Paul McCartney – “Michelle” Live
I Will Say The Only Words I Know!
“Michelle” was principally written by Paul McCartney with contribution by John Lennon in the middle eight. It was recorded on November 3, 1965 and released a month later. This is one of McCartney’s oldest compositions which he started in 1959. The tune was composed using a Zenith, his first ever guitar.
- Won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1967
- Number 1 on the Norwegian Singles Chart
Michelle was one of McCartney’s first attempts by McCartney to play with a fingerpicked guitar style, signalling a desire to experiment beyond the boundaries of rock ‘n’ roll.
Some of the words to this song are French. That element was inspired mostly by the parties held by Austin Mitchell which McCartney have attended. He also asked helped from Jan Vaughan who taught French and is the wife of his friend Ivan.
“I said, ‘I like the name Michelle. Can you think of anything that rhymes with Michelle, in French?’ And she said, ‘Ma belle.’ I said, ‘What’s that mean?’ ‘My beauty.'” — Paul McCartney
It’s the perfect song to sing during Paul McCartney’s live performance in front of President Barack Obama and wife, Michelle. This was in 2010 at the East Room in the White House.
