James Corden has recruited some big names in the past to ride around and sing their songs with him for his Carpool Karaoke segment on The Late Late Show. For his most recent segment (and 45th overall), though, he got who many would consider the greatest songwriter of all time: Paul McCartney (who just announced a new album, by the way). The Beatles leader might have a stronger connection with Corden than any other late night host because they’re both British, and Corden was moved so much by something McCartney said that he was overcome with emotion.
About five minutes into the segment, McCartney begins talking about the origin of “Let It Be”:
“I had a dream in the ’60s where my mum, who had died, came to me in the dream and was reassuring me, saying, ‘It’s going to be OK, just let it be.’ I felt so sort of great and like, ‘It’s going to be great.’ She gave me the positive word. So I woke up and was, ’What was that? She said, ‘Let it be.’ I’ve never heard that, that’s kind of good.’ So I wrote the song ‘Let It Be,’ but it was her positivity.”
Corden responded, “That’s the most beautiful story I’ve ever heard,” and then the two sang the song together. When they were done, Corden wiped tears from his eyes and told a story about how his father and grandfather sat him down and the latter said, “We’re going to play you the best song you’ve ever heard,” that song being “Let It Be.”
There’s plenty of other action in the 23-minute segment, so watch the whole thing above.
