Paul McCartney Rocks 'SNL' with New Single, Wings Classic, and Surprise Encore

Paul McCartney, fifteen months after his memorable Abbey Road medley on Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special, graced the late-night stage once again. This time, he delivered a performance of the lead single from his upcoming album, a beloved Wings classic, and a surprise encore to cap off the show.

McCartney kicked off his set with the mellow "Days We Left Behind" from The Boys of Dungeon Lane, a song inspired by his childhood memories in Liverpool.

"I was thinking just that, about the days I left behind and I do often wonder if I’m just writing about the past, but then I think how can you write about anything else?" McCartney, 83, shared earlier this year. "It’s just a lot of memories of Liverpool. It involves a bit in the middle about John [Lennon] and Forthlin Road, which is the street I used to live in. Dungeon Lane is near there. I used to live in a place called Speke, which is quite working class. We didn’t have much at all, but it didn’t matter because all the people were great and you didn’t notice you didn’t have much.”
Paul McCartney

The Boys of Dungeon Lane marks McCartney’s 18th solo album, his first since 2020’s McCartney III. He collaborated with producer Andrew Watt on the album amidst his acclaimed Got Back tour. The album also features tracks like "Salesman Saint" and "Home to Us," the latter being his first duet with Ringo Starr.

For his second performance, McCartney revisited "Band on the Run," the Grammy-winning title track from Wings' 1973 album. Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers once again joined on drums, as he did for "Days We Left Behind."
Band on the Run Album Cover

McCartney's history with SNL dates back to 1980, a year before Wings disbanded. He also appeared at SNL's 40th anniversary special in 2015, where he performed "Maybe I’m Amazed" and a condensed version of the Beatles' "I’ve Just Seen a Face" with Paul Simon.

As the credits rolled on SNL's 51st season, McCartney returned for a surprise encore, performing "Coming Up" from 1980’s McCartney II.

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