Paul McCartney Explains How Beyoncé’s ‘Blackbird’ Cover ‘Reinforces The Civil Rights Message’ That Inspired The Original Song

Beyoncé dropped her new album Cowboy Carter a few days ago. On it, she put her own spin on The Beatles’ 1968 track “Blackbird.”

Now, Paul McCartney, who approved her to use the original backing track in her cover, posted a sweet message about Bey to Instagram.

“I am so happy with @beyonce’s version of my song ‘Blackbird,'” he wrote. “I think she does a magnificent version of it, and it reinforces the civil rights message that inspired me to write the song in the first place. I think Beyoncé has done a fab version and would urge anyone who has not heard it yet to check it out. You are going to love it!”

Later in the caption, McCartney also provided some insight into the discussions he had with Beyoncé about covering the song he wrote decades ago.

“I spoke to her on FaceTime and she thanked me for writing it and letting her do it,” he added. “I told her the pleasure was all mine and I thought she had done a killer version of the song. When I saw the footage on the television in the early 60s of the black girls being turned away from school, I found it shocking and I can’t believe that still in these days there are places where this kind of thing is happening right now. Anything my song and Beyoncé’s fabulous version can do to ease racial tension would be a great thing and makes me very proud.”

Check out McCartney’s post about Beyoncé, along with her cover “Blackbiird,” above.

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