethan way, is very much a statement of purpose from McCartney. Very twee, very me, he sings within the song, and it’s that idea of somewhat eccentric British-ness he proudly espouses here.

“More I Cannot Wish You” from Kisses on the Bottom (2012)

The whole idea of rock stars doing The Great American Songbook and other standards was largely played out by the time McCartney took it on with Kisses on the Bottom in 2012. If more artists had done it with the care and elegance that Paul managed, maybe that genre would have had more legs. Take, for example, this stunningly pretty version of a Guys and Dolls heart-tugging ballad, which finds a father summoning the courage to wish his daughter the best as she moves on to her new life. The delicate way McCartney caresses the lyric makes it clear that as a dad himself, he didn’t have to reach too far to find the emotion.

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Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame