#a day in the life and the abbey road medley could give it a run for its money

[lieutenantpepper]

i couldn't include every release (eg magical mystery tour) due to limited poll options :( also tag if your favorite song is off your fav album (for me it's not!) and if u want what song it is!

pls rb for sample size i am very curious

[abbeyroadie]

I know others have gotten that stupid question when someone finds out that you like The Beatles they ask, “Oh yeah? Name five Beatles songs that weren’t big hits.” The other day I told someone that my favorite Beatle is Paul McCartney and they said, “Ok, name five songs from McCartney’s solo career.” Laaaaaawd I have nothing to prove to anyone, but it always grinds my gears when people assume I’m only wearing a Beatles t-shirt for aesthetics, or I only love Paul for his looks. Bitch please.

So I compiled this list of songs that I first tried to narrow down to ten and quickly realized I couldn’t even narrow it down to twenty, lol. My favorite Paul McCartney songs post Beatles era are listed below with links to YouTube to hear each song. I left out anything he did as a collaboration just because this list is hella long already. Please feel free to add your favs as well!

~

36. Calico Skies

- I love the simplicity of this song. Paul’s finger picking on the guitar vaguely reminds me of the style of Blackbird.

 35. Put It There

- This song has a soft, sweet melody that always gets stuck in my head.

 34. The World Tonight

- “I go back so far, I’m in front of me.” Sometimes Paul’s lyrics are awesomesauce, lol.

 33. Call Me Back Again

- I love how this song kinda goes back to his roots. Very oldies, very bluesy. Lots of wailing Paul and great guitar licks.

 32. This One

- Might be a song for John if you squint sideways and upside down. Another one that’s a definite earworm.

 30./31. Venus and Mars/Rock Show

- I’m sort of cheating but these two songs def go together. Venus and Mars is very melodic and draws you in, jumping right into the rocker that is aptly named Rock Show. A great way to kick off the V&M album.

 29. C Moon

- This tune is very sentimental to my sister and me. As kids we’d run around the house singing it at the top of our lungs. Also, the beginning when Paul misses the intro and just keeps the gaff in the song makes it that much better, lol.

 28. Somedays

- A quiet song, Paul’s more thoughtful, reflective side. The dueling acoustic guitars and harp are especially lovely.

 27. Big Barn Bed

- I used to skip over this song because I thought it made no sense. Then one day it hit me how much fun it is. And now I wanna keep on sleeping in a big barn bed too, haha.

 26. With a Little Luck

- One of those uplifting, positive tracks that Paul is so freaking good at creating.

 25. Young Boy

- Just the way Paul sings “looooooong” and “strooooong” at the end of a couple of the lyrics. And the guitar solo kicks ass too.

 24. Goodnight Tonight

- Ooh boy, where to start with this song? First and foremost, that BASSLINE. Perhaps it’s a disco-ish dance number that meets electronica? I don’t even know. John said he didn’t like this song but he loved Paul’s bass playing on it, so there you go, lol.

 23. Nineteen-Hundred and Eighty-Five

- This one is very upbeat, but the slowed down intermission with the “ooohs” is what makes it interesting to me. It also includes some amazing piano playing.

 22. Hi, Hi, Hi

- I prefer the live version of this song, but it’s tons of fun no matter what.

 21. Junk

- A very soft tune that would have fit perfectly on The White Album. Very stripped back and almost sad.

 20. Off the Ground

- Paul at his very best at creating melodies that are catchy and fun and don’t delve too deep. “I need lovin’, you need lovin’ too.” And you can’t forget the hand claps and la la las! Good luck getting this song out of your head.

 19. Live and Let Die

- I’d be surprised if you haven’t heard this song sometime in your life. It’s one of those songs where you hear it and go, “Wait, I know this song. This is Paul McCartney?!” He be James Bond like that, heehee.

 18. Dear Boy

- I’ve heard this song is about Linda’s ex. Some think it’s about John. Either way, it’s a catchy little tune.

 17. Take It Away

- This is a great song even before you realize how amazeballs Paul’s bass playing is on it.

 16. Monkberry Moon Delight

- Y’all, WHAT EVEN IS THIS SONG?! I don’t know, but it’s so freaking FUN! Paul’s poor voice though. I feel like he probably couldn’t talk for a week after laying down the vocal track, lol.

 15. Too Much Rain

- Ugh, this song is so beautiful and so sad at the same time. Paul trying to be optimistic as always.

 14. Dear Friend

- Is this a song about John too? Maybe. Probably. A haunting melody with a solitary piano for most of it, with a heavy feeling of regret, at least imo.

 13. Band on the Run

- Here you get three songs in one, not unlike the Abbey Road medley but completely different as well. Paul knows how to kick off an album, that’s for sure!

 12. Maybe I’m Amazed

- I prefer the live version of this song too, but it kicks you in the gut no matter what. Paul loved Linda so much, and he lets everyone know it.

 11. Tug of War

- Ok, I don’t know if this song is about John. It could be. It sounds like Paul’s talking about something…more. “In another world we could stand on top of the mountain with our flag unfurled.” “We will be dancing to the beat played on a different drum.” What is Paul trying to say exactly? Many have debated the lyrics to no end. You decide.

 10. Too Many People

- This is FOR SURE about John, and the breakup of the Beatles. And it started a song war between John and Paul that would go on for years. But it’s also a bop, lol.

 9. Here Today

- This is Paul speaking to John after John’s death. And it’s completely heartbreaking. I have to be in a certain mindset to listen to this one.

 8. Hope of Deliverance

- If this song doesn’t get your foot tapping and your head bopping, idk you might want to check your pulse.

 7. Silly Love Songs

- DAT BASS THO. For real, this song is built around Paul’s bassline and it’s amazing! Also, this was Paul basically giving John the finger for making fun of his “granny shit” and “silly love songs.”

 6. Jet

- This is one that I crank up in my car and it may or may not make me drive a little faster, lol. I love it so much.

 5. Little Lamb Dragonfly

- A two for one! Both songs are lovely, but I particularly love the dragonfly lyrics and melody. (Yes, this song is possibly about John as well (“how did two rights make a wrong?”), but it’s debatable.) Listening to it once usually isn’t enough for me.

4. Little Willow

- Whew, this one makes me emotional. The guitar, the lyrics, the piano, Paul’s voice – all so soothing and unbelievably soft and achy. It breaks my heart in the sweetest way.

 3. Mull Of Kintyre

- Arguably the biggest hit of Paul’s solo career, it’s like the Hey Jude of its own time. And it has freaking BAGPIPES, lol. This is one of those songs that you’ve heard before, but you don’t know where and you don’t know how, you just have. It will stick with you for a long time.

 2. Let Me Roll It

- This song. THIS SONG. Ughhhhhhhh. So sexy I can’t even begin to explain. You just have to listen and let it take you there. Another one where the bassline makes you want to weep. Tingles. Tingles everywhere.

 1. Wanderlust

- This will forever be my favorite solo Paul McCartney song. Completely underrated and simply magical. George Martin has said that this is Paul’s greatest vocal performance and I wholly agree. His voice is so pure and melodic, I sometimes get emotional listening to it. The song as a whole just checks all the boxes of what I most love about a Paul McCartney song – beautiful, melodious and timeless. There’s that old jokey saying, “If this ain’t played at my funeral, I ain’t going.” Yeah, this is that song for me.

[sarcasticscepticles]

The Marked WIP 2

Its been pretty slow going, mostly because i keep getting distracted by other projects, so I’m going to post a slightly longer and more polished version on the first chapter. It still needs a lot of editing, but I would appreciate some feedback and suggestions.

Expect lots of OC’s. Near the docks of Alba there was a woman, whose husband had died out at sea, leaving her without a coin to her name and a belly swollen with a child. She made her living mixing herbs and medicines, and as life was starting to pick up again she waited eagerly for her child to enter the world.

But that day came too early, and she found out there was still something for the world to take from her. She had a girl, but the baby was still and quiet as if she were asleep. The only sound she made were weak raspy gasps, her lungs too small to breathe properly.

When her own medicines didn’t work, she spent all her coin visiting a variety of doctors and herbalists, all who said the same thing. Her child was going to die. That’s when she started praying, begging for any of the gods or spirits to save her baby, she didn’t care that it was considered heresy to speak their names. She had abandoned the strictures a week ago.

It wasn’t until deep into the night when the woman had fallen into a restless sleep-- exhausted from spending the day trying to gain some divine’s attention-- that someone finally answered.

That night, her mother dreamt of a being whose eyes were as dark and bottomless as the void, leaning over the rickety crib next to the bed. She laid on her side watching him with wide careful eyes.

“Do you know what they would do to you, when they find what you’ve been doing.” the voice sounded as young as the god appeared, a boy who had barely reached his second decade.

“You’ve spoken over ten forbidden names, other than my own.” Her breath caught in her throat when he looked over at her, with a small dark smile curling on his lips, and in those dark eyes she knew that he had seen all of the worlds dark secrets as well as her own.

“Her life was meant to end before it even began..how cruel fate can be.” he said, his head tilted to the side as he gave the baby a curious glance. The child's breaths were shallow and raspy.

“What will you’ll do, knowing your child will forever be known as a heretic? What will she grow to be, I wonder?”

He reached into the crib and brushed his fingers across her baby’s left hand. There was a flash of gold light and the child’s face scrunched up at the uncomfortable tingling burn, as black markings appeared on her skin.

“I will give her my ‘gift’, and maybe one day she will seek out my shrines. Let’s see if she can keep my attention in the days to come.” He gave them a small bow, and disappeared in a wisp of smoke and ash. She could feel his voice brush against his ear as he faded away, bidding them one last farewell. The sound of whale song in the air, and something else that seemed to try and tug her to awareness.

“ Know I will be watching your dear Ashling, with great interest.”

She then woke to the screams of the baby from the crib. A loud piercing wail that made the child face red with a newley bestowed life, and it was the sweetest sound she had ever heard. She stumbled over to the crib, and lifted the baby carefully into her arms, sobbing gratefully into her hair as she cradled the child to her chest. They barely noticed the the faint smell of salt in the air, or dying hum of whale song.

----------------

Ashling missed the sea. She missed the sound of the seals barking in the harbor, the pungent smell of the fishing boats, and the taste of the salt on her lips, but she found the forests between Aran and Caulkenny had their own charm as well and quickly adapted.

In all of her eight years, Ashling and her mother had never stayed in one place for more than a couple of months. Their belongings were meager, with only the barest essentials for an easy move. Her mother had become a traveling Apothacarian, making coin for the two of them by selling tinctures and bottled medicines whenever they visited the market.

Her mother suddenly decided to pack everything up one evening, and by dawn they had loaded up the horse and cart and were on their way, Ashling didn’t really ask where they were going and only had an idea when she heard her mother mutter something about the capital and overseers.

She was more concerned with her mother’s worried glances behind them, and her slight flinch when they passed the abbey on the road leaving Arran, hurrying the horses past it with a flick of the reigns.

It turns out they have fled to a small cabin nestled in the middle of the forest, isolated and a little run down, but still in stable standing condition. It was a bit cramped, but it had A well nearby for drawing water, and a decent pile of firewood for the stove, and enough room for her mother to store her herbs.

The best part, Ashling quickly discovered, was that being isolated meant that she could run about the woods all she wanted and not have to worry about her gloves.

Her mother always made her wear a pair of gloves before she went outside, no matter the weather. Ashling started to hate them quickly, being unable to properly feel the gravel bite into her palm or the cold water flow between her fingers.But her mother had always shoved a pair onto her hands before she could step outside.

“You musn’t let people see that mark on your hand, or they’ll have overseers knocking down our doors.” her mother once told her.

“Why, what's wrong with it?” Ashling asked, watching the light play off the black lines. Her mother grasped her left hand, her fingers brushing over the marks with a wistful frown, before yanking a grey cotton glove over it with a bit of force that made Ashling flinch. Her mother squeezed her hand in a silent apology.

“People fear the strange and unusual, you can’t let the wrong person see this mark.” She knelt down and gently tilted Ashling’s face, until she was staring into her mothers eyes. Full of grief and fear.

“Be cautious of those golden masks. Remember your strictures, and that they never see the birthmark on your hand.” Her mother squeezed her hand-her grip gentle and soft this time- before ushering her out the door.

Now she waited until her mother had left for town, before heading out to explore the woods surrounding their little cottage.

Ashling made her way to the river, a little ways out from where they lived. She usually spent her time there wading into the cold water, where the current wasn’t as strong, and collecting plants that grew around the banks for her mother.

What made today different, is that when she stood on the bank of the river, she heard a song.

It was more of a soft hum, but the tune felt so familiar, but she knew her mother’s songs. This was not one of them.

She followed the medley down the river, it wasn’t very far from her home when she stumbled across the cave. She stood at the mouth of the cave, she could hear the song echoing from inside.

The song called to her and before she knew it she was clambering over the wet rocks, as if she were in a trance. She didn’t even notice when she her hand slipped, and tore the palm of her glove on her left hand. She made a sound of annoyance and quickly discarded her gloves, tossing them carelessly into the darker parts of the cave.

She followed the song to a shallow tide pool, bobbing gently in the water was a small three pronged object made of metal and bone. The song was now a crescendo in her ears, she reached towards it focusing on the hum and lazy wisps of black smoke that drifted off it.

Her hand began to burn and glow a faint golden hue, as it neared the object but she didn’t care. She closed her hand around the charm, and suddenly the song stopped. She sucked in a deep breath as the world around her came rushing back with a roar of sound.

She twisted the pronged object around in her hands, her fingers brushing the smooth pieces of bone. The cold metal bit into the cut on her palm, making her wince. With a sinking dread did she notice that she had lost her gloves, part of her could barely remember taking them off or even cutting her hand. Her mother was going to be furious.

She stuffed the charm in her coat pocket, now wet and covered in mud, she stumbled back the mouth of the cave, and found that the sun was already hanging low in the sky.

“How long was I in there?” Ashling muttered to herself as she scrambled up the river bank and made for the main path through the woods, the quickest way and if she ran fast enough she could possibly beat her mother home-

She came to a skidding halt. There was a rider in the road.

Ashling quickly shoved her hands in her pockets, just as the man turned. She had never seen an overseer before, but she knew from whispers and tales about those who wear golden masks and hunt down the servants of the outsider. A golden visored bascinet covered his face, the helm emblazoned with the abby’s symbol, and cold eyes stared at her over the barred skeletal teeth. It wasn’t a pleasant face to meet.

The geldings coat was a bright blonde, it’s wild looking eyes a bright blue, and the gleam of fangs pointing out from beneath its lips. It’s was decorated in an expensive saddle of blues and gold, the crown of the reigns adorned with the abbey crest.

Ashling had only heard mutters and rumors about the Everyman Crusaders, a branch in Morley that went everywhere from cities to villages spreading the word of the strictures and running down heretics. No one could out run a Cullero thoroughbred.

“Are you lost?” The overseer said, the cold masculine voice slightly muffled from the mask, made her jump and try to shrink away.

“you shouldn't be out so late, especially in these woods.” He said when Ashling failed to reply. He pulled up his mask, and the face underneath was just as harsh. Crisscrossed with thin white scars, and sharp lines that came with a life of hardship. It made Ashling even more nervous, and the overseer even more annoyed.

“Speak up,child.”

“I-i was just playing along the river, and just lost track of time. My mother lives out here, she's a healer.” Ashling stuttered out. The overseer didn’t reply, instead he glanced down to her hands, she tried to shove them deeper into her pockets. Her fingers brushed against the charm, and she swore it let out a small hiss.

“Why do you hide your hands, child?”